By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE western coast of Saipan transformed into a festive racetrack Saturday morning as Northern Marianas Athletics hosted the Annual Christmas Island Relay 2025 at the Last Command Post in Marpi, with Team Santa taking the crown.
Starting at 6 a.m. from the Pacific Islands Club, a large group of runners took on the 13.7-mile course to the Last Command Post, combining holiday spirit with high-level endurance.
The event — a staple of the CNMI year-end calendar — featured both team relay and solo categories.
In the open mixed team division, Team Santa emerged as the new champions after crossing the finish line in 1:23:42.19.
Team Santa consisted of Kaithlyn Chavez, Anthony Bergancia, Takeru Jim, and Neil and Nash Santos.
In an interview with Variety, Chavez and Bergancia — who are currently on college break — shared that their team was formed at the last minute. However, their goal remained the same: to beat Agape.
“It’s been years. It’s always our team against Agape,” Chavez said.
They explained that their strategy was to match their roster’s speed with Agape’s lineup to maintain the upper hand. “Ever since her [Chavez’s] lead, we just kept the pace steady and maintained our momentum,” Bergancia added.
Despite winning first place, the race proved to be a tough challenge for Team Santa.
“It was a great feeling. Everyone was gassed, and we all pushed ourselves, but of course we had fun and enjoyed each other’s company,” Chavez said.
With the year coming to an end, Variety asked what they were looking forward to next year. Chavez said she is keeping an open mind.
“I’m not really set on anything — just staying open to growth and becoming better as an athlete and as a person,” she said.
Bergancia echoed the sentiment, adding that he hopes to get more involved in sports again.
“Same thing, but also getting back into sports. I’m not really doing much right now, so I’m just trying to rebuild my fitness and keep improving as an athlete and a person,” he said.
Defending champion Agape Team 1 finished second with a time of 1:27:52.03, followed by Marianas Merry Miles in third at 1:35:15.70.
Results of the youth division will be released in the next edition of Variety.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
