JAMES Munnis and U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds finished first in their respective divisions of the Run Saipan x CHCC Happy Hearts 5K on the Beach Road pathway Friday afternoon.
Munnis topped the men’s division, with Matthew Furan and Edmundo Bato finishing second and third, respectively, while King-Hinds triumphed in the women’s division, with An Bang and Rosemarie Chisato taking second and third place.
In the CHCC Staff category, the men’s division was claimed by Jomer Enriquez followed by Kurt Song Song and Felix Cabrera while Jennifer Retsinas ruled the women’s division with Maggy Moussalem and Aileen Benavente in second and third place.
Unfortunately, due to a timer malfunction, the times of all participants were not recorded.
A total of 105 participants took part in the race.
Run Saipan thanks their sponsor, the Sunshine Squad from CHCC, for their continued support of the annual Happy Hearts 5K.
For a healthy CNMI
In an interview at the finish line, King-Hinds said participating in a fun run was a great and fun way to get out and support a community event.
She said she is trying to live the change that she wants to see “and the change I want for the CNMI is for all of us to be healthy. Prevention is better than cure and there is no better way to prevent heart disease than exercising.”
King-Hinds, an avid runner, shared that she used to be borderline diabetic, borderline hypertensive, and weighed 245 pounds.
“That was 100 pounds ago,” she added.
She said being healthy and working to lose weight is a never-ending journey that requires discipline and consistency.
“And so, I’ve been doing this over the years,” she added.
She thanked CHCC and Run Saipan for hosting the event, adding that trying to lose weight and embarking on a positive health journey is very difficult when done alone. “Community events like this are very important,” she said. “They allow people to come together and support each other. It can get very boring just walking or running by yourself.”
King-Hinds is encouraging members of the community to come out and support events like Happy Hearts 5K Fun Run.
She also wants to give a “shout out” to the officials and staff of CHCC and members of Run Saipan for hosting races.
“It’s a great way to get people out, and even if you didn’t sign up, you can just come and join the route, walking or running alongside fellow community members to stay healthy,” she said.
Participants are ready for the start of Run Saipan x CHCC Happy Hearts 5K on the Beach Road pathway on Friday.
Contributed photo
U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds, center, An Bang and Rosemarie Chisato are the top three finishers in the women’s division of the Run Saipan x CHCC Happy Hearts 5K on the Beach Road pathway on Friday.
Contributed photo
James Munnis, left, with Matthew Furan and Edmundo Bato — the top three finishers in the men’s division of the Run Saipan x CHCC Happy Hearts 5K on the Beach Road pathway on Friday.
Contributed photo
