Rain Not An Issue For 8 Tuff Run

It was a nice, damp Saturday morning for the 8 Tuff Miles Fun Run participants, but they made it happen. 

Participants met at Mongoose Junction on Saturday, February 25 at 7:15 AM and headed east to Coral Bay in the rain. Many runners said that the rain made the run pleasant, as they were not battling the heat.

Even though this year’s 8 Tuff Miles was not an official race, runners celebrated their times and cheered on first-timers.

The diversity in the group was so fun to see. There were seasoned veterans running alongside anxious first-timers, kids running with parents, parents pushing strollers, an individual in a wheelchair, and plenty of people walking Centerline Road.

The Virgin Islands Police Department shut down the road for the morning, while St. John Rescue had people stationed at key intersections in case of emergency.

St. John Cancer Fund provided the supplies and gear wagon and many local businesses came together at the finish line to reward runners with refreshments.

Crossing the finish line first was Connor MacKelvey, with an impressive new PR time of 54:17.

It was inspiring to see the community come together, despite the fact that this was not an official race. Tradition is hard to abandon! 

For more information on how to support this event and the event’s organizer, Peter Alter, please visit 8tuffmiles.com.