Among nearly 900 runners, a stateside trio took the top three spots for the men at Saturday’s 8 Tuff Miles race on St. John, with the first two breaking the course record.
Tom Chorny, 33 and a personal trainer and professional runner from Bloomington, Ind., was first across the finish for the men. His time was 46 minutes and 26 seconds, bettering the 49 minutes, 20 seconds set by former St. John resident Jeremy Zuber in 2006.
"The course is brutal," Chorny said. "The fourth hill at mile five was the worst."
For the women, a St. Thomian finished first with a time of 58 minutes, three seconds. "It was great," said Ruth Ann David, 36.
David, a trainer, immediately put her finishers medal around the neck of her daughter, Shaiah David, 5, after Shaiah ran up to greet her just after she finished.
A total of 898 people crossed the finish line on the 8.375-mile course from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay. A thousand people signed up to participate but organizing committee member Jeff Miller said the snowstorm that hit the U.S. Northeast Friday prevented many people from getting to St. John in time, while illness befell others.
The participants came from the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and 43 states.
Conditions were cool and cloudy, perfect for running the course, several runners said.
Former St. John resident Emily Engelhoff-Whalen, 18, finished second for the women. Her time was one hour, three minutes and 21 seconds.
"I’m proud of myself and tired. It was really painful. It was the hills," said Whalen, resting on top of a case of water bottles after her finish. She now lives in Raleigh, N.C.
Delene Jewett, 31, of Seattle was third for the women with a time of one hour, three minutes and 41 seconds.
Like the winner, the second place finisher in the men’s division, 28-year-old Chris Ries of Cincinnati, also declared the course "brutal." Ries, who manages a running store, knew it was hilly so he said he practiced on treadmill to get familiar with the courses ups and downs. His time was 46 minutes and 56 seconds.
Brian Shoneberger, a full-time runner from Black Mountain, N.C., said he knew what to expect. "You’ve got to find your grinding gears on the hills and on the downhill, let it rip," he said.
He clocked in at 51 minutes and 30 seconds.
Ries was part of a contingent of 11 runners from Cincinnati that flew down for the race. Organizer Brad Dunlevy, a frequent St. John visitor, said this is the fourth year a group representing the Cincinnati store Bob Roncker’s Running Spot participated.
While the top finishers get the most press, the race also brings out hundreds of others who spend hours making their way along the course. On the last downhill toward the finish, one man was spotted pushing a baby carriage and a woman was seen twirling a hula hoop.
Two five-year-olds, Isabella Gatcliffe of St. Thomas and Phoenix Rose of St. John, were the youngest participants. Velma Pullen, a sprightly 81, was the oldest.
St. John resident Evan Jones, 10, was the first youth across the finish with a time of one hour, six minutes and 12 seconds.
"It was good. I pushed myself. Every time I took a breath, I’d say keep going," the Gifft Hill School student said.
This was the second time Jean Hale, 61, of Palm Harbor, Fla. visited in time for the race. Last year, she and her husband, Sam Hale, were vacationing on St. John when they saw signs advertising the event.
"Last year, I just decided to do it," she said. This year they timed their annual visit to St. John to coincide with the race.
Hundreds of people came out to support family and friends who ran in the race.
"We can’t believe they’re actually going to finish," Tina Newport of Smyrna, Del. said, waiting at the finish with a group of friends.
The 8 Tuff Miles race brings out many, many St. John residents who volunteer to make the race happen. They operate water stations along the race course, work the start and finish line and hand out water and fruit to the racers.
"I thought about what I wanted to do. Do I want to cut up grapefruit or do I want to run?" St. John winter resident Frank Doherty said.
The grapefruit won, and Doherty was out the door at 6:15 a.m. to take his turn with the slicing knife.
St. John resident Moe Chabuz ran for a cause. He said he and Hank Slodden started at the back of the pack. As they passed other runners they asked for pledges to help bring wounded veterans working with the Team River Runner program back to St. John.
Team River Runner visited several years ago, but the program lacked the funding to bring them back again. At the finish, Chabuz said he had pledges totaling $900.
For full results, visit www.8tuffmiles.com.
