Since he was a youngster, Billy Bohlke has run in V.I.Pace races from the mile to the marathon. He has won at each of these distances more times than he can count. And he is still doing it. After arriving late for the start of the Labor Day 5K last week, he was early for the 6 a.m. start for the V.I. 10K at Arawak Bay Inn at Salt River on Sunday morning. With just a few runners to show for the race on the beautiful but hilly North Shore Road, he toed the line with new-comer Joe Noonan and Dominic Pugliese, who is soon to be competing at the Junior Olympics in Argentina.
Bohlke, a C-130 pilot in the Puerto Rico Air National Guard and CEO for St. Croix’s Bohlke Airways, asserted himself in the first and mostly uphill mile and maintained the lead throughout the 6.2-mile race to take first place in 38:10. Noonan of the V.I. National Guard was second and took the masters title in 39:54; Bridget Klein, track and field/cross-country coach at Good Hope Country Day School (GHCDS), was the first female finisher and third overall in 42:55; Brice Richards of GHCDS was the third male in 46:23 and took the junior title; Randle Nielsen of Superior Court was fourth in 48:09; Megan Lambert was the second female in 49:17; Mason Lambert was fifth in 49:17; Mike Klein (pushing son Michael in stroller) was sixth in 57:53; Ruth Gesengo, V.I. National Guard, was third in 63:58; and Olga Capriola, teacher at GHCDS was fourth in 70:25.
The next event on the V.I.Pace Runners calendar is the 4H/V.I.Pace Runners Cross-Country Series at 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix Campus.
For information, logon to: http://virginislandspace.org or email wallacewilliams@msn.com or call 643-2557
