The St. Thomas Association of Roadrunners’ 2014 Kwanzaa Run/Walk took place on Sunday, Dec. 28, with both 7K (4.3 miles) and 2-mile race courses contested by runners and walkers. This event was first run in 1982 when it was won by St. Croix Olympian Wallace Williams. Several courses have been tried in the intervening years; records for the 7K course, which has been used since 2011, were set two years ago by Lekesha Moore (33:18) and Shane DeGannes (25:30). Start and finish were near the University of the Virgin Islands baseball diamond.
Female two-milers were led from start to finish by cross-country champion Talisse Thompson. The teenager posted a time of 16:38. Samantha Peck and Evelyn Woods followed. Not to be greatly outdone, younger brother Trey Thompson finished close behind in 16:54, first among males. He was followed by Roy Rogers and Owen Goldberg. Substantially faster than last year’s winners, the sister and brother now hold the female and male records for the 2-mile event. In the 7K, last year’s men’s winner, Eddie Butcher, held off Lukata Samuel’s challenge as he had in 2013, finishing in 28:23 — this time 33 seconds faster than last year. Dad, Bill Thompson, finished third overall in the 7K.
A real treat for long-term St. Thomas Association of Roadrunners (STAR) regulars was the participation of Carole Goldberg, who as the sole female contesting the 7K, finished in 43:18. She had been a core STAR and outstanding competitor in the 80s and 90s, holding age group records in several distances from 2 to 26.2 miles. Now living in the U.S., she returns frequently for the Women’s Jogger Jam. Since it happened that her birthday fell on Sunday, everyone joined her old STAR buddies in singing “Happy Birthday” and wishing her good running.
STAR’s next two events are the Martin Luther King Jr. 5K Run, beginning at 7:15 a.m. on Jan. 18 at Vitraco Park, and the 32nd Annual Women’s Jogger Jam on Jan. 25, starting at 4:30 p.m. at The Fruit Bowl in Wheatley Center.
For additional information on these races, call 777-3959 or 775-6373, respectively. For information on the Kwanzaa Run, call 777-8183 or send an e-mail rawatlington@earthlink.net
On race day, the principle being observed was Ujima (cooperative work and responsibility). STAR wishes everyone best wishes for the rest of Kwanzaa and for the Three Kings holiday.
Complete Results
Two-Mile Results – Female
1. Talisse Thompson (16:38)
2. Samantha Peck (22:11)
3. Evelyn Woods (24:12)
4. Majestik Estrada-Petersen (26:50)
5. Lorri Thompson (27:39)
6. Gayle Deller (31:37)
7. Wendy Peck (33:30)
8. JoSandra James (42:14)
9. Charis Rhymer (48:54)
Two-Mile Results – Male
1. Trey Thompson (16:54)
2. Roy Rogers (19:12)
3. Owen Goldberg (19:37)
4. Bilal Muhammad (21:32)
5. Adam Peck (22:26)
7 Kilometer Results – Male
1. Eddie Butcher (28:23)
2. Lukata Samuel (31:48)
3. Bill Thompson (32:32)
4. Jason Budsan (34:51)
5. Steven Zirinski (39:46)
6. Jason Peck (43:18)
7 Kilometer Results – Female
1. Carole Goldberg (43:18)
