US ultrarunner Avery Collins will take part in the 2018 KPMG Tortola Torture in the British Virgin Islands on April 14th. Avery recently won the HURT 100 held in the hills above Honolulu (Oahu, Hawaii). He knocked off the 100 mile race in 21 hours and 44 minutes.
An accomplished ultrarunner from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Avery’s 2017 race wins included the Grindstone 100 Mile Ultramarathon (18:40:37) with an incredible 46,000 feet of elevation change, the 70-mile Georgia Death Race (11:58:19) with 28,000 feet of elevation change, the Quest for the Crest 50k Ultramarathon (6:45:50) in the Black Mountains of Western North Carolina with 23,000 feet of elevation change, and the Continental Divide 50k Ultramarathon (4:18:00) in Steamboat Springs, Colorado – the event with the closest distance to the KPMG Tortola Torture.
He was sixth in the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run which takes competitors from Squaw Valley, Utah, to Auburn, California with 18,090 feet of elevation gain and 22,970 feet of descent.
Avery will be joined by his girlfriend Sabrina Stanley who is no slouch either. She was 14th overall (3rd Female) in this year’s HURT 100 with a time of 29:45:04; 21st overall (3rd Female) in the 2017 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run with a time of 20:11:41; 18th overall (5th Female) with a time of 24:16:13 in the Run Rabbit Run – 100 Mile Hares in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; 2nd Female in the Jemez Mountain 50k 2017 (5:41:34); and 2nd Female in the Sean O’Brien 100k 2017 with a time of 10:19:55.
“We are both thrilled to be visiting the BVI for the first time and are beyond stoke to embrace the island life and culture!” said Avery.
“Training for this race is much different than what were used to sense we are usually training for bigger mountain races so we will have to see what were capable of at a race like Tortola Torture!”
Also joining the fray will be Lynn Robinson from the Turks & Caicos. She ran an unbelievable 3000 miles last year, and has full list of events for 2018 including the KPMG Tortola Torture.
Last year, in a run that upset the bookies, visiting runner Bree Thorpe from Las Vegas, won the race with a storming time of 04:58:26. She set a new female course record by almost 28 minutes and beat race favourite, Vincent Fournier, by 37 minutes.
The 2018 event will take place on Saturday, April 14. The KPMG Tortola Torture is a 33.74 mile (54km) race that circumnavigates Tortola in the British Virgin Islands with only 22% on the flat, the rest is on hot and humid hills with 12,000 feet of elevation change. The steepest gradient is 33.33%.
The KPMG Tortola Torture is open to individuals, two-person, and three-person relay teams.
Currently, 43 people are signed up to compete in this grueling event, with 28 individuals.
Eric Senseman, a pro runner, set the new benchmark time of 04:45:05 in the 2015 KPMG Tortola Torture.
The two-person team record of 05:12:19 was set by Guy Williamson and Roddy dos Santos in 2016. The three-person team record was set last year by Julius Farley, Rosmund Johnson and Reuben Stoby with time of 04:58:06.
Title sponsor KPMG provides audit, tax and advisory services together with industry insight to help organizations negotiate risks and perform in the dynamic and challenging environments in which they do business.
Mourant Ozannes, platinum sponsor, is a leading offshore law firm, advising on the laws of the BVI, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey. It presents the “Best Second Half Award” for the best performance from Sage Mountain to the finish at Trellis Bay.
The BVI Tourist Board is the international promotion partner.