Peter Wright goes the distance with first marathon

After completing half-marathons at Reggae Marathon in 2024 and 2025, and making 10-mile (16 km) runs a regular part of his Saturday mornings, Peter Wright decided it was time to take on a bigger challenge. Last month, he travelled to the Dominican Republic to register for his first full marathon, covering 26.2 miles.

“It was amazing knowing I finally accomplished something I’ve thought about for years and for which I trained for months. Crossing the finish line was extra special for me because I was met by other members of Pacers Running Club –Rick Case, Amma Spence, Lesa Powell and Sasha-Gay Forbes – who waited for me near the finish, documented it, and were there to celebrate with me in the moment,” he told Lifestyle.

After the intense race, the first things Wright reached for were a Gatorade and a complimentary banana.

‘I like pushing myself’

Wright, who also goes by the artiste name Five Steez, says his running journey began as a teenager, when he would use his mother’s treadmill to keep fit. As an adult, he took his strides to the road, driven by a genuine love of the sport.

“I like the way it makes me feel. I like pushing myself to go further and faster. And I also enjoy the health benefits,” he said.

He is currently a member of both the Jamdammers and Pacers Running Club.

Wright chose to sign up for the marathon in Santo Domingo because it aligned with the necessary training. It also helped that he knew other running mates from the Pacers Running Club who would be participating in the featured race.

“I had a 15-week training block; three days of running on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and three days of strength training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, weekly. I had a combination of runs each week, with my fast runs being on Tuesday and my easy runs being on Thursdays and Saturdays. Saturdays would be my longest run for each week, going as far as 32km on one occasion, and sometimes starting as early as 3:30 a.m.,” he explained.

Exercise typically took place at home where the focus was on legs: squats, calf raises, lunges and tibialis raises. “I didn’t have any strict diet. Generally, I try to eat three meals a day and eat more carbs on the days before my runs, so I have enough energy when I hit the road,” he added.

Wright said there was no particular moment when he felt like quitting, attributing his positive mindset to both his physical and mental preparation.

“That’s not to say it was easy. It was tough. But I kept recalling everything I’ve learnt from my marathon mentors in Jamdammers – Kemroy Johnson, Steven Kerr and Aileen Corrigan – to help make my way through the rough patches,” he pointed out, adding, “ The last six miles is usually when it can all fall apart, so I kept reminding myself that this is where the race really starts and this is where it’s won. I was determined to finish strong, so I took my time and ensured that I hydrated and fuelled well enough to carry me through to the end.”

Having achieved his sub-four-hour goal, finishing in three hours, 47 minutes and 54 seconds to place 20th, Wright celebrated with a breakfast stop at Burger King. It was a familiar post-race treat, one he had also enjoyed after local 5Ks.

His advice to those with the desire to run a marathon is to work your way up through the racing ranks. “I wouldn’t recommend a marathon to anyone who isn’t already a runner. I suggest working your way up from the usual 5K races to a half-marathon. Once you have the half under your belt, you can prepare for the full by finding running partners who have already done a marathon and can guide you and train with you. You’re likely to find people like this in run clubs. I wouldn’t have been able to complete my training injury-free and finish my first marathon in the time I did without the support of my marathon mentors and running partners in these clubs,” he highlighted.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com