Female winner from the 2021 Sagicor Sigma Invitational Run, Jozanne Harris will be representing again on Sunday, March 20 with the intention of “having fun at one of her favourite road races”.

A logistics coordinator at Sun Islands Jamaica Limited, Harris won in the female run category of the charity road race for the first time last year. She said she wants to defend her title and to best last year’s time of 23:31 minutes.

“I have registered to participate for the Invitational on Sunday, but more than defending the title, I prefer to think of it as trying to better my time from last year, that’s my goal,” she said.

The fitness junkie participates in a number of races each year but classified the Sigma Run as the “benchmark”.

“I am all about performance and health and fitness and this is one of the races that I use as a benchmark. I am going to do my best and have some fun,” she said.

Harris shared that her personal best is 21:50 minutes but explained that the double loop course in New Kingston is more challenging than the usual Sigma Run route because of the twists and turns. So in terms of doing a PB, she made no promises.

“[I am] not sure, I am just about improving on last year’s performance over the same course,” she said.

“I have had four or five podium finishes before, but last year was the first time that I won”, she added.

Harris said she had been affected by the COVID-19 disease a few months ago which interrupted her preparations for the event.

“I struggled with my preparation for this Sigma Run because I had COVID. I am now fully recovered but COVID fatigue is very real, so preparation has not been as steady.”

Due to the rearranged date for this year’s race, Harris will be having a jam-packed weekend of road racing.

“When they postponed it, I was actually in preparation for a Triathlon which is Saturday (March 19) which I have already committed to, so I am going to be racing on back-to-back days, which is also playing on my mind.

“I am hoping to be able to recover enough to do well at Sigma.”

The Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) will be the beneficiary of the run this year and Harris says that she is happy to play her part to help the health sector.

“I don’t have any personal experience with the use of KPH, but family and friends and I know nurses and doctors who work there,” she shared.

“The need is real. We know the health-care system is overloaded, the KPH in particular, so I am happy to be able to contribute to the cause and support what Sagicor is doing.”