By Jonathan V. Perez
Variety News Staff

REGISTRATION forms are now available for the Annual Saipan Marathon, which returns for its second staging on Jan. 20.
Marianas Visitors Authority Community Development Assistant Edward D. Diaz said interested participants can pick up the entry forms at the MVA office in San Jose.
“We just want to get the information out to the public that interested participants can pick up the entry forms at the MVA office,” Diaz said.
The marathon will start at American Memorial Park on Saturday, Jan. 20, and will coincide with the 26th Annual Half Marathon and 21st 10-Kilometer Fun Run.
The full marathon will start at 3:30 a.m. where an 11 a.m. time limit is set to all the participants to complete the course.
The Half marathon and 10K run will start a 5:45 a.m.
The entrance fee for the Half marathon and 10K is $25 while $35 will be collected for the full marathon. The payment can be made on or before Jan. 13 and after that a $10 late fee will be collected.
The deadline for registration is on Jan. 19 and no sign-up will be made on the day of the race.
Orientation and spaghetti dinner will be held at AMP on Jan. 19, Friday, starting at 4 p.m.
Seven age divisions – 14-and-under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60-and-over – will be contested in the Half marathon and 10K run while the Open, 40-49 and 50-and-over are the age divisions in the full marathon.
The event is organized in cooperation with the Marianas Visitors Authority and the Northern Marianas Athletics.
Last year, 41 runners braved the exhausting 26.2-mile inaugural Saipan Marathon with Stuart Smith and Monica Yamaguchi topping the event.
Smith, who has run in more than 10 full marathons, ruled the race with a time of three hours, nine minutes and 28 seconds with Yamaguchi finishing with a time of 4:10.19.
The top three placers in the half marathon men’s division were Hisayoshi Tanabe, 1:23.00; Hitoshi Hoshi, 1:25.00; and Takashi Terada, 1:28.10. Miyo Tanabe, 1:31.40, ruled the women’s division, followed by Sayuri Yuyana, 1:39.53; and Kiyomo Kodama, 1:40.18.
The 10K top three winners in men’s division were Akihisa Otani, 43:14 seconds; Steve Pixley, 44:36; and Yong Gon Kim, 45:40.
Micronesian Athletics Championship gold medalist Noriko Jim ruled the women’s 10K with a time of 47.01, followed by Bo Wang, 51.51; and Rachel Bandelin, 52.56.
The top three winners in the three running events received cash prizes and trophies, while winners in different age groups were given medals.