(Northern Mariana Athletics) — March 8 is International Women’s Day and this year’s theme is “Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 World.” March is also Women’s History Month, where we remember all the valuable contributions women have made to advance society.
To celebrate these two events and to celebrate Women all over the world, Northern Mariana Athletics is sponsoring the first ever NMI Women’s Run.
Taylor Nowicki, the Saipan Community School’s Cross Country coach and a talented runner herself believes, “It is important to show girls how amazing our bodies are and what we, as females are capable of. It’s very empowering to see so many girls come together in such a healthy and positive way.”
Coach Nowicki has been leading the Cross Country program at Saipan Community School for several years now. Prior to that, she was a Cross Country and track runner at Bethel University where she competed in both the NCCAA Cross Country and Track and Field Championships.
She was also a successful individual finisher in the Run the Marianas 460 mile challenge sponsored by NMA and Saipan International School.
The NMI Women’s Run will offer opportunities to participate both virtually and face-to-face, while celebrating all of the important women in our lives.
The face-to-face run will take place on the official 10K race course, starting at American Memorial Park by the Hyatt. This is a 10K race for women only. There are both individual and team categories.
In the team category, four women will complete the 10K distance and the top three times will be added up to give a composite time.
NMA general secretary Robin Sapong believes this year’s IWD hashtag is perfect for ushering in a new running event in the CNMI.
“The IWD #ChooseToChallenge has so many meanings but at the heart of it, I believe, is the opportunity to challenge ourselves to meet the United Nations Development Program’s goal of achieving equality in a Covid-19 world. Too often our local sporting events are focused on male athletes, with very few female events. That’s the reason we came up with the idea of the NMI Women’s Run and are using this to celebrate IWD and, at the same time, grow island athletics.”
Coach Sapong added that the race will be totally run by women too. All officials and timekeepers will be women, with men serving only in a support capacity.
“We also see this as a great opportunity to promote our island culture. We are inviting women to run in a mwáár, and are planning a special surprise for the start of the race…featuring a woman, of course. We also hope to have women performing traditional dances along the course.”
In the virtual event, participants can run distances of 5K or 10K. Men are also welcome to come out and support the women in their lives in the virtual event as well.
Participants can complete the distance of their choice wherever they like during the entire month of March, including on a treadmill. The virtual event also includes a team category.
“Team events are great,” offered Edward Dela Cruz Jr. “We are working hard to build a running community in the CNMI that starts in schools but doesn’t end there. This event will be an important venue for doing just that.”
Dela Cruz has been very active promoting running events lately, hosting several community events in the last few months.
Women’s Day began in the United States in 1909 and became international in 1911. But it didn’t find its present place on the calendar until March 8, 1914 when Germany hosted an International Women’s Day.
It has been held on March 8 ever since.
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
NMA is inviting us all to #ChooseToChallenge by coming out during the Month of March, run a distance of their choice and help to honor women the world over.
NMA has partnered with Race Roster, an online registration site used by many federations in Oceania Athletics to enhance its presence online and make it easier for CNMI residents to participate.
Registration is open online at: https://raceroster.com/events/2021/45389/nmi-10km-womens-run
Coaches Taylor and Dani Nowicki pose for a photo with the medals of the NMI Women’s Run.
Contributed photo
