| Mike and I ran in the
'8 Tuff Miles' race in Saint John in the US Virgin Islands
on February 26th. Not your usual race route this is
a great run that challenges your running capabilities.
This course begins and ends at sea level. Along the
way you will reach an elevation of 999 ft. There is
approximately 1400 ft. of elevation gain in the first
5 1/2 miles and then it's back to sea level. The course
actually measures 8 3/8 miles. The temperature at the
start of the race is usually in the low 80's.
We first heard about this race when we were visiting
the Virgin Islands in the winter of 2004. It sounded
like a great challenge for us, and a way to keep in
training while on our sailing vacation this year in
the Caribbean.
If you have ever been to the Islands, then you know
the terrain is hilly.... some even call them mountains.
You can't find many flat areas to run in the Islands,
so any pre-race training runs quickly get you in shape
for the '8 Tuff miles' race course. Actually, the race
is 8.3 miles long with about 5 miles being 'tuff' uphill
climbs since the last 3 miles of the course are all
down hill. This is a point-to-point course starting
in Cruz Bay near the ferry dock on the West end of the
island and ending in Coral Bay on the opposite end of
the Island. Much of St. John is designated as a national
park with great hiking and running trails and fantastic
beaches for the outdoor enthusiast.
This is a very popular event on St. John and draws
runners from all over the US. The race begins with an
uphill climb for about 2 miles then leveled out some
for the 3rd with mile 4 and 5 maintaining a rolling
incline up to the 999-foot summit of the course near
Bordeaux Heights. The race started under cloudy skies
about 7:15 AM. After climbing the first two miles we
realized the humidity was quite high and we had to work
extra hard on the steep parts. Many people just walk
the hillier sections and catch up on the “easier”
parts. Fortunately it started to rain about halfway
through the race. Combined with the light breeze it
was really refreshing. Arriving at the top of the final
hill was a very welcome point in the run. Then it was
a mad dash downhill for the last 3 miles, trying to
make up for the time lost as we struggled up the first
part of the course.
The oceanic vistas along this course are magnificent,
although somewhat reduced on race day due to the overcast
clouds and light rain. There were plenty of water stops
along the course (12 or more over 8.3 miles) for the
over 700 runners and walkers with parched lips. Adding
to the excitement and fun were people along the roadside
cheering us on and some participants & volunteers
dressed in costumes. There were also a number of teams
including young and old enjoying this great event that
has grown tremendously over the past few years since
it’s inception nine years ago.
 At
the end of the race everyone received medals and went
to collect their race t-shirts. The styles, sizes, and
colors were varied including some great tie-dye designs
reflecting the vibrancy of the Islander attire. Then
folks took a short walk to a local pub called ‘Skinny
Legs’ where we could mingle with others and have
a bite to eat. We were fortunate to meet the 2004 and
2005 race winner Jeremy Zuber ( 'Zube') at the end of
the race and we chatted away with him and other participants
on the taxi ride back to Cruz Bay for the awards ceremony.
The $2000 prize for the course is set at 5:45 per mile,
which has not yet been reached. Zube has the closest
time at 5:55 for his best time (49:32) in 2004. This
year he won with a few seconds over last years race
time.
The awards ceremony was in an outdoor park ground with
a local band playing a mix of Jazz and rock. We were
pleased when Mike’s name was called as the 1st
place winner in his age group coming in 50th overall
out of 244 male runners with a time of I hour 13 minutes.
Yeah for Mike!! Everyone is saying he'll have to return
next year to defend his title. Deb didn’t finish
in the winner’s lineup, but was happy coming in
8th in her age group out of 25 and 79th overall with
a time of 1 hour 34 minutes. Mike’s brother Jeff
from the UK and our friend Suzanne from Illinois did
the event with us and we were all happy to be part of
this wonderful Island event and take our finishing medals
back home with us. Who knows we may all return to the
USVI again next year for another ‘8 tuff miles’.
Another 8 ‘Tuff’ Miles on the Caribbean
island of St. John wouldn’t be a hard choice to
make after all.
To learn more about this great race check out their
website at:
8
Tuff Miles
© Debbie Prosser, 2005
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