St. Croix Scenic 50

“The 50 miles that I ran at the St. Croix Scenic 50 are as challenging as any of the 50 miles at Badwater!  The St. Croix Scenic 50 should be on every ultra-runner’s list.  It kicked my ass!” These words from Frank McKinney, eight time competitor at the Badwater 135-mile Ultramarathon, the world’s toughest foot race according to National Geographic, were one of the highest compliments a race director could receive on a course that combines some of the best views of the island with its most rugged terrain.  January 26, 2014 marked the fifth edition of the St. Croix Scenic 50, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ only ultramarathon, with 50 mile individual, 50 mile team relay, and 50 kilometer individual events.  An especially rainy December left runners facing lots of mud on the course this year in addition to the three H’s: heat, humidity, and hills (pushing 25% grade at points).   In spite of the added challenge, all of the runners/teams made it to the picture-perfect beach finish line at The Buccaneer!

 St. Croix local and owner/operator of Jolly Roger Charters, Captain Mike Klein, finished in first place for the third year in a row completing his fifth St. Croix Scenic 50 with a time of 9 hours 22 minutes 5 seconds.  Local runners Dedrick Luikens, Jason Snow, John Salo, and Juan Robles finish first for the team relay event setting a new course record of 6 hours 35 minutes 20 seconds.  Debra Morgan from Missouri had never run beyond a marathon before coming to St. Croix.  Not only did she finish first overall in the 50 Km event in 6 hours 47 minutes 6 seconds, she said it was, “the most amazing, challenging, and fantastic race I have ever run!”

Aside from the course's difficulty and breath-taking views, the St. Croix Scenic 50 is defined by the enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers/sponsors.  Every single participant has remarked on how well supported and encouraged they felt by the volunteers along the course.  “Thank you” cannot be said enough to these wonderful volunteers, sponsors, and host, The Buccaneer. Taken as a whole, St. Croix is the proud home of one of the best ultramarathons in the world! But don’t just take our word for it.  When he arrived on St. Croix from frigid Massachusetts, Lee Dickey was just glad to be out of the cold, but after the race he said, “having run 156+ ultras over 27 years, the St. Croix 50 miler was by far the most fun.”  So mark your calendars for Sunday, January 25, 2015 for the 6th Annual St. Croix Scenic when Captain Mike will celebrate turning 50 by running 50 miles on his birthday, and we’ll see you next year!

On Sunday, January 26 The Buccaneer will host the 5th annual St. Croix Scenic 50 ultramarathon.  

The 2014 edition of the race will feature the original 50 mile individual event, a 50 mile relay with four legs, and new this year a 50 km individual event.  As challenging as it is beautiful, on this island tour the views aren't the only thing that will take your breath away.

The course, from Christiansted to Frederiksted and back, gains almost 5,000 feet of elevation as it crosses over Scenic Drive and back, finishing on Mermaid Beach at The Buccaneer.   

Along the way runners will be supported by a small army of volunteers stationed every 4-6 miles along the course handing out food, water and ice. 

Want to be a part of this amazing ultra endurance challenge?  
To volunteer contact Matt: stcroix50@yahoo.com 
or start training for next year!

New for 2013 the St. Croix Scenic 50 mile ultramarathon course will be open to four person relay teams.  Using the 'Top of the Beast' and 'Turn Around' aid stations as transitions points, the course will be broken into four legs that are 11.9, 11.8, 11.8, and 14.5 miles in length.  Opening the course to more runners is intended to increase enjoyment and camaraderie among participants, as well as increasing the enjoyment and excitement for course volunteers and spectators.  So grab three of your running buddies, sign up, and start bargaining for who gets the hills and who gets the extra couple miles to the beach!

In other exciting race news, race record holder, Mike Klein (pictured left finishing his first 50 mile race) has issued a challenge to his fellow participants.  Mike is captain, owner/operator of Jolly Roger private sailing charters.  Since you can't run there, his 42 foot catamaran is the perfect way to see Buck Island's white sand beach and underwater snorkeling trail through the U.S. Reef National Monument.  This year Mike is motivating himself by offering half price on his sailing trips to anyone who beats him in the race.  It's a great way to unwind and recover after the race, so train hard for a great deal!