Race Roster Messages 2025
IMPORTANT NOTIFICATIONS
January 1, 2025
Getting your bib number in your hands
Happy New Year and all the Best for 2025. Please read this entire message. Bib numbers will be distributed on St. John only. No bib numbers for 8 Tuff Miles will be distributed on St. Thomas or anywhere else. St. John only. On Tuesdays during January, beginning Tuesday, January 7th, between the hours of 4 and 8 PM, you can pick up your pre-registered bib number at the Tap Room located at Mongoose Jct. St. Thomians. Please make an evening of it. Come over to your neighboring island, St. John, and pick up your 8 Tuff Miles bib number. Bring your proof of Virgin Islands residency. When you pick up your bib number you will also receive a free vintage 8 Tuff Miles tee shirt. These tee shirts are for anyone who comes in and picks up their bib number on Bib Number Tuesdays during January. It’s a $20.00 value and it’s free, brand new and it can be yours. More bib number pick-up dates will be announced in the weeks to come. For now, it’s the next four (4) Tuesdays between 4 & 8 PM at the Tap Room located at Mongoose Jct. Get off St. Thomas for a few hours and join us for some St. John fun.
January 8, 2025
Getting yourself from one place to another on race day
Please read this entire message: For those sleeping on St. Thomas Friday night, there will be ferry boats leaving Red Hook at 6:00 AM, 6:15 AM, and 6:30 AM. It’s best to be on the earliest one possible. Tickets can be purchased 10 days before use. For those sleeping on St. John Friday night, parking a car in Cruz Bay is never an easy task. Consider walking or being dropped off at the start line area by a friend or family member. Over one thousand people are trying to do the same thing as you in a very short matter of time. The SAG wagon will be available to you once you are wearing your bib number on the front of your body. A small backpack may be checked in and collected in Coral Bay at the SAG Wagon Tent. Leaving Coral Bay in a vehicle can not happen until 10:15 AM when the VIPD reopens the road to motor vehicle traffic. There will be taxis waiting to take you westward towards Cruz Bay or maybe a beach (go to the beach). These taxis will be charging you a fee so be prepared for that. Believe it or not, hitchhiking out of Coral Bay is actually an option. Always read these messages and your race day will go smoothly. More information will be made available next week. You may always email me for more details when needed.
January 15, 2025
A smooth race day morning.
As always, please read this entire message, save it, and refer back to it when necessary. 1) Proof of residency is mandatory when collecting your bib number. Many of you will not be arriving to the USVI until the week of the race. We know this and we will be adding more days and times plus where and when you can pick up your bib number. 2) No one will receive their 2025 race tee shirt until you have successfully completed the course and crossed the finish line on 02/22. 3) The SAG Wagon is an important piece of the days’ equation. The SAG Wagon is a large truck that is going to carry your small backpack to the finish line for you – if you like. You must be wearing your bib number on the front of your body to check in a small bag. This small bag might have a pair of sandals, a change of clothes, or whatever is going to make you more comfortable at the finish line area. We want you to be comfortable after your race. We want you to stick around for a while and enjoy Coral Bay, comfortably! For those of you who have friends or family meeting you at the finish line area, you won’t need the SAG Wagon but for those who don’t, the SAG Wagon is going to be your friend. Use it. This SAG Wagon truck will be parked in front of the NPS Visitor Center and yes it will be easy to find. Remember you must be wearing your bib number on the front of your body to check in a bag. 4) This race starts at 7:15 AM. We have a very good track record of starting on time. Do not be late. Plan ahead. Be early. 5) Those who competed in the 2024 8TM race and finished in the Top 100 (both male and female) will be wearing a bib number that corresponds to their 2024 finish. For example, the person who finished first in 2024 will be wearing bib number 1. Those who finished in the 2024 Top 100 will be seeded in front of everyone else at the start line. Everyone else will be behind them. Thank you for your cooperation and respect for these athletes who have earned their place in front.
January 22, 2025
CRUSH THE CUP
Good morning from St. John in the US Virgin Islands. Now friends, we’re getting close. Just four weeks until race day. We still have a few more important topics to talk about so here we go. During the 8 Tuff Miles race this year we will have (9) nine water stations and each station will also have Gatorade as well as water. With over one thousand entries and nine water stations that’s a lot of cups. We don’t want to litter the beautiful island of St. John with thousands of paper cups so we will have cardboard boxes lining the sides of the road immediately after you are handed your beverage. Once you are finished with your drink, CRUSH THE CUP in your hand and pitch it into a cardboard box. See if you can make all nine shots! If you miss – do not stop to pick it up, you’re in a race, keep moving forward. The volunteers at the aid stations will take care of that for you. Always give them a THANK YOU when you can. Without volunteers, everything would be a real mess! Please, please, please crush your cup. This makes cleaning up so much easier as the cup can not blow away and into the bush, etc. etc. etc. OK, next topic: Beginning next week we will be at the Tap Room on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from now on. Yes, Wednesdays have officially been added to the workload! Same hours, 4 to 8 PM, same location, the back porch of the Tap Room at Mongoose Jct. Before you even ask, yes more days and times will be added as time gets closer to race day. Be patient, that announcement is coming. Last topic for this week: New for 8 Tuff Miles 2025, breakfast on the Coral Bay Ballfield this year. We are going to try something new. Coral Bay Catering will be serving you breakfast for a fee ($) on the field after you finish your race. Venmo will be in use as well as cash. The menu is not finalized yet because it’s St. John and we really don’t know what will be available that week. We only know one thing, it’s going to be delicious because Erin and Coral Bay Catering will be at the helm. Enough said, have a good week. I know it’s freezing in the States and you are looking forward to an excellent time vacationing in the islands and we have 8 Tuff Miles waiting for each one of you.
