The life of athlete Derek Larner was remembered at the first annual memorial run named in his honour with over 600 participants assembling at the start line on Sunday, 12 Jan.
Larner, one of the most beloved long-distance coaches in the Cayman Islands, died on 5 Jan. 2021 at the age of 56 following a three-month battle with cancer.
The inaugural event featured hundreds of people who Larner impacted, running with his memory on their minds during the 5K, 10K, half relay and half marathon.
Esmond Brown won the half marathon in 1:18:44.60, finishing ahead of Teddy Mercer-Mora and Alfred Muge. Jalene Cruz finished as the first female, followed by Oddy Grullon and Lauren Nelson.
For the 5K, two athletes, Abraham Whittaker and Will Dyer, who Larner trained, made the podium. Whittaker placed first with a time of 17:38.83 ahead of Mike McDonald and Dyer in third.
One of the people who kept Larner’s spirit alive during the memorial run was his wife Laura Larner and daughter Scarlett, who also took part in the 5K.
Laura took to social media after the event to express her gratitude.
“So, so many thoughts and feelings to process and thank yous to make and photos to share from this morning’s race in memory of Derek, but for now I will just say it was everything we hoped it would be – our legs are tired, but our hearts are full,” she wrote.
The 10K race saw Tafari Khan cross the line first in 35:44.64, followed by Andrew Morrison and Leonardo Schilling.
BTR Stallions triumphed in the half marathon relay. BTR Mustangs placed second and BTR Blazerz third.
The memorial run benefited Jasmine hospice and palliative care and the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, two organisations that supported Larner throughout his illness.
It was an event that brought the community together for a variety of reasons but all in the name of Larner.
People hoping to participate again won’t have to wait until 2026, because the second memorial run will take place in October.
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