The participants take off as colored powder fills the air during the Dolphin 5.5K Pathway Color Run at the Garapan Fishing Base on Saturday morning.
Sildrey Veloria crosses the finish line of the Dolphin 5.5K Pathway Color Run at the Garapan Fishing Base on Saturday morning.
SILDREY Veloria and Akiko Miller ruled their respective divisions in the open category of the Dolphin 5.5K Pathway Color Run hosted by the Marianas High School Run Club, the National Honor Society, and Run Saipan at the Garapan Fishing Base on Saturday.
In the male open division, the younger generation ruled the scene with Veloria finishing first with a time of 21:16.
In second place was Jireh Wang at 21:24 while Micheal Miller came in third clocked at 21:51.
“It was a great race,” Veloria said. “The only difficult aspect, in my opinion, was attempting to avoid getting hit by the colored powder,” he added in jest.
He was not in the lead throughout the entire course, but with a mile remaining in the race, the experienced runner took charge.
“I wasn’t thinking that I would easily win the race. I was just thinking of putting myself in a good position to take over the first spot. MHS did a good job of posting about the event. I wish to [join again next] year because it was well organized,” Veloria said.
Female division
In the female division, another veteran runner, Akiko Miller, finished a mile ahead of the competition with a time of 23:48. Gabrielle Race came in second at 31:02:00, and Abbie Kim finished third at 31:15:00.
In the staff category, Chad Tafflinger topped the male division with a with a time of 23:41 followed by Romolo Orsini at 44:45:00, and Kadi Camacho at 54:50:00. Race, the only competitor in the female division, placed second overall.
In the freshmen category, Dwayne Tabhan came in first with a time of 29:02:00 while Catherine Pan topped the female division at 31:24:00.
The sophomore category’s male and female divisions were led by Takeru Jim who clocked 22:18 and Maria Batallones at 35:40:00.
In the junior category, the top male and female runners were Zhi Xiang Lin with a time of 23:18 and Rizza Relucio at 33:12:00.
In the senior category Mokyang Kim finished first among the male runners at 27:49:00 while Jillian Ferrer was the top female runner at 45:02:00.
Well-planned
National Honor Society Treasurer and MHS Run Club member Jayden Shin said the race “went just as planned — if not, better. While organizing the Dolphin 5.5K, we only expected around 100 runners. On race day, more than double that amount showed up and joined our colorful community race. Regardless of how many runners showed up, I was thrilled that the event ran smoothly! A lot of planning and hard work went into hosting the Dolphin 5.5K. We had a lot of tasks: writing solicitation letters, setting up registration, obtaining colored powder, timing runners, handing out bibs and raffle tickets, and coordinating with Run Saipan.”
Shin said there were times when organizing the event felt overwhelming. “Thankfully, we had a wonderful team that constantly supported each other and that’s what kept everyone going. As tough as it was, the task of hosting this event was a privilege and an honor,” Shin said.
The event also celebrated MHS’ 55th anniversary. “We were honored to host this event in celebration of MHS’s 55th anniversary,” Shin said. “It is incredible to realize that our student-led community race marks a significant milestone in MHS’s rich history. It was a combination of our love for this school, the community, and running that led to the creation of the Dolphin 5.5 K. We hope our colorful run showcased just how dedicated we were to make this a special day for MHS. Regardless of the challenges encountered during the organization of this event, I feel eternally grateful and proud to have been a part of it,” Shin added.
MHS Run Club President and NHS Historian Pony Tang said MHS “is the largest high school in the CNMI and provides students with many opportunities and support for their future. So, knowing about this anniversary, we decided to create a Dolphin 5.5K in celebration of MHS’s 55th anniversary to bring together the community and students and celebrate this significant milestone in Marianas High School history. I am glad that this first student-led community race was a success, and I hope everyone enjoyed what the race had to offer.”
Tang added, “Now that the event is over, I can gladly say that we had a wonderful team that made this event possible. I would like to thank all the sponsors — Tan Holdings, Tan Su Lin Foundation, Hong Ye, the House of Representatives, Run Saipan, Kensington, PIC, Aqua Resort, Latte Built, Gold’s Gym, World Resort, New LC Market, Coral, Ocean Point, T bar, Regal Saipan, Java Joes, Pizza Hut, Mama Rio’s and Cafe 670 — for making this event possible. I would also like to thank Jayden Shin and Edward Dela Cruz for their effort and support.”
Tang said it was “a very successful race. While organizing this event, we officers never expected 100+ runners, and we were shocked as the total registration climbed above 200. We also didn’t plan to receive the amount of support we got from sponsors, so thank you so much to all the sponsors. The race…was a big success, with over 200 runners crossing the finish line covered in colorful powder. We were able to distribute all the raffle prizes and present medals to the top finishers. Although there were challenges, this race was a big success!”
