No one following weather reports in the days before this race could have predicted that 44 people would turn out to run in the rain. Although light rain attended the runners and walkers throughout the event, the weather turned out to be forgiving when the organizers needed it the most – during the sign-up and after the tired participants had finished and needed a break. Overall winners were Chris Guenther, who led the men with a time of 20:03, and Jessica Chung, finishing first among women in a time of 21:37.
Guenther led Mark Skadier (20:17) and Glenn Miller (20:43) through the drizzle as Chung led the women from start to finish as she had several times before. Her time (21:37) was her best over the course. She was followed by Ashley Benson (22:23) and Sandra DeeReulet (23:53), a runner visiting from upstate New York.
Although awards weren’t given in age groups, over-60 racers Bill Mooney, Phillipa Webbe, Roy MacFarlane and Mark Pipper deserve special recognition. On the other end of the age spectrum were Ava Jayne Parfitt (6), Keshema Fleming (14) and Nicholas Midler (12), who first ran this race when he was nine. Finishing ahead of 10 other walkers, Roy MacFarlane and Tamera Dannewitz came in together in 43:20.
Shortly after this race was first run in 1982, its organizers Wayne Frederick, Sidney Rogers, and Roy Watlington joined with Therese Hodge, Frank and Toni Jackson, LaVerne Ragster and Junior Brown to discuss organizing a club around the newly identified enthusiasts. The result was STAR, the St Thomas Association of Roadrunner. A schedule of regular races was set and many of the same people have been at it ever since.
The complete listing of finishers on Oct. 3 follows below.
STAR’s next event will be the 13th Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 2-Mile Run/Walk, which starts at 4:30 p.m. at Port of Sale Mall.
For additional information, call Roy Watlington at 777-8183 or contact by e-mail: rwatlin@uvi.edu
Complete Results
Men
Runners
- Chris Guenther (20:03)
- Mark Skadier (20:17)
- Glenn Miller (20:43)
- Austin Pippen (21:01)
- Rohit Gaikwod (21:25)
- Steven Laplace (21:51)
- Gabriel Jimenez (22:44)
- Eric Browne (23:04)
- Spencer Dickey (23:08)
- Mark Pipen (25:08)
- Fay Hsu (25:19)
- Robert Ziegler (25:29)
- Aaron Midler (29:06)
- Richard Laplace (29:17)
- Nicholas Midler (29:40)
- Bill Mooney (30:19)
- Jeff Johnson (30:59)
- Roi Simmonds (34:09)
19. W. Duffy (35:35)
Walkers:
- Roy MacFarlane (43:20)
- Corby Parfitt (46:44)
Women
Runners
- Jessica Chung (21:37)
- Ashley Benson (22:23)
- Sandra DeeReulet (23:53)
- Melissa King (24:02)
- Lisa Parfitt (24:25)
- Keshema Fleming (25:06)
- Simina van Clief (25:25)
- Colette Monroe (26:00)
- Simone Francis (26:07)
- Charlotte Wardell (27:34)
- Adrianne Baird (28:25)
- Gaylin Vogel (30:41)
- Sonia Grifth (30:56)
- Margot Murray (35:35)
Walkers:
- Tamara Dannewitz (43:21)
- Phillipa Webbe (46:34)
- Ava Jayne Parfitt (46:44)
- Sherniel Osborn (50:07)
- Nicole Ritter (50:35)
- Karemma Christian (50:35)
- Malkia Saunders (55:47)
- Marie Fenton (55:47)
- Charlotte Brown Ramos (56:00)
- Olivia Robles (56:03)
