On Sunday, the St. John Landsharks hosted 5K and 5-Mile fun runs and a new 500-yard Beach Dash at Francis Bay. The courses featured a variety of terrain, including trails, road, and a finish on the beach.

Thirty-four athletes participated in the event, including five children in the new 500-yard Beach Dash, which was offered to children aged eight and under. There were 14 runners in the 5-mile race and 15 in the 5K.

In the 5-mile event, the top male finishers were Connor MacKelvey of St. Thomas (34:38), Mark Hayes-Ayala of St. Thomas (40:24) and Lee Richter of St. John (41:46). The top female finishers for the 5-mile course were Brenda Simpson of St. Augustine, Florida (46:36), Jena Bradley of St. John (52:51) and Samantha McNamara of St. John (1:00:55).

In the 5K, the winners in the men’s division were Sam Normington (24:36), Kallen Payne (25:03) and Matt Crafts (31:16), all from St. John. The top women finishers for the 5K were Krystina Miller of South Weymouth, MA (32:01), Mary Jay Cajes of St. Thomas (33:04) and Noel Wright of St. John (44:55). The first-place male and female finishers received a soursop tree from Freeman’s Farm in Coral Bay.

Full results can be found here.

MacKelvey, who also competed in the Victory Half Marathon the day before, was a last-minute addition to the race field. “I wasn’t too sure if I was going to compete today or not and jumped on to register yesterday afternoon,” he said. Two of his friends from St. Thomas also participated in both events.

“We were all very impressed with the community-based atmosphere and to see the famous Peter Alter also running this morning,” MacKelvey noted.

The 5-mile winner praised the race’s distinctive finish: “Running on the Francis Bay Boardwalk and then finishing on the beach certainly made it a memorable experience, especially jumping right in the water after the race to cool down.” What stood out most to MacKelvey was his prize: “I think my favorite part was earning a Soursop Tree to take home. Having a practical prize that I can care for and nurture for years to come will always remind me of this race.”

MacKelvey, who coaches cross-country and track and field at Antilles School, expressed enthusiasm for returning and expanding participation. “I certainly plan on coming back next year to support the St. John Landsharks and would love to promote this race on St. Thomas more to build the running communities between St. Thomas and St. John – especially with my athletes at Antilles!”

Lee Richter, who finished third in the 5-mile and has participated in all four Francis Bay Fives, echoed the community spirit that makes these events special. “Matt and Mary put on a fantastic race,” said Richter, who also competed in the Love City Aquathlon in 2017. “I guess you could say I just like race events on St. John and I really enjoy the ones they’ve put on over the years.”

For Richter, the races serve as motivation throughout the year. “I enjoy being active and the races give me something to work towards,” he explained. “I’ve never really cared a whole lot about getting on the podium, so to speak, but I just enjoy the atmosphere and the community that the races tend to conjure up. Everyone’s really supportive along the way and just in good spirits!”

He echoes MacKelvey’s appreciation for the race’s unique finish. “Real big fan of the Francis Fives for the finish though … you definitely get your sweat on during the last stretch on the road with the sun beating down. With the finish line right on the beach, there’s no better feeling than flopping right in the water afterwards!”

Richter also enjoyed watching race organizer Matt Crafts include his kids in the race day fun. “Also enjoyable moment today was watching Matt running his kids on the stroller along the boardwalk portion – the dude can drive! The kids seemed to enjoy the ride too.”

The race organizers and attendees extended special thanks to the volunteers, St. John Rescue, V.I. National Park Service, and VIPD for their support.

The next St. John Landsharks event is the Turkey Trot 5K and Kids’ Fun Run at Annaberg on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.

St. John Landsharks is an informal local athletic club, focusing on swimming, biking, running, stand-up paddleboarding, and anything else they feel like doing.

Contact stjohnlandsharks@gmail.com for information.