KEITH Ketola and Kate Luegers were the first in their respective divisions to cross the finish line of one of the island’s more grueling races, the Northern Marianas Athletics’ Mt. Tapochao Turkey Trot 2022, Thursday, at Mt. Tapochao.
Ketola, who lives in the area, was ready to take on the challenge and had prepared for it. His practice paid off as he took off from the starting line in Lower Base to the highest peak on the island with a finish time of 00:37’13. The current record is 36 minutes.
“It’s a tough race,” Ketola said. “You really have to manage your energy well. It’s not the first 80% but the last couple stretches that are really tough stuff. You got to conserve energy,” he added.
He said the toughest part of the course was not the rocky pathway but the paved road. “I was barely running at that point,” he added.
Among the other runners was Ketola’s collegemate, Paul Timm. “There were three of us and a couple others running together for about the first half,” Ketola said. “We’re just washed-up cross-country runners coming out here and trying to do our best,” Ketola said. “Anyone who finished this deserves to be congratulated.”
Topping the women’s division was Kate Leugers who clocked at 00:39’48.
“I love this one!” she said, referring to the Tapochao Turkey Trot. “Compared to all the other races which tend to be pretty flat, this feels like you’re conquering something.”
Leugers, who is from Utah and has been on island for four months now, said, “Typically I do trails like marathons and half marathons but this is dirt, and it reminds me of home…so it’s kind of nostalgic.”
The rest of the race results will be out this week.
Keith Ketola pushes through the final leg of the NMA Mt. Tapochao Turkey Trot 2022.
Kate Leugers checks her time after completing the NMA Mt. Tapochao Turkey Trot 2022 Thursday at Mt. Tapochao.
