RUN Saipan’s Grotto 10K event will be held on Saturday morning, Aug. 20.
“We have always wanted to make a variety of race distances so it was time to schedule a 10K with a good space away from the Saipan Marathon 10K sub-event,” said Run Saipan President Edward Dela Cruz Jr.
The Grotto 10K also marks the official countdown to their inaugural Run Saipan Half Marathon which will be held on Dec. 10, Saturday, he added.
When asked why the Grotto area was chosen for the 10K event, Dela Cruz said, “The race was founded by Dr. Jenna Kong, our vice president. She wanted to have a race up north with a 10K distance as well as to highlight the beauty and scenery of the Grotto and the surrounding area.”
Kong is also a diver and the Grotto is one of her favorite diving spots on the island so it was fitting to have a race theme that features the site, Dela Cruz said.
The race will begin at 6 a.m. with the start line in the Grotto parking lot, and then proceed to the Kalabera Cave. The turnaround point will be 500m south of the cave and then back to the start line.
“It’s a flat course so everyone should have fun,” Dela Cruz said. “We are very fortunate for the support of Division of Parks and Recreation Director Ray Sablan for accommodating our race by allowing us to use the Grotto site before opening hours. Also, I am ever thankful to Mr. Max Aguon for volunteering his time to help us gain access to the site. If not for their support we would have to hold it in broad daylight amid the humidity.”
Dela Cruz is expecting to have from 50 to 100 runners for the Grotto 10K event.
“That’s our goal,” he added. “6.2 miles isn’t easy. We hope people are willing to challenge themselves with this course as it is just once a year for us.”
He said “the biggest challenge will always be to just wake up and make it to the start line. They don’t have to worry about water sources; we will have two aide stations on the course as well as refreshments at the finish line.”
Dela Cruz said Run Saipan cannot awards medals for every single race, but there will finisher medals for a special event like the Grotto 10K.
“A finisher medal is a testament to a runner’s hard work they put in on the race course,” he said. “We want them to have something tangible to bring home and display the heart they put into their run.”
The Grotto 10K medals depict the waves that crash at the famous diving site and were designed by Run Saipan’s secretary/treasurer and “medal smith,” Dr. Ron Snyder.
Run Saipan would also like to thank the support provided by Tan Holdings President and CEO Jerry Tan and the Tan Siu Lin Foundation for providing finisher t-shirts on top of the medals.
“Thank you, guys, so much!” Dela Cruz said. “Supplies are very limited so people have to register quickly.”
For more information, contact Edward Dela Cruz Jr. through his Facebook page or email [email protected]/.
Those who finish the race will receive a Grotto 10K medal.
