The highly anticipated M2M Road Race made an exhilarating return to Magens Bay Beach on Saturday, drawing runners, families, and fitness enthusiasts for a day of competition and camaraderie. Hosted by the Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA), the event once again showcased the power of community and athletic excellence.
This year’s race was particularly memorable, as both the male and female winners shattered previous course records. Connor MacKelvey claimed first place overall in the men’s division, finishing with an incredible time of 00:40:44, while Elise Yoshioka dominated the women’s division, setting a new record of 00:42:43.
Reflecting on his performance, MacKelvey was thrilled not only to secure a victory but also to bring his Antilles School athletes to compete and support Montessori’s athletic program.
“We’re working toward a common goal — to help our athletes improve while supporting the community,” he said. He praised the event’s organization and course design, especially the closed roads and rolling hills, which made for a safe yet demanding race. He also highlighted how the event fostered a strong running community, with many competitors participating in a three-race trifecta — the Waterfront 10K, M2M, and Eight Tough Miles on St. John. “The energy was incredible — runners were cheering for each other along the course, and everyone was in good spirits at the finish line,” he added.
Yoshioka shared a similar sentiment. Since moving to St. Thomas, running has become a key part of her life, providing both fitness and a strong sense of community. “Running is so simple—all you need are shoes, and you show up. It has built such a great community for me here,” she stated. Yoshioka is actively involved in the St. Thomas Run Club, a public Facebook group where she posts weekly running schedules. The club meets four days a week, typically at 6 a.m., with Saturday sessions at 5:30 a.m. at locations like Magens Bay or Brewers Bay.
The 1K Kids Fun Run gave younger participants (ages 10 and under) the opportunity to experience the thrill of racing, with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd fueling their determination. Shanna, mother of 1K winner Arianna, shared how running has become a way of life for their family.
“Arianna is eight and already a passionate and competitive runner,” she said, highlighting her daughter’s dedication to track and field and cross country. With a big brother who has also excelled in the sport, running has become a family tradition they love and support together. “We’re a running family — it’s something we truly enjoy,” she added.
The awards ceremony honored top finishers, celebrating their endurance, determination, and encouragement that inspired the community. The festivities continued with a beach picnic, where attendees enjoyed food, drinks, music, and post-race celebrations. Beyond the fun, the event remained dedicated to a meaningful cause — proceeds directly benefited the VIMSIA Athletics Department, supporting youth athletic programs that foster teamwork, leadership, and personal growth.
The success of the M2M Road Race was made possible by the generous support of local sponsors, including Elan Insurance, First Bank VI, Alpine, the USVI Department of Tourism, MSI Building Supply, Spyglass Capital, Brian Moseley & Associates, Inc., International Private Bank, International Capital & Management Company, St. Thomas Restaurant Group, ACE Hardware, Caribbean Risk Group, Michael L. Sheesley, LLC, Caribbean Chiropractic Center, Magens Bay Authority, Merchants Commercial Bank, Rodriguez Auto Parts, United Resources, Business Basics VI, The Paint Depot, and the Nagi Family. Their contributions played a crucial role in making the event a success, supporting both the race and VIMSIA Athletics Department’s mission to foster youth athletic development in the Virgin Islands.
Also known as Gold, Theophilus Alexander Smith is survived by his wife, Stephanie Smith; daughters, Geraldine Smith, Goldean Smith, Uldean Smith, Ludene Smith, and Janice Smith-Hodge; stepdaughters, Marilyn Raymo- Rabsatt, and Denise Smith.
He is also survived by his sisters, Juliette Raymo-Shahid, and Carolyn Smith-Ottley; brothers, Joseph Blyden, Peter Gonzalez, Austin Raymo; 13 grandchildren, and six great grandchildren; and sons-in-laws Mario Hodge and Eral “Mikey” Rabsatt; as well as any nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends to mention.
Viewing will be Friday, Feb. 7, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Blyden Memorial Chapel. Service on Saturday, Feb. 8 with viewing from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Blyden Memorial Chapel and followed by burial at Western Cemetery #1.
In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.
I heard a phrase once that stuck with me, “if you want a successful man, you have to deal with a busy man.” As with many things we discuss here, this phrase must evolve to account for proper context as well as the correct desired outcome. Busyness is not the same as productivity, neither does it equate to success or goal achievement. It is not merely enough to have lots of things going on, to be pulled in multiple directions, having a calendar filled to capacity, etc. There should be a goal in mind that is attainable. All things should be pointing toward that goal and be aligned with its capture.
What I have uncovered in my journey of self-discovery is that I wasn’t asking the right questions. Even as I write this entry, and learning more about large language models, prompt engineering, and artificial intelligence, I realize that I am still not always asking the correct questions. We must dig deeper, go beyond the surface and get to the root of our workaholism and need to stay busy. I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend seeking professional assistance with unpacking some of those behavioral traits, coping, defense, and deflection mechanisms, and avoidant personality symptoms. This courageous step (one that I take every week) is monumental in positive personal development. If you take nothing else away from this article, it is do not be afraid of or to begin therapy.
I also follow a panel of influencers and professionals called “Tonight’s Conversations.” I certainly encourage you all to listen in on some of the topics and perspectives. Recently one of the panelists discussed how the pursuit of success from a purely financial position left men and women devoid of emotional regulation, empathy, compassion, understanding, genuine love, and other appropriate traits for a healthy human being and healthy relationship. This is why getting a proper understanding on what drives you, what your goals are, where you need to improve and how to balance your personal and professional lives is critical to enhancing your overall quality of life. The Word says, “What will you gain if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?” (Matthew 16:26 CEV). Ensure that you aren’t losing yourself trying to “keep up with the Jones” or impress people who don’t care about you.
Now, let us begin to dissect the opening statement regarding success and busyness. As we have mentioned, you must first unearth what “success” is for you. What do you want to accomplish with all the work that you are doing? Also, determine if the work is actually taking you to that end or are you using work as an excuse not to confront some things. There is no way to have this discussion without reiterating the importance of root cause analysis and internal inventory assessments. Once some of those things have been addressed, you can begin to re-evaluate and determine if you are going somewhere or simply spinning your wheels under the auspices of being busy. If all the tasks and obligations are not moving you to your predefined goal, you aren’t being productive.
Productivity is not busy for busy sake. It is the framework that creates a process or steps to a desired outcome. The outcome should be what qualifies your definition of success. There is a distinct focus, trajectory, and direction that takes you to a place beyond where you currently are and everything you do should move you one step closer to that goal. People who are undefinably busy have lots of things going on, but it is disjointed. They are dabbling in different areas, trying to find their niche, tribe, or place of impact. This is ok, because we must start somewhere to figure out what our path and calling is. What we are differentiating here is that this part of the process may or may not be productive even though it is very busy. Whether it is or isn’t depends on if you are ruling out certain activities, learning and applying lessons and knowledge, and moving closer to a more purposeful life.
Success should have activities around it that create the pathway for a desired outcome. Productive work is the steps that propel you toward that outcome. These two factors should exist in a vacuum, to say that there shouldn’t be too many things that are distracting you from that journey. They are the rubric that you evaluate all potential introductions into your life plan by. If it doesn’t fit into that plan, you are creating busyness but not productivity. Know the difference and move accordingly.
Langley “Casual-Word” Shazor is a poet, author, publisher, entrepreneur, public speaking coach, podcast host, and pastor who is an advocate for youth and men. His goal is to enlighten, empower, and liberate those who are silenced, marginalized, and enslaved to self-destructive thoughts and behaviors.
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