POLE VAULT IN PARADISE SETS THE BAR HIGH ON JAN. 4

Via KeysWeekly

Athletes will test their strength and learn from world-renowned coaches Saturday, Jan. 4, during the annual Pole Vault in Paradise competition in Key West. The all-day open-air challenge, sanctioned by USA Track and Field, will take place at Higgs Beach, 1000 Atlantic Blvd.

Spectators can watch entrants ranging in age from teens to seniors vying for prizes and personal-best vaults in multiple categories. The 2025 competition will draw elite pro and amateur athletes from the U.S. and other countries. Past participants have included national title holders, Olympic contenders, and international champions.

Activities will start Friday, Jan. 3, with pole vault coaching clinics slated for 10 a.m. to noon. Coaches include Billy Olson, who set 11 world records in the sport, and 1984 Olympic vaulter Doug Lytle. Clinics will be followed by a final registration and open practice for athletes from 1 to 5 p.m.

Saturday’s action begins at 8 a.m. when the runway opens for the first flight. Flights are scheduled to start at about 9 a.m., with participating vaulters placed in flights based on their opening heights. Prize money awaits first- through third-place finishers in the open men’s and women’s divisions, as well as all men and women who break the island records. Records currently stand at 18.7664 feet for men and 14.9934 feet for women.

Registration is still open for the competition. Cost is $75 per person through Dec. 14 and $100 per person thereafter. Proceeds from Pole Vault in Paradise benefit the nonprofit Key West Track & Field Club, whose mission includes raising money for Key West-area high school track and field teams and promoting the sport of track and field within the Lower Keys community.

More information is at kwtfc.org/pole-vault-in-paradise