Reon Radix leads Shane Degannes (left) and Kalique St Jean on the return during the 11th Deloite/Ojier BVI Half Marathon on December 3, 2016. Photo: Dean ' The Sportsman' Greenaway

Ruth Ann David (right) broke her own course record, finishing just behind Reuben J. A. Stoby. Photo: Dean 'The Sportsman' Greenaway

Kenisha Pascal finished second in the 11th BVI Half Marathon. Photo: Dean 'The Sportsman' Greenaway

Julius Farley was the first runner from the VI to finish the 11th BVI Half Marathon. Photo: Dean 'The Sportsman' Greenaway

The pace was set by Grenada’s Reon Radix, Antigua and Barbuda’s Kalique St Jean and the USVI’s Shane DeGannes, a 3-peat champion who was second last year, battling over the first 10½ miles, before DeGannes was dropped. Radix and St Jean dueled for anther mile before Radix went clear for the victory.

“I thought the head pack set a decent pace early in the race so it was good going and I had to work a bit, but it was wonderful,” Radix said. “I didn’t know the route so I had to bait someone who did and the Antiguan and I basically stayed with Shane for a while. I knew once you go out and turn, then I would have memorised and mapped the route, because coming back was about six miles. I knew the course then, so it was a bit of waiting, then start injecting a bit of pace and see what they had. It was a cat and mouse game for the last five miles.”

After dropping DeGannes, Radix said he knew St Jean is a 5000m runner and the last three miles would be a battle. “I don’t know what happened but in the last mile, he just backed off and I took the opportunity to go ahead hard to the finish,” he said after running 1 hour 20 minutes and 57 seconds. “It’s the first time I’ve won a race out of my country so I could care less about time. I’m just happy that I won.”

St Jean said on the return, the wind was beating in his face and was trying to stay with the pack, execute a good race and finish strong. “My hamstring started to hurt a bit and I slowed because the pace was hot, hot,” he said after running 1:21.24. “But, I’m happy with my time. It’s a personal best.”

DeGannes said it was a fast race and was glad Radix and St Jean came. “We ran about a six minute pace going out, those guys made me do all the work, then dropped like a 5:45 around mile 7, 8, and it started rocking,” he said noting he didn’t have Gatorade. “It started getting faster at mile 10, that’s when those guys started taking off and I just dropped off. Tried my best, but, I couldn’t hang on.”

Julius Farley passed the VI’s top runner Reuben Stoby and placed fourth. “I didn’t want the girls beating me today—that was my motivation,” he said. “I saw the times they ran, which was pretty impressive so I went out and tried my best. I’m surprised and thankful, because Reuben has been beating me all year. After I seized the advantage, I just kept pushing on.”

Stoby, who was with the pack for the first two miles, faded to fifth and held off David by .01 at the line. “I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to keep up after the first two miles—maybe the many races this year took its toll because I ran three minutes off what I ran last year,” he said. “I was at least expecting a personal best if not a victory. So I’m disappointed.”

Record run for David

In the women’s race, St Thomas’ David and Grenada’s Kinesha Pascal engaged in a duel before the defending champ pulled away to finish sixth overall.  

“I wasn’t sure I was going to get here because I had no money,” said an emotional David who crossed the line in 1 hour 30 minutes and 21 seconds to break her course record of 1:30.46 and collected $750 including $250 for taking the record, after an early battle with Grenada’s Kinesha Pascal. “I want people to understand how true and how God will be there for you if you just trust in him. Don’t trust in people to be there for you, trust in him to see a way and he’ll always make a way.”

David praised Pascal for helping her performance. “If she wasn’t here, I think it would have been harder for me to keep my pace in the beginning—she helped me to set a good pace,” David noted. “We were running together for about five or six miles and Reuben Stoby too, he also helped.”

Pascal was happy with her 1:32.37 personal best effort. “It’s a great improvement from the 1:37.25 I did at home two weeks ago,” she said, which also improved her 1:34.40 best. “It was the second time I’m running with Ruth and the first over Half Marathon. I guess she had a better advantage because she knows the route and it’s my first time, but, I’m happy with my performance.”

See link to full individual results below:

http://www.webscorer.com/racedetails?raceid=87830&did=94119