At daybreak on the last day of February, activity stirs along the road from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay. It’s the day of the 27th 8 Tuff Miles race.
Moments from then, the race begins.
At the finish point, cases of water shift hand-to-hand from the back of a pickup truck.
Water for hydration, joint health, and cramp relief. Volunteers set up tables to accommodate those along Centerline Road. Near the Catherineberg turnoff, Jeanette and Bruce Beckwith join members of Fish Bay Walkers as they prepare for duty.
The time is 6:43 am — in less than half an hour, 1,500 registered runners and walkers would take off from the road behind the National Park Ballfield.
Within a few yards, they quickly hit the steep slope to the Veteran’s Circle where the Love City Pan Dragons waited to greet them.
Then it was up, up, up the road all the way to Coral Bay. A group made up of the top 100 finishers of the 2025 race led the charge with an eager set of challengers hot on their heels, given some lag time at the starting line.
Along the way, some of those in the lead pack would lose their place among the first 100 finishers to their competitors.
But before it all began, a moment to honor the nations represented by runners taking part in the race.
First across the finish line for the men’s division was Matias Porporato with a time of 51 minutes, 54 seconds; Elise Yoshioka clinched it in the women’s division in 58 minutes, 26 seconds.
Race results can be found here.
