GUAM and Saipan reigned supreme during the grueling test of endurance and skill of the 2025 Hell of the Marianas Century Cycle on Saturday morning, as Blayde Blas and Robyn Spaeth came out on top in the men’s pro/elite and women’s pro/elite divisions, respectively, of the 100KM which stretched across the island, beginning and ending at Marpi.
Guam’s Blayde Blas, 23, was ecstatic after finishing first overall and topping the men’s pro/elite division with a time of 3:26:29.80 – a result he credits to tactical pacing in his third year of competing in Saipan’s annual event.
“It was a very tough course.” Blas shared immediately after crossing the line. “This is my third run, so I got to pace myself a bit better, and I think that’s what came out to the win this time.”
Blas revealed that his victory was the result of a perfectly timed move in the final meters. “It would literally be like the last 200 meters or so. I was really hoping this would come down to like a sprint. I think I have a pretty strong kick, so I was happy the group was able to work together and we sprinted hard at the end.” Blas added.
Despite his eventual triumph, Blas admitted that the race’s final stage was grueling, citing the intense pain he felt leading up to the finish. “Man, that last hour there was pretty tough. Coming past Banzai, I started to get some bad cramps in my legs, it hurt a lot to get through the last four climbs, and it was such a good sensation to just finally get through the finish line and end the race.”
Blas literally rode the momentum after recently claiming first place in Palau and dedicated his victory to his family and supporters back home. He traveled to Saipan with a small Guam crew, including his father and uncle. “Hopefully my win this time can bring out more Guam riders next year.” shared Blas.
Blas was among a group of three battling for the lead, finishing milliseconds before Japan’s Tomonobu Kato who settled for second place with a time of 3:26:33.85 and NMI’s Fred Remilloza with 3:26:31.875.
Filling the top 10 list were Joel Buco (3:42:24,011); Kijoo Kwon (3:42:24,463), Paolo Pepito (3:47:00,791); Leo Baetiong (3:55:45,071); Jay-Ar Barrios (4:03:13,180); Enrique Suba (4:03:27,100); and Teddy Calma (4:10:11,079).
Sharing the spotlight was NMI’s Robyn Spaeth, who were amongst the few to compete in the women’s pro/elite division. Known for her strong performances on the local circuit, she placed first with a time of 4:43:11.906. Fellow NMI teammates Kimiko McKagan and Kerri Bauer completed the top 3 with a time of 4:48:30.477 and 4:59:22.016, respectively.
The short course results will be released in the next edition of Variety.
The race is sponsored by Coca-Cola/BodyArmor/Powerade/ForemostQuench Purified Water, Aga Enterprises, Atkins Kroll Saipan, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, CTSI Logistics, BL Machine Shop, D&Q International, D&W Enterprises, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, GenPro, Global Security Agency, GPPC, Graphics, Himawari, JMI Saipan, K.L. Carr, MARPC, Pacific Hardware, Pacific Health Inc., Pacifica Insurance, Puerto Rico Bento, Saipan Bike Pro, Saipan Stevedore, Tan Holdings Corp., Tan Siu Lin Foundation, TurnKey Solutions, United Airlines, Victory Enterprises, WSTCO, and Wushin. Event supporters are CNMI Department of Public Safety, Department of Public Works, Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services, and Division of Parks and Recreation.
By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
