A determined group of triathletes took on “The Beast of the East” on Sunday morning, battling not only the grueling course but also strong easterly winds. The Beauty and The Beast Triathlon was hosted by the Virgin Islands Triathlon Federation.
Staged at Cramers Park, the featured Olympic-distance triathlon included a 1-mile swim, 25-mile bike, and 10K run, with a relay option for teams. Competitors also had the choice of a Sprint-distance event (800-meter swim, 14.5-mile bike, 5K run).
The race began with a short delay after organizers discovered that one of the swim buoys had drifted away and needed to be reset. Once underway, athletes immediately felt the challenge of the conditions—swimmers contended with a stiff current on the return leg, while cyclists battled a relentless headwind on the way back from the turnaround near Cane Garden on Southside Road. Despite overcast skies, it proved to be a demanding but rewarding day of racing.
Relay swimmer Bob Halk led the group out of the water with an impressive time of 24:50. He was followed by Antonio Galiber in 27:26 and Stacey Stone in 27:49.
On the bike, the Virgin Islands’ top triathlete and elite cyclist Stephen Swanton surged ahead, overtaking the field and completing the 25-mile course in just 1:09:23. His wife, Robin Seila, dominated the women’s division with the second-fastest time overall (1:17:23). Sue Brown, cycling for Team Halk/Brown/Nadler, posted the third-fastest bike split.
Swanton maintained his lead through the run, conquering the challenging double climb to Point Udall and finishing the 10K in 49:15. Chris Ray turned in the fastest run of the day (48:53) to move his relay team into third place overall, while Mollie Nadler’s strong 10K secured first place for her team in the relay division.
Olympic Division Results
Men: 1. Stephen Swanton, 2. Billy Bohlke, 3. Mike Nantz
Women: 1. Robin Seila, 2. Esther Ellis, 3. Kat Brownsdon
Olympic Relay Results
- Bob Halk / Sue Brown / Mollie Nadler
- Stacey Stone / Kevin Burton / Chris Ray
- Jaiden Cintron / Mervin Mills / Paul Adjodia
In the Sprint Division, Allison Janusziewicz and Megan Mault went head-to-head. Janusziewicz built a strong lead on the bike and held off Mault’s faster run to take the win in 1:47:04. Mault finished close behind in 1:52:45.
The VITF has a busy schedule ahead:
- Sunday, Nov. 16: Fall Fling Splash ‘N Dash at Bungalows, a swim/run event for kids ages 5–15
- Sunday, Dec. 7: Reindeer Run Half Marathon & 5K at Cane Bay
For more information on multi-sport events, please contact info@vitf.org or call 340-513-2707.
St. Croix Source
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