Road Dogs Running Club Joins the TCAAA to Elevate Distance Running in the Turks and Caicos Islands

The Road Dogs Running Club has officially joined the Turks and Caicos Amateur Athletic Association (TCAAA) as members, a landmark step in the club's mission to strengthen and grow distance running across the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Road Dogs Running Club’s Leonardo “Leo” Lightbourne (left) and Ali-Davidson Higgs (right) are photographed with Edith Skippings, (second left) President of the Turks and Caicos Amateur Athletics Association (TCAAA) and Godfrey Bean, President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Commonwealth Games Association.

 The announcement was made in the presence of TCAAA President Edith Skippings and President Godfrey Bean, representing the Commonwealth Games Office, whose support underscores the significance of the milestone for athletics in the territory.

Membership in the TCAAA gives the Road Dogs a formal home within the national athletics structure and a platform to raise the credibility and standard of its road events. Central to that ambition is the club's premier running event, the Run of Nations, first held this past January.

Through its TCAAA affiliation, the Road Dogs intend to establish the Run of Nations as a sanctioned premier event in the Turks and Caicos Islands, giving runners and partners the assurance of a race organized to recognized competitive standards.

The overarching goal of joining the TCAAA is to align the Road Dogs with the standards of World Athletics. By adopting these standards, the club aims to help develop and produce globally ready athletes  prepared to represent the Turks and Caicos Islands with confidence on regional and international stages.

Road Dogs Head to Toledo, Ohio

Reinforcing its commitment to growth beyond the islands, the Road Dogs Running Club travels to Toledo, Ohio, this weekend to compete in the Garmin Marathon Series on Sunday September 21st, 2026. Five members of the club will make the trip, with two competing in the full marathon, two in the half marathon and one in the 10K.

Members of the Road Dogs Running Club at one of their races

Beyond competition, the delegation is traveling with a clear purpose: to study the staging and operation of a marathon of this scale and to build networks that can bring new opportunities back to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The lessons and relationships gathered in Toledo will feed directly into the club's plans for its own events at home.

The Road Dogs Running Club continues to travel and network with one aim in mind: to strengthen its premier event, Run of Nations. The next edition is scheduled for Saturday, January 23, 2027, and this year's event is aiming to welcome well over 500 runners, with a marketing appeal designed to reach tourists and running enthusiasts around the world.

Registration opens on October 1, 2026, when the event's registration portal goes live. The club looks forward to welcoming runners, visitors, and the wider community to what promises to be its biggest and most competitive event yet.