Gestwicki and Vargo Win Ten Bay 10K; Proceeds Benefit St. John Rescue

Group photo of Ten Bay 10K Road Race 2019

Eighty-eight runners and walkers turned out for the third Ten Bay 10K Road Race on St. John on Saturday, Dec. 7. The Ten Bay 10K course begins at the Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center, follows the north shore of St. John for 6.2 miles, passing ten of the world’s most beautiful bays and beaches within the National Park, and ends at Maho Bay Beach.

Ten Bay 10K 2019 Winner Mark Gestwicki

Mark Gestwicki (47:16) of St. John took 1st place in the Men’s Division; Matt Crafts (47:21) of St. John took 2nd and Josh Thomas (49:29) of Seward, Alaska, came in 3rd. In the Women’s Division, Mary Vargo (54:11) and Marina Urbano (54:27) of St. John finished in 1st and 2nd place; Sarah Swan (56:45) and Chelsea Baranowski (56:45) of St. John tied for 3rd place. The winners received a handmade mug created by Gail Van de Bogurt of Pottery in Paradise in Coral Bay, according to a press release from St. John Landsharks.

Winner Mark Gestwicki, 31, of St. John finished the race 3 minutes and 40 seconds faster than in 2018. He said of the race, “[t]he Ten Bay 10K is a fun event because you get to run along the beautiful north shore and jump in the water at Maho afterwards. The limit was set at 100 participants, and I would like to see more people allowed to run next year. My strategy was to keep up with my friend Matt Crafts, and that put me out front from the start. I tried the same thing last year, but I wasn’t able to keep it up.”

The 88 participants ranged in age from 8 to 70, and over half were participating in the Ten Bay 10K for the first time. The 2-hour time limit posed no problem for the runners and walkers, as the race ended earlier than scheduled. For their finisher prize, participants received a commemorative Silipint, silicone, reusable pint cup in collaboration with St. John Brewers.

The race was supported on site by St. John Rescue, V.I. National Park Service, the Virgin Islands Police Department and volunteers. The westbound lane of North Shore Road was closed so that runners could enjoy the course free of traffic.

Ten Bay 10K 2019 Top Finishers

“This event wouldn’t be possible without the cooperative support of these agencies who make sure that participants and volunteers are safe,” said Vargo. “We’re also grateful for the volunteers who make everything go smoothly, from setup and check-in, to course marshaling and timing. Thank you to Friends of the VI National Park, Jennifer Pruss and family, and Gifft Hill School for handing out water and sports drinks at our three hydration stations.”

The Ten Bay 10K is sponsored by several local businesses: Blue Bay Construction, St. John Brewers, 340 Real Estate Company, The St. John 8 Tuff Miles Road Race, St. John Hardware, Carlson Construction Company, Coral Bay Trucking, Mumbo Jumbo, Windspree Vacation Homes, Big Planet, Conch Villa Vista, Pottery in Paradise, East of Eden Villa, The Lumberyard and Dale’s Taxi Service.

St. John Rescue will receive a $1,000 donation from the proceeds. Other proceeds will go towards supporting future St. John Landsharks athletic events for the community, including youth sports clinics.

In addition to the Ten Bay 10K, race directors Mary Vargo and Matt Crafts of Coral Bay also organize the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K and the Francis Bay Fives 5-Mile and 5K for the St. John Landsharks. “The Ten Bay 10K is a perfect jump-start to 8 Tuff Miles training,” said Vargo.

Sierra Matthias age 16 of St. John races to the finish line.

Peter Alter, the race director for the St. John 8 Tuff Miles Road Race, participated in the Ten Bay 10K for the third time. The 24th 8 Tuff Miles is coming up on Feb. 29, 2020, and registration is open at www.8tuffmiles.com. The first Geiger Tuff Tune Up training run will be on Jan. 18.

Full results and photos of the Ten Bay 10K are at www.tenbay10k.com. For more information about the event, contact tenbay10k@gmail.com.
St. John Landsharks is an informal local athletic club, focusing on swimming, biking, running, stand up paddleboarding and anything else it feels like doing. Visit the Landsharks at www.stjohnlandsharks.com.

