The Tagaman’s reputation and popularity were reflected in the diverse countries that fielded contestants – Japan, Korea, United Kingdom, Philippines, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, and U.S. mainland. The race attracted 124 competitors, overall.
Sam Gardner of the United Kingdom repeated the winning form he had in the March 13 Saipan XTERRA Championship, being the first to cross the tape in the Tagaman in 2:59:23. Mike Vine of British Columbia turned up the heat at the race end but was unable to catch Gardner, finishing just 47 seconds behind. Gardner had beaten Vine’s in the bike segment, while Vine had topped Gardner in the run segment.
Dan Bi Hong of Korea led the women’s division and with a time of 3:20:47, followed by Sonny Vanlandingham of Colorado in 3:23:53.
In the relay results, both men’s and women’s divisions were swept by teams from the Northern Mariana Islands. The men’s team of Kai Staal, Renato Calage, and Chang Whan Jang, ran away with the title in 3:20:56. The top women’s team was Grace Kimball, Kimiko Hasegawa and Mamiko Berger, checking in at 3:46:35.
Of NMI entrants, Meiko Carey was the top placer, with a time of 3:27:21. Keiran Daly was the second NMI resident to finish, with a time of 3:39:49.
The event attracted 48 participants from the Northern Marianas, 42 participants from Korea, 20 participants from Japan, and six competitors from Europe, among all countries represented.
“This year’s trio of signature sports events in March —the Saipan Marathon, XTERRA Saipan Championship, and Tagaman—underscore the opportunity for sports tourism in the Northern Marianas,” said Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Perry Tenorio. “With strategic promotions, we can continue to maximize that opportunity and attract more athletes to our islands.”
The Kids Tagaman also had 26 participants for three divisions between ages 5 and 14. Top finishers were Lennosuke Suzuki (ages 5-7), Toda Kasai (ages 8-10 year), and Japan triplets Tatsuya Morita, Yoshiya Morita, Mayu Morita and their friend Hokuto Obara, who held hands to cross the finish line together (ages 11-14).
This was the third, and final, signature race held in the Northern Marianas during March, drawing international attention and athletes to this resort destination. The Tagaman Triathlon is the longest running race in the western Pacific. The event is named for Taga, a legendary chief of the ancient Chamorros with super strength.
The event route included a 2K swim, 60K bike, and 15K run.
(PR)
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