Running Events Jamaica Chief Executive Officer Alfred Francis has expressed hope that the successful staging of the Sagicor SIGMA Corporate Run can serve as a blueprint for the return of local track and field events.

The staging of the annual event has drawn plenty of criticism in several quarters, as, for the most part, local track events across the island remain on hold.  As per government requirements, meet organisers wishing to stage events must submit proposals that display a strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols.

With insinuations rife that the Sigma Corporate Run was approved simply because of its elite status as a corporate Jamaica brainchild, Francis has insisted government permission to hold the meet was given on the strength of the event’s proposal.

“These are extraordinary times when it comes to the whole COVID protocols.  To get everything right for the approval of the relevant ministries we really had to reach out,” Francis said.

“We wanted to set an example, to show persons that you can have sporting events under strict COVID protocols,” he added.

A scaled-back event saw around 100 runners participate, well down from the several thousand that typically attend.