After over a year of running through this route in my head, and the day after finishing a major month-long project for work, it was finally go-time. I took a taxi to Cockleshell Bay at 5:15 to begin stretching and was immediately attacked by hundreds of mosquitoes. I had to abbreviate my usual routine to escape the onslaught and began running just before sunrise at 5:45am and started up the peninsula. I kept a moderate pace on the decently steep rolling road for miles, running along pristine views of the ocean and Great Salt Pond. The section of road from Friars Bay through the tunnel and over Sir Timothy’s Hill is the steepest portion of the route, thankfully it’s quite short. With the hills behind at mile 7, I had a quick stop at my room to reload ice/water/Tailwind in preparation of the coming heat and continued through the golf course paved trails. A quick detour around the Koi Resort put me just outside of the town of Conaree, bypassing a very busy section of the Island Main Road. After a mile, I was able to cut out onto the Scenic Railroad and enjoy complete solitude with a very wilderness feel. 7 miles at a good 10-12 min/mi pace took me through four bridges and countless wildlife, including monkeys, pigs, sheep, goats, cows, and a bull, and brought me to my second water drop at mile 16. I quickly iced up, topped off water/coconut water, managed to spill half the ice water on my shoes and last pair of dry socks, and tried to enjoy the last mile of wilderness before rejoining the Island Main Road.
On the road, the dynamic changed drastically with the traffic and heat. The breeze disappeared and the constant lookout for cars flying down these narrow roads without shoulders began. Navigating the roads and traffic required constant attention and adaptation but wide grassy shoulders here and there provided some room to enjoy the incredible ocean views. Over the next 10 miles, I continued at a solid 10-12 min/mi pace, passing through several towns that were mostly closed (no water). Around mile 26, I made the potentially regrettable decision to walk a mile. With the heat at its peak and no wind, I began to see a wall looming. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally found an open store in St Paul’s and filled up on ice/water and made some fresh Tailwind (I gave all my excess ice and water to locals hanging out close by on both of my stops). Shortly after, I began having some knee and foot pain and realized that I had never run this far along a road without the relief of softer portions of trail. Over the next 5 miles, I began a run a mile/walk a mile schedule to conserve for a final push at about a 14-15 min/mi pace, which seemed to work until I hit the wall at mile 31.
For the next 8 miles, I began to doubt my finish as every step became painful, and I began to wonder why I was even out here. I found another open market in Sandy Point Town and filled up again on ice/water/fresh Tailwind. After considerable internal debate knowing I could easily flag down a taxi back to my hotel, I decided to stick with it, keep walking, and see where the adventure took me. Street “jelly” vendors were ample and I enjoyed a few coconuts worth of water (fresh as it gets) off to the side of the road along the rest of the way, possibly saving my run. I managed to still enjoy the views through Old Road Town, Brimstone Fortress, Challengers, all the way to the city of Basseterre. The passage through Basseterre was the slowest and most painful, waiting for the only traffic lights on the island and short but steep stairs at most intersections. After leaving the city, I realized that I was only 5 miles from the finish and that I was actually going to make it. At the David Kennedy building, a colleague of mine showed up and cheered me on to a second wind. I was able to begin running again on the grass up the hill towards Frigate Bay. With only a mile left and my finish in sight, my watch died. I began running solidly back at a 10 min/mi pace for the last half mile (video proof in Strava link) and finally finished at 4:33pm under the Frigate Bay Strip arch. I enjoyed a dip in the ocean, a Carib at the Monkey Bar, and reveled in the post-type 2-adventure bliss, a long-standing project fulfilled.