Virgin Gorda's 1st Half Mararthon will provide a challenging course for participants
MAY 8—Dubbed ‘Round and Round’ Virgin Gorda, the inaugural Dive BVI Half Marathon, 6 Mile Challenge and Run/Walk, will kick off at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, marking the second such event in the territory.
More than 40 persons have pre registered for the event as of May 6, half of them for the Half Marathon course.
“This is an exciting event for Virgin Gorda, both for local runners and walkers, but also for a good tourism product here on the island,” race director Casey McNutt said. “We have an amazing challenging route around the Valley. We go up to Coppermine, out to the Baths, around the Valley and we’ve got some amazing breath taking views around this route, but also a lot of hills.”
The race starts by the Scotiabank parking lot in the Marina, heads east with a right turn up to Speedy’s Corner, then a right out to Coppermine. It returns from Coppermine to the Baths, then back to the start. It ends at CocoMaya Restaurant in the area of Andy’s Chateau.
“We do this three times cutting out a piece every time until we get to the Half Marathon route of 13.1 miles,” McNutt stated. “It’s 13.1 really tough miles but that’s not all we have, six mile route too, for anyone not trained for that 13.1 miles. It’s the first loop of the course, with plenty of views and plenty of hills and a whole lot of fun.”
Of those pre registered, McNutt said 21 were signed up for the Half Marathon and the rest for the 6 mile course. There were another 15 knocking on the door. “Until they pay the registration fee, they’re not on the list, but I think we’ll get about 60 or 70 participants for this event and I’m hoping for beautiful weather, “she said. “But we’re going to have loads of people lining the streets cheering on everybody.”
Registration, which costs $65 for the Half Marathon and $50 for the 6 Mile course, runs through 6:15 a.m. on Saturday morning. There’s a $25 registration fee for Under 16 participants. The fee includes a gift bag, T-shirt, finisher’s medal and breakfast. Proceeds from the race will go to VISAR. McNutt said they are catering for 100 people and if the numbers hit that point before Saturday, the race is closed.
Information about the race is available online at racevirgingorda.com.
The Virgin Gorda Half Marathon is the second such event in the territory with the BVI Half Marathon—now in its 7th year—scheduled for November 17.