Ten Bay 10K Results, December 7, 2019

Overall- Gender-Bib #- Name- City- State- Gender- Finish Time- Pace (min./mi.)
1 1 58 Mark Gestwicki St. John VI Male 0:47:16 0:07:37
2 2 50 Matt Crafts St. John VI Male 0:47:21 0:07:38
3 3 62 Joshua Thomas Seward AK Male 0:49:29 0:07:59
4 4 61 Adam Thill St. John VI Male 0:49:54 0:08:03
5 5 69 Dustin Harrison Seward AK Male 0:50:45 0:08:11
6 6 59 Lee Richter St. John VI Male 0:51:08 0:08:15
7 (tie) 7 (tie) 54 Kevin Chipman St. John VI Male 0:52:15 0:08:26
7 (tie) 7 (tie) 55 Tim Hanley St. John VI Male 0:52:15 0:08:26
8 8 51 Edward Williamson St. John VI Male 0:53:59 0:08:42
9 1 22 Mary Vargo St. John VI Female 0:54:11 0:08:44
10 9 60 Rob Faucett Flemington NJ Male 0:54:14 0:08:45
11 2 18 Marina Urbano St. John VI Female 0:54:27 0:08:47
12 10 57 Roger Gural Summit NY Male 0:54:52 0:08:51
13 11 64 Kevin Vargo St. John VI Male 0:56:36 0:09:08
14 (tie) 3 (tie) 2 Sarah Swan St. John VI Female 0:56:45 0:09:09
14 (tie) 3 (tie) 13 Chelsea Baranowski St. John VI Female 0:56:45 0:09:09
15 12 68 James Kryzanski Chestnut Hill MA Male 0:57:03 0:09:12
16 13 67 Anthony Novelli St. John VI Male 0:57:19 0:09:15
17 4 17 Sky Osmond St. John VI Female 0:59:47 0:09:39
18 14 56 Chad Kay St. Louis MO Male 0:59:57 0:09:40
19 5 23 Sierra Matthias* St. John VI Female 1:00:34 0:09:46
20 15 53 Adam Dow St. John VI Male 1:01:43 0:09:57
21 6 8 Jena Bradley St. John VI Female 1:03:11 0:10:11
22 7 37 Ellen Reed West Des Moines IA Female 1:03:44 0:10:17
23 8 34 Jodie Tanino St. John VI Female 1:04:24 0:10:23
24 16 89 Alex Wood Ballwin MO Male 1:04:37 0:10:25
25 9 16 Sarah Lewandowski St. Thomas VI Female 1:04:44 0:10:26
26 10 9 Ashley Bouzianis St. Croix VI Female 1:04:53 0:10:28
27 11 12 Christine Sheehan St. Thomas VI Female 1:05:37 0:10:35
28 17 78 David Mendez Flores Morovis PR Male 1:05:40 0:10:35
29 18 76 Jack Marchiafava St. John VI Male 1:06:06 0:10:40
30 19 71 Kade Parent St. John VI Male 1:07:06 0:10:49
31 20 87 Hunter Dane* St. John VI Male 1:07:11 0:10:50
32 12 42 Lucia Ray Minneapolis MN Female 1:07:13 0:10:50
33 21 75 Matt Ganter Maple Grove MN Male 1:07:27 0:10:53
34 22 52 Aaron Yasenka Hampstead NH Male 1:07:44 0:10:55
35 23 100 Lanny Roberts St. John VI Male 1:07:57 0:10:58
36 24 79 Bryan Pittman St. Thomas VI Male 1:08:00 0:10:58
37 13 43 Gina Ray Chicago IL Female 1:08:03 0:10:59
38 25 66 Grant McGill Chicago IL Male 1:08:04 0:10:59
39 14 5 Carly Houts St. John VI Female 1:09:09 0:11:09
40 26 91 Michael Harvey Saint Paul MN Male 1:09:24 0:11:12
41 15 14 Lisa Wood Ballwin MO Female 1:09:25 0:11:12
42 16 3 Elizabeth Coyle Brooklyn NY Female 1:09:26 0:11:12
43 17 30 Stephanie Hammett St. John VI Female 1:09:49 0:11:16
44 18 33 Kaitlyn Kryzanski* Trumbull CT Female 1:09:53 0:11:16
45 19 25 Laura Kline St. Thomas VI Female 1:10:22 0:11:21
46 27 81 Todd Hess St. Thomas VI Male 1:10:29 0:11:22
