Off-road ultra marathon right on track
Solo female winner, Helki Weber, receives her award from Hayden Isbister of Mourant Ozannes
(CNS): This year’s Off the Beaten Track (OTBT) ultra-marathon and relay attracted more than 450 participants to one of Cayman’s most extreme and competitive events on the annual race calendar. Held Sunday, 21 February, the 50km ultra-marathon, in aid of two charities, was designed to encompass a notoriously difficult uncharted route through lush tropical bush trails, along sandy beaches and over the back roads and dyke roads of Cayman. Adding to the challenge, a new course is prepared each year and maps are only provided to participants a week before the event.
Andrew Keast took first place in the solo male category with an impressive time of 4:28:12, 12 minutes faster than the time he posted last year. Dan Kelley, a visitor from Boston, Massachusetts, gained second place in this category, at 4:38:53 and Amilkar Torres finished third at 5:02:17.
In the solo women’s category, Helki Weber earned first with 5:25:32, just a little slower than her winning 2015 time of 5:03:44. Jalene Cruz was second with 5:37:27, shaving just less than 15 minutes off her 2015 time of 5:52:02. Pat McCallum placed third with a time of 6:00:50.
In the male relay, Mourant Ozannes 1 took the top spot for the second year in a row. The female relay team Sole Sisters placed first and PwC Six Pack gained the top spot in the corporate relay. In the mixed relay, Solomon Harris MDR Speedsters (the youngest team ever to compete in this event) finished first.
OTBT race director and marketing manager at KRyS Global, Anna Keating, said this year’s event showcased an impressive number of superb athletes, who also helped to raise money to give back to the community.
“This was our seventh year of Off the Beaten Track which attracted a staggering 71 teams and 30 solo runners. The increasing number of participants each year and the excitement that surrounds this event is a testament to the adventurous spirit of Cayman’s runners and the uniqueness of this race,” Keating said.
“Off The Beaten Track supports local charity, Meals on Wheels, who provide a critical service in the community ensuring that no senior goes hungry and the international charity, Facing Africa, dedicated to helping children in Nigeria and Ethiopia affected by NOMA, a deadly infection that affects the face.”
She also noted the difficulty of the route. “The course was definitely the toughest yet as we dug the trail deeper into the bush than ever before, making the course a challenge like no other for the athletes.
“We are tremendously grateful to all those who supported this event and especially all of the participants, sponsors and volunteers who helped to make this event happen,” Keating said.
For more information about the race, visit the Off The Beaten Track website
Category: Running
