At 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, Casey McNutt of Dive BVI was hanging signs on Virgin Gorda to help 10k participants know which direction to run — the signs also provided some comic relief.

“Wait, I?thought this was the 5k,” one sign read.

However, it was Maria Mays who got the last laugh over Zebalon McLean after beating him in the first Dive BVI 10k on VG.

Ms. Mays and Mr. McLean ran almost side-by-side for most of the race, but during the final stretch through Spanish Town Ms. Mays created some distance and took the victory in about 42 minutes. She said she was able to break way from Mr. Zebalon, because she is “better up the hills.”

“Zebalon is absolutely brilliant during the first eight kilometres of every race,” Ms. Mays said. “He always just hits a wall and I can just edge him out.”

The rivalry between the two runners goes back a few years and continues, according to Ms. Mays.

“A couple of years ago I was beating him all the time, but then last year he was beating me,” she said. “It was my ambition this season to beat him once and I have done that now.”

It was Ms. Mays first time competing in VG, but has competed regularly in road races on Tortola.  She said the course on VG was “hilly,” something she is used to because she trains by running up Fort Hill on Tortola.

“This was easy compared to that,” she said.

Twenty-six participants took part in the first 10k on VG hosted by Dive BVI.

“If there was another 10k, I am unsure who did it,” Ms. McNutt said.  

Most of the competitors came from Tortola and “chipped in for fuel” for the Dive BVI boat that departed Trellis Bay at 5 a.m.

“It was nice to take the boat over at sunrise,” Ms. Mays said.

Eight competitors from VG took part in the event along with a runner from Puerto Rico.

Ms. Mays will be returning to the sister island to compete in the first Virgin Gorda Half Marathon on May 12. So far the event has 12 runners registered. Saturday’s 10k was a good way to familiarise Ms. Mays with the half marathon course.

“Casey sent through a picture of the route for the half marathon and I was looking at it and thinking I was going to get lost, but now having done one of the loops I think I will be all right,” Ms. Mays said.

The next 10k on VG will be April 28.

RESULTS

Female: 1) Maria Mays – 42:58, 2) Kim Takeuchi – 51:59, 3) Kay Reddy – 55:09, 4) Philomena Robertson – 57:03, 5) Katie Shea – 58:45, 6) Rhiannon Jones – 59:33, 7) Annamari Parry – 1:00, 8) Vivian Toro – 1:03, 9)Debbie Ridgeway – 1:14, 10) Anna Marie David – 1:27

Male: 1)Maxford Pipe – 43:10, 2) Zeblon McClean – 44:37, 3) Emrol Amsterdam – 44:56, 4) Curwin Andrews – 48:30, 5) Ben Mays – 48:55, 6) James Murray – 50:42, 7) Aaron Seddon – 52:31, 8) Manny Toro – 57:17, 9) Petter Willmott – 1:01, 10) Wilbert Samuel – 1:09, 11) Crispin Walsh – 1:40, 12) Participants: Dillan Joseph, Ian Joseph, Travis Joseph, Devonte’ Joseph, Jermain Abrams