47 20 4 Angelika Bruchhauser St. John VI Female 1:12:05 0:11:38
48 21 26 Margaret Majette St. John VI Female 1:12:28 0:11:41
49 22 10 Amy Finch St. John VI Female 1:12:35 0:11:42
50 28 82 Jens Schutt San Francisco CA Male 1:13:24 0:11:50
51 29 70 Brian Lovellette Saint Louis MO Male 1:14:19 0:11:59
52 (tie) 23 (tie) 6 Kortney Yasenka Hampstead NH Female 1:14:33 0:12:01
52 (tie) 23 (tie) 7 Kristin Yasenka Hampstead NH Female 1:14:33 0:12:01
53 30 72 Sean Scott St. Thomas VI Male 1:14:36 0:12:02
54 31 80 Miles Stair St. John VI Male 1:14:45 0:12:03
55 24 24 Elizabeth Seeley St. John VI Female 1:15:17 0:12:09
56 25 38 Katie Fletcher* St. John VI Female 1:16:56 0:12:25
57 32 73 David Hensley Hixson TN Male 1:17:47 0:12:33
58 26 31 Asya Simons St. John VI Female 1:18:17 0:12:38
59 33 88 Bob Ray Minneapolis MN Male 1:18:24 0:12:39
60 27 19 Cecilia Ray Minneapolis MN Female 1:18:25 0:12:39
61 34 90 Daniel Kryzanski Trumbull CT Male 1:18:43 0:12:42
62 28 47 Hope Wearing St. Thomas VI Female 1:21:06 0:13:05
63 29 41 Raksha Ravikumar Port Orange FL Female 1:21:15 0:13:06
64 (tie) 35 (tie) 92 Aaron Payne St. John VI Male 1:21:18 0:13:07
64 (tie) 35 (tie) 93 Kallen Payne* St. John VI Male 1:21:18 0:13:07
65 36 86 Charles Puzder St. John VI Male 1:21:35 0:13:10
66 37 65 Timothy Esterheld San Juan PR Male 1:21:44 0:13:11
67 30 32 GIllian Powderly S. Louis MO Female 1:22:57 0:13:23
68 38 94 Wade Shriver St. Thomas VI Male 1:23:54 0:13:32
69 39 96 Ronald Vargo St. John VI Male 1:25:14 0:13:45
70 31 45 Kathy Vargo St. John VI Female 1:25:18 0:13:45
71 32 28 Sarah Kay St. Louis MO Female 1:25:37 0:13:49
72 33 11 Folksy Alexandra Yovanivich-Burgess-Lawlor* St. John VI Female 1:27:41 0:14:09
73 40 83 Dylan Altmin* St. John VI Male 1:27:45 0:14:09
74 34 29 Valerie Tarr St. John VI Female 1:28:14 0:14:14
75 41 97 Peter Alter St. John VI Male 1:29:08 0:14:23
76 42 77 Shannon Lavada St. Thomas VI Male 1:29:29 0:14:26
77 35 27 Dianne Hensley Hixson TN Female 1:29:43 0:14:28
78 43 84 Jami Pfister St. Thomas VI Male 1:29:44 0:14:28
79 36 48 Paula Smail St. John VI Female 1:30:59 0:14:40
80 37 35 Katherine Craven-Kryzanski Chestnut Hill MA Female 1:36:06 0:15:30
81 44 63 Kevin Sullivan Merrimac MA Male 1:36:07 0:15:30
82 45 1 ReShaun Penn* St. John VI Male 1:47:22 0:17:19
83 46 74 Richard Penn, Jr. St. John VI Male 1:47:30 0:17:20
84 38 40 Elise Erwin Wakefield MA Female 1:47:40 0:17:22
DNS 15 Dana Neil St. John VI Female
DNS 20 Ryan Wendt Tampa FL Female
DNS 21 Randi Fries St. John VI Female
DNS 36 Julia Michelle Santiago San Juan PR Female
DNS 39 Katie Gavlick St. John VI Female
DNS 44 Nancy Batten St. John VI Female
DNS 46 Annette M Hill-Forney St. Thomas VI Female
DNS 49 Kristina Purdom St. John VI Female
DNS 95 David Dostall St. John VI Male
DNS 98 Cameron Small* St. John VI Male
DNS 99 Te’Shawn Small* St. John VI Male

*Denotes youth participant under age 18
DNS = Did Not Start