Oct. 1, 2005 – One female and three male runners who emerged as champions from the recent Sunset Relay will represent UVI again this Sunday, Oct. 2, in the St. Thomas Association of Roadrunners' twenty-fourth Founders Day 5-Kilometer Run. The 3.1-mile race will start at 7 a.m. at the Fort Christian Parking Lot and finish at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center. Water will be provided along the course. Walkers are as welcome as runners. The entry fee for the race is $2 for adults and $1 for youth under 18. Registration starts at 6:30 a.m.
UVI's contingent will include Sunset Relay male champions Gabriel Lopez, David Hartzell and Joshua Felice as well as female team member Isabel Hernandez. The course record set in 2003 when UVI's Ethan Kreul finished in 16:08.9. The women's record of 19:00 was set in 2002 by Regina Radazza of St. John. At last year's race, Bill Thompson won in 18:43 and Melissa King took the women's race in 24:09, accoriding to a press release from STAR.
Named in honor of the founders of STAR, the first running of this event took place on Oct.10, 1982. It involved little more than the drawing of a chalk line on the ground, providing some water and timing with a stopwatch. But runners enjoyed the event so much that they organized themselves and continue today to present a schedule of running and walking events.
For more information, call Roy Watlington at 776-3647 or e-mail: rawatlington@earthlink.net.
