On their website, organisers of the Sagicor Sigma Run claim their event to be “one of the biggest examples of people making a difference”.

At 28 years old the event is also, perhaps, among the oldest of its type in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region. For sure, people now in their early 30s can’t recall a time when there wasn’t a Sigma Run.

Organisers boast that since 1999, the 5.5 kilometre “run, walk and wheelchair experience” has raised more than $878 million to support health and education. In 1999 the run through downtown Kingston had a funding target of $500,000 — not to be sneezed at back then. There were 279 people crossing the finish line at that time, we are told.

For the 2026 event set for February 15 through the commercial heart of uptown Kingston, 32,250 people are expected to participate.

“We have the wheelchair category, we have a walk, we have the run category,” long-running Race Director Alfred Francis tells us. The funding target this year is $150 million with five schools in western Jamaica — among those badly affected by Hurricane Melissa — identified for assistance.

Last year, 30,000 people were said to have competed raising $128 million for charity, surpassing the target of $115 million. Matching the numbers is the increasing use of modern technology to facilitate participants. This includes MyLaps, which is described by the Observer’s Sports Content Manager Mr Andre Lowe as “a highly regarded race management system used at the Winter Olympics, the Chicago Marathon and other global races”.

The methodology is set to bring live-participant tracking and expanded finish-line features to the Sagicor Sigma Run. Mr Francis tells us that event organisers and officials have been sent overseas “to train; we have bought … new smart decoders … we are doing live tracking [to track participants]… And we also have the watch yourself finish” — a video facilitating participants who may wish to “watch themselves come across the finish line”.

By any measure the growth of the Sagicor Sigma Run charity has been impressive. According to Mr Francis, “This year… based on the need created by Hurricane Melissa, our focus is on education and restoring schools… and students in the west.”

We are encouraged that participants’ safety will be emphasised with the constabulary, the Ministry of Health and a wide volunteer base involved. Also, lest we forget, events such as this boost fitness and good health, combating debilitating lifestyle diseases — a huge strain not just on our health-care system but, by extension, the national economy.

Mr Francis argues that participants will “feel good, you’ll feel fulfilled that you are part of a wonderful experience that is making a significant contribution towards Jamaica’s growth and sustainability”.

Crucially, the Sagicor Sigma Run should serve as an example of the way to go for all Jamaicans as we strive to rebuild in the aftermath of what’s surely the worst natural disaster of our time.