ST JAMES, Jamaica – Organisers of the popular annual MoBay City Run say the current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the postponement of this year’s seventh staging of its 5k and 10k run/ walk in the resort city, which was set for today.

Organisers say however, that they will be hosting a virtual event shortly, while at the same time, they are hoping that the run/walk can be held in September.

In March, the organisers stated that “unfortunately we have been forced to move the date of the MoBay City Run from May to September.”

“We have not yet decided on an exact date, however, we know hundreds of students depend on the bursaries they receive from this event and so we are waiting for things to calm down before naming a new date,” the organisers explained then.

However, chairman of MoBay City Run organising committee, Janet Silvera, in a video released today, noted that despite the challenges, people  will still be able to exercise and keep healthy. As such, she said, the organisers have decided to stage a virtual run for 2020.

“As a result, the MoBay City Run organising committee is staging a virtual run, for 2020 and anywhere you are in the world you and you can enter this run at a measly figure at that,” stated Silvera.

She said individuals will be able to enter by visiting the mobaycityrun.com website address and enter the virtual 5k and 10k run/ walk, which can be done at home or on the streets.

“You can go do it in your home. You can do it on the treadmill. You can run on the streets. Just send us your timing, and we will send you your medal and your certificate,” said Silvera.

She noted that registration for the virtual run will be open for least three weeks, adding that the public will be advised as soon as a date is set for the registration to begin.

Silvera said funds raised from the staging of the virtual event will be used to purchase tablets for university students.

Since the launch of the city run in 2013, some $23.5 million have been disbursed in scholarships to secondary and tertiary level students at several schools across western Jamaica.

ANTHONY LEWIS