Update on 8 Tuff Miles 2011
December 5, 2010

We now officially have a starting line, a course and a finish line. We even have a place for the award ceremony.

 It’s been a bit of a battle securing the above mentioned this year. The NPS was having second thoughts about granting us permission to use the NPS property as a starting line but after a couple of meeting and a promise of leaving the grounds how we find them we have been given permission and we will have the same starting line as last year.

 The one change to the course this year will be the addition of the round-a-bout. I have asked Deputy Chief Foy for the permission to use Centerline as the course and to allow the course to include the newly completed round-a bout. We have been given the permission to shut down some of the traffic in the area of the round-a-bout for a few minutes so that we may run in a counter clockwise direction at the newly finished round-a-bout. Think of it as a celebration of the completion of this project. If it all works out we will continue to keep it as a permanent fixture for future 8 Tuff Miles races.

 And the finish line in Coral Bay will once again be on the ball field owned by the Moravian Church. After meeting with Sam Rymer and agreeing to a user’s fee of $2,000.00 we will have this field as our finish line once again. Sam promises me by paying these fees’s we will eventually see vast improvements at the site. I truly hope so.

  Glen Speer has agreed to and welcomes the idea of hosting the award ceremony at Mongoose Jct. once again this year. Some of you want to see the award ceremony happen at Skinny Legs but that won’t be happening. After your race, by all means stop in and see Moe and Toni at Skinny Legs but please come back into town for the 4:00 PM award ceremony. We are also kicking around the idea of roasting a pig this year for the award ceremony and with the Tap Room as a sponsor there will be plenty of cold beer on hand and root beer for the kids.

  I had a chance to once again run the course this morning and I’m happy to say my time was 1:27:00. Four week ago when I ran it my time was 1:33:00 so yes I am happy to be shaving time off and feeling good. The weather was perfect this morning. Had to in the high 70’s or less and you know that feels good when it’s that cool on St. John. My good friend Ron, “the harmonica player” gave me a lift back to town and we talked about the fact that there are only 80 something days till the race. Time flies. If you haven’t started training yet, it’s time to start doing that.

  We’ve got some new sponsors this year and they include Courtesy Car Rental and Little Switzerland. If you going to be visiting the island and renting a car please call Courtesy Car Rental and talk to Gregory. I would like for as many of you as possible to support our sponsors as they support us. Little Switzerland has donated two beautiful pieces of crystal to be part of the prize package for the first place male and first place female. I’ll try and get a photo of each piece up at the website this week.

Well I guess that’s about it for now. Local folks or those here for the winter mark your calendars, January, 15th is the First Geiger Tuff Tune Up. It will cover the first three miles minus the round-a-bout.

Take care everyone,

Peter Alter
Race Director 8 Tuff Miles