There will be a tank-to-tank swim to prepare all interested athletes participating in this event at 12 p.m. Events will take off from the shores of Kilili Beach or there will be a pickup from the PIC lobby at 11:45 am.
The XTERRA registration and packet pick up will run from 2 pm to 5pm at PIC’s main lobby area. The 5k/10k Sunset Scramble will follow the registration at 5pm at the American Memorial Park with the awards ceremony following it shortly after at the same venue.
All participants will then head to the Pacific Island’s Club for the Saipan Welcoming ceremony at the volleyball court. Tomorrow, On race day, Saturday, March 12, 2011 the XTERRA Final Check-in and Body Marking will start at the American Memorial Park at 5 am to 6:15 am. Then the XTERRA Saipan Championship (1.5k Swim, 20k MTB, 12k Run) and the XTERRA Sport Start (750m Swim, 20k MTB, 5k Run) will start at the American Memorial Park at 6:30 am.
Following these two events is the XTERRA Kids Bike Race (T-Shirt and Award to All Participants) at 7:30 am also at the American Memorial Park.
At 8:45 am the XTERRA Sports finisher expected. At 9:10 am the XTERRA Pro Male Winner is expected. At 9:35 am the XTERRA Pro Female Winner is expected. At 11:00 am the XTERRA Saipan Championship On-Site Awards Ceremony for the pros will take place.
At 7 p.m. the XTERRA Saipan Championship Awards Dinner will occur. And finally at 9:00 p.m. the XTERRA Saipan Post Dinner Party will be held at the American Memorial Park.
Spectors will be treated to an on-edge competition as XTERRA Philippines winner Shonny Vanlandingham collides with six-time XTERRA Saipan winner Renata Bucher in the female division while XTERRA Philippines winner Sam Gardner take on the grueling race.
Mike Vine of Alberta, Canada declined to participate this year allowing Gardner leeway to reign supreme.
Vine confirmed to Variety that he will not be coming to Saipan this year due to expensive airfare and conflict with work schedule.
“I’m not coming to Saipan now. I really wanted to go but the flights were too pricy,” Vine told Variety.
Vine also said he’s needed at work. Since he’s also interested to join XTERRA Brazil, he may not be able to participate in XTERRA Saipan.
“I’m going to race in Brazil in April so I couldn’t take the time off for both,” said Vine adding that the organizer of XTERRA Brazil is covering all his expenses.
