St. Croix Scenic 50 Inaugural Run

January 25, 2010 – St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

The inaugural St. Croix Scenic 50 mile ultramarathon began at 4:00 a.m. and ended just before 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 24 and was hosted by The Buccaneer. Local runner James Dean set the course record at an impressive 8 hours 40 minutes and 23 seconds for the 50 mile course from Christiansted over the Scenic Drive to Fredericksted and back, finishing at The Buccaneer. Second and third place were taken by locals Bob Halk (10:31:43) and Mike Klein (10:47:40) with fourth place going to Rob Wolfe (11:11:43) from Key West, Florida.

Two local women, Carol Murphy and Amanda Warehime, entered the race and ran the first 43+ miles together. During the final stretch, Carol Murphy pulled ahead and set the women’s course record at 11 hours 43 minutes and 49 seconds. Amanda finished second for the women (12:45:41).

There were a total of twelve runners at the start, ten of whom finished, including locals Scott Fricks (11:35:22), Roger Hatfield (12:58:49) and Raymond Lutz (14:24:13).

Also making it to the finish was Todd Crandell (12:13:43) from Ohio, founder and Executive Director of Racing for Recovery™, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit foundation with the mission of preventing substance abuse in adolescents and individuals and offering a positive alternative to those currently battling addiction. Crandell uses endurance sports to convey one important message: “With sobriety anything is possible.” On Monday morning after the race, Todd Crandell met with residents at The Village VI Partners in Recovery to encourage their choice to be sober.

Crandell’s visit and the more than 560 miles run were made possible by the St. Croix Scenic 50’s host The Buccaneer; sponsors: Bohlke International Airways, IB Designs, VI PACE runners, ZombieRunner.com, St. Croix Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, the UVI Division of Nursing and SCUFA; and dozens of local volunteers from the sporting community. The volunteers were stationed every five to six miles along the course with food, cold drinks, and lots of encouragement as the runners traveled the 50 mile course, climbing and descending a total of about 4,700 feet of elevation.

With the finish line right on Mermaid Beach at The Buccaneer, most participants did not stop long at the finish line before heading straight into water for a refreshing dip. At sunset everyone was accounted for and participants gathered at the Mermaid Restaurant for an awards dinner. The volunteers and spectators were in awe, and the athletes beamed with their accomplishment. St. Croix has distinguished itself once again as an endurance sporting paradise, which now boasts an ultramarathon that is as challenging as it is beautiful!

Musing on a Caribbean Autumn

November 6, 2009

As I anticipate St. Croix's first ever ultramarathon, I have enjoyed the cooler weather of late, if not the shorter days. Of course reading about snow and other familiar autumn occurrences makes me nostalgic for the more dramatic seasonal changes found on the mainland. After a year on island, however, I have become more attuned to the subtle shift in seasons here in the Virgin Islands: there is about a 5-6 degree F difference between average temperatures in summer and winter. It seems insignificant at first, but over time the change becomes quite noticeable to the point that I was searching out a long sleeve shirt the other morning.

Aside from the marvel of how sensitive our bodies are in attuning to the surrounding environment, it makes me think that as much as locals should enjoy the relatively cool weather in January for the inaugural St. Croix Scenic 50 mile run, our mainland guests should expect to sweat like they are running in a sauna. In fact when scheduling the race, I thought about embracing the oppressively brutal heat during the summer and billing the race as Badwater preparation. We don't hit quite the same numbers, but factoring in humidity, we are routinely in the upper 90's to 100+ on the heat index (F). Alas, we chose the "relatively cool" time of year.

I guess ultrarunning masochists will just have to come experience the special brand of beautiful Cruzan hurt we have in store for everyone this January 24, 2010!

http://www.stcroix50.com

See you here in 79 days!

St. Croix's Ultramarathon & Race for Recovery's Todd Crandell

October 8, 2009 - Todd Crandell will be on St. Croix for the St. Croix Scenic 50 mile run. Don't miss your chance to meet and race with this amazing person and incredible athlete.

Todd Crandell PC (Profesional Counselor) and LCDC III (Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor III) is the founder and Executive Director of Racing for Recovery™, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit foundation with the mission of preventing substance abuse in adolescents and individuals and offering a positive alternative to those currently battling addiction.

Todd and Racing for Recovery™ have been featured on CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, and NBC News, ESPN’s SportsCenter, ESPN2’s Cold Pizza, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated.com, Runner’s World and Triathlete Magazines, the nationally-syndicated Mitch Albom Radio Show, and a number of other radio, newspaper and magazine interviews across the United States and throughout the world.

Crandell’s book, “From Addict To Ironman,” co-written with John Hanc, gives an unflinching account of his addiction and recovery and has motivated thousands in their fight to overcome drug and alcohol addiction. Todd Crandell regularly speaks to groups and individuals to convey one important message: “With sobriety anything is possible.”

Ultra Marathon is Born

St. Croix, USVI - On January 24, 2010, St. Croix will host ultrarunners in its first ultramarathon on the island. What better way to see this gem of the Caribbean than to run over a good portion of its rugged mountains and along its stunning shoreline?

Go to www.stcroix50.com for more information.