Feb. 4, 2003 – It's time again to lace up your running shoes and get your legs pumping. St. John's 7th annual 8 Tuff Miles race is set for Feb. 22, and planners are looking for more than 400 folks to take part.
The event begins at 7:15 a.m. at the V.I. National Park ballfield in Cruz Bay and will take runners 8.375 miles up hill and down dale along Centerline Road to Coral Bay. "It's challenging for sure," organizer Peter Alter said.
An awards ceremony will follow at 11 a.m. at Skinny Legs Bar and Restaurant in Coral Bay.
Six years ago, the first Tuff run attracted 21 entrants. Now, Alter said, it's the biggest race in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands in terms of number of participants. Last year, 356 people from throughout the world took part. This year, Alter expects more than 400 will run, walk and push baby carriages to the finish line.
Competition will be in 14 age groups.
Alter said last year's top male and female winners are expected to challenge all comers for their titles. In the men's division, Austin Thompson, now 17, of Evergreen, Colorado, set a course record with a time of 54:53. And St. John resident Regina Randazza, now 29, set a women's course record with a time of 59:03. She also won the women's division in 2001 with a time of 1:01:50.
The top male and female finisher each gets a $250 prize, donated, respectively, by Carlson Construction of St. John and the St. John Phone Book, Alter said.
This year, for the first time, youthful runners will have a chance to compete for scholarships sponsored by the Sandy Hill and Thomas H. Dittmer Foundation. "The scholarships are open to anyone from any part of the world," Alter said, explaining that Hill and Dittmer are new St. John residents who wanted to do something for young people.
He said that the top male and female runners under the age of 13 each will win a $500 college scholarship. The top male and female runners in the 13-16 bracket each will get an $800 scholarship. And those first across the finish line in the 17-19 group each will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Alter said the money must be used to study at a college or technical institute and winners have five years in which to use the money.
The race entry fee is $25 for those age 20 and over and $15 for those 19 and under. The registration proceeds will benefit the St. John Kids and the Sea — KATS — program.
Advance registration is mandatory. You can sign up at Players in Havensight Mall and Going Seanile downtown on St. Thomas; at Endurance Sports in the Sunny Isle Shopping Center on St. Croix; and at various times and places in St. John:
Feb. 6, 13 and 20 — at Baked in the Sun in the Marketplace shopping center, 5-8 p.m.
Feb. 7 and 14 — at Skinny Legs, 5-8 p.m.
Feb. 17-21 — in the ground floor lobby of the Marketplace, noon-2 p.m.
Feb. 21 — at Sun Dog Café in Mongoose Junction, 5-8 p.m.
You also can register online at the 8 Tuff Miles Web site.
On Feb. 6, 13 and 20, Alter said, Baked in the Sun will sell pizza, and he'll be playing a video made by Tommy Farrell using still shots by Steve Simonsen from the last four races.
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