The Virgin Islands Triathlon Federation manages several competitive multi-sport events annually on St Croix, but it is also known for hosting a few non-traditional races as well. The famous “leap frog” event, called Island Hoppers: Hopping Into Spring, took place on Sunday morning.
Race morning saw eight two-person relay teams step up to tackle an 8-mile course known for its rugged terrain—50 percent off-road, 40 percent rough roads, and just 10 percent smooth surfaces. With one cyclist and one runner per team, the event kicked off at the corner of Route 62 and Route 624, with participants charging up Lowry Hill.
At the first transition point in Tide Village, cyclists hopped off their bikes and switched to running, while their teammates grabbed the bikes and took off riding. Mat Porporato and Robin Seila were the first cyclists to arrive, closely followed by GHCDS student KoleBert Daisley, who nearly overshot the transition zone. On the running side, Mat’s teammate, Stephen Swanton, reached the transition first, with GHCDS student Vedant Mittal and his running coach, Bridget Klein, following behind.
The next stretch took participants through a tough climb up Spring Gut Road after turning left at Welco Service Station near Seaside Market. This section proved grueling for both runners and cyclists. Swanton and Porporato extended their lead here, arriving at the second transition more than five minutes ahead of the pack.
After a fast descent down the south side of Spring Gut Road, teams turned onto Southside Road before reaching the final transition at Castle Nugent. Porporato was the first cyclist in, followed by Robin Seila, who managed to make up some time. Blake Schluter, Mittal’s teammate, was next to arrive. Swanton held onto his lead as the first runner in, with Klein and Mittal close behind.
Before the race, Stephen had set himself a goal to finish under 45 minutes—and he exceeded expectations, crossing the line just a minute behind his teammate in a final time of 44:39. (Note: the overall time is taken as the second person on the two-person team crosses the finish line) Mittal and Schluter took second place at 53:49, while Esther Ellis and Seila rounded out the top three with a time of 55:47.
Special Awards:
All-Male Relay
- 1st – Stephen Swanton & Matias Porporato
- 2nd – Vedant Mittal & Blake Schluter
- 3rd – Jerry Remie & KoleBert Daisley
All-Female Relay
- 1st – Esther Ellis & Robin Seila
- 2nd – Bridget Klein & Mollie Nadler
- 3rd – Kat Brownsdon & Catherine Seguin
Mixed Relay
- Megan Mault & Kevin Burton
The next event on the VITF schedule is a 5-mile running race on Saturday, April 26 at 7 a.m. For more information about the Farm-to-Park Prediction Run, please contact 340-513-2707.
