The annual Virgin Islands Pace Runners St. Croix Metric Mile is the shortest open road race on the V.I.Pace Runners annual calendar. It serves as a transition between the cross-country and track and field seasons for the island for youth and junior runners; it is a last speed workout before the annual St. Croix International Marathon and V.I. Half-Marathon, which also serve as V.I. National Championships.
Juan Robles, multiple V.I. Half-Marathon and Cross-Country V.I. champion, showed up for the flat point-to-point race in Upper Love and cruised to victory in 4:21. Nayam Bansal of Good Hope Country Day School was the second place finisher in 4:47; Randall Nielsen was the top masters and third place finisher overall in 4:59; Mike Klein V.I. 50 Mile National Champion was fourth in 6:01; Terrance Charles Eulalie Revera School/Mary’s Fancy Track Club was the first under-10 male and fifth overall finisher in 9:11; Jack Bohlke V.I.Pace Runners was second in the under-10 group and sixth overall; Sam Jones was sixth in 9:58 and Billy Bohlke V.I.Pace Runners jogged behind his son Jack for seventh in in 15:11.
Bridget Klein, Good Hope Country Day coach, was the first female finisher with a time of 5:08; Michelle Smith St. Croix Track Club and Eulalie Rivera Elementary School was second in 5:15; Mireille Smith (Michelle’s mom) St. Croix Track Club was the top masters female finisher and third female in 6:05; Anelia Austrie St. Croix Track Club was fourth in 6:38; Akra Joseph St. Croix Track Club was the first under 13 female and fifth overall in 7:24; Katelyn Jones was the first under 10 female and sixth overall in 7:43; Lauren Jones SCTC was the second under 10 and eighth overall in 8:32; Sara Jones SCTC was the third under 10 finisher and ninth overall in 10:00.
The next event on the V.I.Pace Runners Calendar is the St. Croix International Marathon on Sunday, Dec. 17. Due to the impact of the recent hurricanes, the format of the event will be different this year (only). The marathon, the marathon relay, the half-marathon and, new this year, a 10K will be run in the town of Christiansted over a loop course.
For information logon to: http://virginislandspace.org/stxmarathon2017.html or email: wallacewilliams@msn.com or call: 643-2557.
