Good Morning, Good Morning! In my early morning wanderings about the internet, I saw a post from 8 Tuff Miles announcing the date for the 2023 event! This year’s race will be a bit different, according to the post. But the date has been set and announcements have been made about the triumphant comeback of everyone’s favorite annual St. John event.
If you are not familiar with the 8 Tuff Miles race…Well, let me tell you a little bit about this incredible, yet grueling, early morning run. Runners, walkers, wheelers and hula hoopers from all around the country meet up in Cruz Bay near the National Park Dock in the wee morning hours of the last Saturday in February. Anticipation and glee emulate from the crowd of all ages as they prepare for the trek across the island of St. John.
The course covers the 8 TUFF miles of Centerline Road between the water’s edge in Cruz Bay and the baseball field in Coral Bay. You’ve driven that road, right? Well imagine tackling that stretch of pavement on your own two feet! Folks bring their kiddos along in strollers or let them pound the pavement themselves. Some people have hula hooped throughout the venture that tackles around 1000 feet in elevation gain. I have seen folks walk this course, run this course and tackle it in their wheelchairs. Yes, you read that right!
This year’s race will take place on February 25, 2023, and, if you have participated in this event before, you’ll notice some changes to the structure of it. The course is the same, the views still spectacular, the team spirit will be in full swing. But this year the race registration is 100% FREE. However, due to the no cost nature of the event, some of the bells and whistles will be absent from this year’s festivities…
“Free always comes with a catch, there won’t be any goodies at the finish line, you’ll have to carry your own water and there won’t be an award ceremony and there won’t be any timers but the road will be closed to traffic and it’s a free event meant to be enjoyed by everyone who’s got what it takes to get themselves from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay under their own power.” – The St. John 8 Tuff Miles Road Race FB Page
Another change for this year’s run is that the finish line will be in the parking lot behind the firehouse in Coral Bay…So, easy access to Skinny Legs where I’m sure there will still be some post-race shenanigans to be had. And (who’s with me on this?) there is NOTHING better than a greasy Skinny Legs burger after running the eight plus miles across St. John. Treat yourselves! 🙂
Centerline Road WILL be closed for the day so that participants in the race will not have to worry about traffic. There will not be any coordinated water stations however, so please bring plenty along with you for your 8 Tuff Miles across the island. A gofundme page will be set up soon and shared on the race’s Facebook page (link above) in order to cover some of the costs that occurred over the past two and a half years for the organizers. So, if you have run this race before and would like to support it, please follow and donate when you have a chance!
So, dust off your running shoes and hit the pavement. You only have 144 days left to get ready for this great event that we on St. John have been missing so much since the last race was run in February of 2020! The pandemic held it at bay for two years, but it is bound to be back and better than ever this winter. I’ll see YOU at the race!
I am crying tears of joy! Thank you for making the rest pf 2022 feel a lot less intolerable! Hope is restored! I visit STJ twice a year and still go every February just because…..this feels magical!
Hello, could you please clarify the schedule for the road closure of Centerline Road on the day of the race? We are in Coral Bay and need to get to the airport that morning and will take the North Shore Road to Cruz Bay. Wondering when the the stretch of road from Coral Bay to the turn off for North Shore will be closed.