January 29, 2025
The Ninth Mile Award Ceremony – Mongoose Jct.
February 5, 2025
Important 8 Tuff Miles News.
Good morning from 8 Tuff Miles World Headquarters on the island of St. John, USVI. For many of you who have registered in the past couple of weeks, you have not yet received one of these Wednesday morning messages that began way back on January 1st, and therefore I would like you to go to www.8tuffmiles.com and get yourself caught up to everyone else. At the Home page of our website click on Race Roster Messages 2025. There you will be privy to an abundance of useful information. Information that you will need before heading out-the-door on February 22nd. Real quick, Bib numbers of those who are now registered for 8 Tuff Miles 2025 can be picked up on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM only at the Tap Room located at Mongoose Jct. , St John. Bring your photo ID.
We realize that a large majority of you will be arriving to the islands in the next couple of weeks and we’re looking forward to your arrival. For those of you who arrive during the week leading up to race day, we will be distributing preregistered bib numbers on Sunday the 16th, Monday the 17th, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of that week from 4 to 8 PM only, at the Tap Room, St. John. Bring your photo ID. This now leaves Friday and Saturday unspoken for. On Friday the 21st, we will be at the NPS Visitor Center in Cruz Bay from 4:30 PM until 6 PM. For Saturday AKA Race Day; Those of you known as the true procrastinators, we will be back from 6 AM until 7 AM (one hour) distributing your preregistered bib number. Be sure to have your photo ID with you on Saturday morning in order to collect your bib number. No exceptions.
Please tell your friends and family members that registration for 8 Tuff Miles 2025 ends on Wednesday, February 19th. All registration for this race is performed online before picking up your bib number. No pens and no paper, no cash. Everything is online only.
Final words for today: Please be considerate of your fellow athletes and pick up your bib numbers sooner than later. We will be starting this race at 7:15 AM whether you’re ready or not. Simply, prepare yourself and be ready. I love every one of you, have a great day and a better weekend.
February 12, 2025
This and That
Good morning from 8TM HQ. A few last-minute details. How do my friends and family get to Coral Bay to see me finish? I keep getting this question. Take a taxi, hitchhike, or rent a car. Whatever works best for you. I can only tell you this, be wherever you need to be by 7:00 AM and you will not find yourself stranded on the side of the road watching the race go by. If you are an entry in 8TM you should do your best to be at or near the start line by 6:45 AM or sooner. This is the one day of the year you do not want to be late.
No dogs are allowed in this event. Be smart and leave your best friend at home. Do not punish him or her. Please leave your dog at home. We came very close to losing a dog at last year’s race. Thank you, end of subject.
When you reach the finish line and make your way to the Tee Shirt Distribution Tent, please look at the size tag and gender cut on the tee shirt before you walk away. As the Race Director, I would rather that you correct that issue while you are standing in front of that tent. I really do not want emails on Monday morning telling me that you need to switch out your tee shirt. Do it while you are there. Thank you. Remember you have to cross the Finish Line to receive your tee shirt.
“Let’s not praise the day before the evening.” What I mean by this is, be a good little boy and a good little girl on Friday night and go home and rest. I think most of you know exactly what I’m saying here. End of that subject too.
At the 9th Miles Awards celebration at Mongoose Jct. at 4 PM Saturday we will be selling 8 Tuff Miles hats for $30.00 – cash only. We will also be selling, “I Run This Island” tee shirts, for $30.00. Very limited amounts. These funds support 8 Tuff Miles and its efforts, which are many.
I doubt that I will have the time next Wednesday morning to send another message so if you still have questions send an email and I’ll try to answer it.
See you all soon! Peter
February 19, 2025
We have come a long way since 1997
Thank you to everyone who has come to the Tap Room and picked up their bibs. Final bib number pickups are as follows: Wed. 4 to 8 PM at the Tap Room, Thursday 4 to 8 Tap Room. Here comes the change: Friday- at the NPS Visitor Center in Cruz Bay from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM and again on Saturday morning from 6 AM to 7 AM. You don’t want to wait until Saturday if at all possible.
Many good things have come as a result of this event over the years. People have quit smoking cigarettes, people have decided to run or walk more often throughout the entire year resulting in a healthier lifestyle and people have met new friends as a result of this race that started in 1997. One such couple is George and JR. Six years ago today George met JR in an airport. Both were headed to St. John to participate in 8 Tuff. Both had done the race numerous times but they had never met one another until six years ago today in a Washington DC airport. One year ago today George and JR were married on St. John. Ready for this, I was asked to get myself ordained so I could marry them at the Murphy House Ruins five years after they met. Many good things have come as a result of this 8 Tuff Miles race and I am pretty sure more will come in future years. This Saturday morning be good to one another, all day long be sportsmen-like, and take the time to look around at where you are. St John is a very special place and you have found it.