APPROXIMATELY 1,700 runners and walkers from around the world participated in this year’s Reggae Marathon, including popular American vegan influencer, athlete, entrepreneur and film director John Lewis. After a two-year COVID-induced hiatus, the 22nd edition of this year’s annual event took place on December 4, once again in Negril.

“My mother just passed this year and I thought, you know what, this would be an amazing thing to do for her,” Lewis shared.

He’s on an incredible journey. As an influencer, he is the self-styled “Bad Ass Vegan”. It’s a role he stepped into after remixing his entire life in the wake of his now late mother’s colon cancer diagnosis.

“I grew up eating meat and dairy. My family owns one of the number one barbecue restaurants in the United States,” he laughed. He shared this history to illustrate that if it is possible for someone like him, a son from barbecue royalty, a former butcher on top of that, to make this pivot, it’s possible for just about anyone.

As a film director, he’s currently in the throes of sorting out the distribution for his latest documentary on the food system in the United States, tentatively titled They’re Trying To Kill Us.

The documentary and his moniker are tools to disarm stereotypes around the lifestyle.

“I knew that veganism was looked at as the stale, corny, hug-a-tree lifestyle,” he explained. “Here in America, it was mostly a white thing, to be honest.”

His life is a counter-example to those perceptions. Lewis is tall, athletic, black, outgoing, eats good food, and travels the world.

Preparing for the race

It was only three months before the race when Lewis decided that his next major trip would be to Jamaica for the half-marathon race at the Reggae Marathon. As someone devoted to maintaining his health, the decision was an easy one. And even though his timeline for preparation was short, he kept training for the race relatively simple, and even a bit unconventional. He incorporated resistance training into his routine, along with shorter runs three times a week, only ever practising the half-marathon distance once.

“It honestly was the best time that I’ve had in a half-marathon; it was the best experience. And I honestly feel like I could have ran faster,” he lamented after finally completing the race.

“For anyone who’s ran a Boston or New York marathon… that temperature man, it’ll wake you up,” he laughed. “I don’t care how tough you think you are.”

Compared to those road races, the Reggae Marathon was refreshing, Lewis said. “That’s the number one thing, especially in Jamaica, you can’t go wrong. Anyone who says they didn’t have a good time in Jamaica, they’re just not a fun person!”

The unique vibe

The successful return to in-person racing, after a year of the event being held virtually, re-emphasises what makes the Reggae Marathon stand out from its counterparts around the world. “The music is our signature,” explained Diane Ellis, director of sponsorship for the event. The ‘reggae’ in Reggae Marathon is more than adding flavour to an event’s name. “At each segment of the event, there’s live music,” she continued. Over the two days, participants are treated to bands and live acts. The festival has served as a breeding ground for ‘who’s next’ in reggae and dancehall, with luminaries such as Kabaka Pyramid and Elephant Man taking the stage early in their careers.

For Lewis, the Reggae Marathon gave him an excuse to finally visit Jamaica. Two of his best friends are from the island, and as anyone who has met a Jamaican knows, Jamaicans are always selling their country.

“I feel like it’s a dishonour to say this, but I’ve never had ackee before the trip,” he admitted with a tinge of guilt. “I get it now! I think I had it maybe five or six times and I was only in Jamaica for five days.”

Lewis also says there are aspects of the experience that are hard to put into words – a vibe about the Reggae Marathon, and maybe even the island itself. After the race he found himself walking with the crowd towards the beach. “I’ve run events in South Florida and there’s no flock of people going to the beach and getting in the water. Everyone was just happy for each other, that felt good, even though I was glad to have beat some people,” he chuckled.

As for whether he’ll return to the Reggae Marathon in future, Lewis said yes, he’ll be back for the 2023 race, for sure. “It’s funny, I didn’t find out about the race until three months out, but now, I’m dedicating the year to showing up in the best shape ever, to knock this one out.”