Speedsters back at Off The Beaten Track

Taken from the Cayman Reporter

A group of young local athletes are training for one of Cayman’s most challenging and unique sporting events of the year which happens this weekend. The Solomon Harris Speedsters, will be taking on the eighth annual Off The Beaten Track 50k ultra-marathon and relay route, through tropical bush, sandy beaches and the back roads of Cayman, this Sunday, Feb. 26.

The team is running for long standing Off the Beaten Track sponsor, Solomon Harris, who have supported Off the Beaten Track since its inception eight years ago.

“It’s been great to watch this race continue to grow every year,” said Laura Hatfield, partner at Solomon Harris. “We are very excited to be sponsoring the community youth team again this year and watching how these young runners tackle the unique race route with such maturity.

“They were the youngest team ever last year and won the mixed relay category. They’ve set their own bar quite high so we are looking forward to seeing what they will do this year.”

She added: “We are also thrilled to be able to support this year’s beneficiary charity YMCA Cayman Islands. From their afterschool programmes to their team building and leadership development programmes, YMCA Cayman Islands is truly another worthwhile candidate for these proceeds.”

Anna Keating, Off the Beaten Track race director said the 50K trail run will not only challenge racers this year but will also allow them to enjoy a new view of Cayman.

“This race really allows runners to see another side of our little slice of paradise,” Keating said.  “No matter what leg of this race you’ll be running, whether as a solo runner or part of a relay team, you’ll definitely be in for some varied and unique terrain.”

“I am very pleased with the continued support we receive from the residents and business community, particularly Brown Rudnick, Mourant Ozannes and Tower,” Kenneth Krys, race founder and Executive Chairman of KRyS Global, lead sponsor for the event, said. “Their continued commitment shows how much this event has become one of the largest races and a reflection of their corporate values of teamwork, community and perseverance.”

David Molton, Partner at Brown Rudnick, said “We always look forward to Off the Beaten Track and we are pleased and honoured to be a supporter of this race since 2010.

“For the past three years Mourant Ozannes has been a major sponsor of Off the Beaten Track and are hoping to keep our winning streak as the fastest male relay team for the third year in a row,” Hayden Isbister, Partner at Mourant Ozannes, said. “The race course gets better with each year and we cannot wait to see where it leads runners this year.”

Tower, a strategic marketing and communications agency, has also been supporting Off the Beaten Track since race inception and is again looking forward to participating as a corporate relay team this year.

“We are pleased to be working with the organisers as a major sponsor for the past eight years on a charitable race with such a great cause,” Lynne Byles, Managing Director of Tower said. “It’s always such a great bonding experience for everyone who runs and we always walk away with a great sense of teamwork.”

Those interested in running as a part of a relay team, of up to six members, will each take on 8K stages whilst a seasoned runner can choose to complete the whole 50K by themselves.

Register online at www.offthebeatentrack.ky  or contact OTBT@krys-global.com or call 525-8824 for volunteer or sponsorship opportunities.