This post was going to be more celebratory, but a life was lost during yesterday’s Sagicor/Sigma 5K race. Thirty-six-year-old Alicia Prince died just after the 1 kilometer mark this morning. My friend Onyka and I passed her; she was lying down with people holding her legs up in the air. She apparently fell and hit her head. She was treated immediately by paramedics and doctors who were on the course, to no avail.

I cannot imagine the grief and shock her family and friends must be feeling. Think about it: your wife, or daughter or sister or mother wakes up early one morning to participate in a charity run. She must have been excited, optimistic, determined. Then, her loved ones get the message that she is no longer alive, probably due to a misstep or a stumble. The cliche that life is so precious and fragile fits here.

The executives quickly sent out their condolences to the family, but nothing will help right now. This 5K race is the largest in Kingston and grows every year. There were 24,000 participants this year, and $26million JMD was raised for a local children’s hospital.