Still recovering from the rigors of the St. Croix Triathlon on May 7, stalwarts of the St. John race team and one triathlete from St. Thomas turned out for the year's fourth FigJam on May 21. Team leader Jude Woodcock finished first among the women and Adam Thill led the men.
The FigJams are informal triathlons held on St. John to bring athletes together for support, encouragement and a great workout. The half-mile swim, 12-mile bike race and 3.1-mile run add up to a healthful way to spend a Sunday morning.
Although Woodcock again finished first, Louise Depuy was a close second, trailing by just 22 seconds. Betty Story from St. Thomas continued to be a steady performer. Jane Rollins, a personal trainer, was still nursing a sore knee and passed on the running portion of the May 21 race.
The women's part of the first "FigJam World Championships," to be held on Sunday, June 4, is shaping up to be an interesting race between Woodcock and Depuy.
Thill, who had a successful race on St. Croix, has continued to improve despite bouts of "digestive distress" (a.k.a. yaking) on the run. Miles Stair rounded out the men's field with strong swimming, biking and running performances.
Peter Alter was the sole competitor in the "mask, fin and snorkel" category. The main focus of the FigJam series is to encourage participation, and anyone who wants to use a mask, fins and snorkel is allowed to do so.
The timekeeper for the morning, Dan Depuy, celebrated his birthday with the triathletes at a cupcakes-loading banquet after the race.
The FigJam World Championships will start at 8 a.m. Sunday at Maho Bay. All triathletes are welcome to compete. The after-race picnic and awards presentation will be at Maho Bay Camps. For more information, call Woodcock at 693-5283.