MONTEGO BAY, St James — Organisers of MoBay Night Run have partnered with GenX Carnival to add a soca flavour to this year’s event.

“In the whole spirit of carnival we went ahead and booked Nailah Blackman, soca sensation from out of Trinidad and Tobago,” said The Howard Ward Benefit Foundation Executive Director Suzette Brown.

“We are in the spirit of carnival because, you know, April is the month for carnival and I think it was just a proper fit,” she continued.

The 5K run/walk event is scheduled for April 5. This is the second year it is being staged.

“Last year our theme was to light up the place so, if you noticed, we had a lot of lights… This year we want to keep it exciting since we are all about coming for the run but staying for the fun,” Brown remarked.

She said once they settled on a carnival theme for this year, the next step was finding the right partner. The foundation thinks GenX fits the bill.

“They bring a host of resources, they are experienced in the space, but even outside of that they have some companies that are committed to them — and they follow them everywhere they go — so they are coming on board as well,” Brown disclosed.

GenX Co-Director Kino Johnson gave some insight into what patrons can expect from the event.

“We will have music at every 1K spot and so many other surprises in store,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

GenX has a long history of vibrant street marches that attract thousands of participants and huge crowds. It also has strong sponsorship support, which made it attractive to the MoBay Night Run organisers.

“Plus, GenXs Carnival with Smirnoff is bringing on other partners like Rum Stripe, we’ve also spoken with KFC and Fesco — we are going to be doing gas as well as human hydration in the form of water,” Johnson said.

MoBay Night Run raises funds which The Howard Ward Benefit Foundation uses to support students in need.

More than $8 million was raised from last year’s event, and 36 students received bursaries. This year they have set the target higher.

“With a target of 5,000 participants MoBay Night Run 2025 aims to raise $15 million in support of the foundation’s scholarship programme, which provides assistance to students pursuing secondary and tertiary education,” Brown remarked.

She also noted another major change for this year’s staging.

“This year’s event moves to Harmony Beach Park, providing an enhanced experience for participants and spectators,” she said.

The new route will take runners along Jimmy Cliff Boulevard and back to Harmony Beach Park.