TEAM Run Saipan clocked 01:32:38 to finish first in the 2022 Marianas Ekiden on Saturday morning at American Memorial Park.
Run Saipan consisted of Lily Muldoon, Michael Denevan, Ayano Braxton and barefoot runner Chong Nam Lee. They worked well as a team in each exchange point.
Braxton covered the first 5K distance from Hyatt Regency Saipan to G4S where she tagged Denevan who covered the next 5K which ended at the San Antonio basketball court.
Muldoon took over the third 5K distance which had a turnaround point at the Pacific Islands Club before proceeding to the final exchange point near the Ada gym where team captain Chong Nam Lee took on the longer 6K run to complete the half marathon race at American Memorial Park.
“There were no secrets to this team’s win — we had good members,” Lee said.
He added that they all met through Run Saipan President Edward Dela Cruz Jr., and the team was formed in the past few weeks amid the rise in Covid-19 cases on island.
Lee said the toughest part of the half marathon was the Saturday market area.
“There were a lot of people and a car even blocked me, but except for that, everything was OK,” he added.
Coming in second place at 01:46:45 was Saipan International School ’22 whose members were Rex Pixley, Tiana Cabrera, Jesse Sablan and Serin Chung.
Each team must meet the World Athletics mixed relay format of two women and two men. Because several runners were still in isolation, some teams could not meet this requirement, but they still participated in the non-competitive division.
Non-competitive
Team KNAS4 was overall first place with a time of 01:29:11, breaking last year’s record of 01:33:03 set by Ekiden Team 5.
This year, however, KNAS4 was in the non-competitive division.
KNAS4 team captain Kosuke Sato and members Taro Goto, Shuji Kuroda and Noriko Jim are well known for their speed as runners.
“It was a great turnout,” Run Saipan’s Dr. Ron Snyder said. “We had 40 people out here and we had some virtual teams, too.”
The other teams in the non-competitive division:
• Running Bikers: Floro Derexes, Edgar Abalos, Ronald Villafria and Arvin Velasco who clocked 01:47:28;
• Run Saipan Pacemakers’ Rosemarie Chisato, Evelyn Pangelinan, Jessica Ortizo and Ann Bang, 01:51:49;
• Marianas Ekiden Team 1’s Robyn Spaeth, Kathy Ruszala, Michael Mancao and Simon Necesito, 01:57:02;
• Arguably Decent’s Brad Ruszala, Trey Dunn, Travis Spaeth and Robby Glass, 01:58:11;
• Marianas Ekiden 2’s Denise Myers, Sildrey Veloria, Moji De Luna and Kurt Songsong, 02:02:02;
• GXM’s Eric Abragan, Sharon Abragan, Christian Joseph Yap and Laarni Zapanta, 02:26:50;
• GXM ENC’s Daryll De Luna, Jedidiah Peteru, Dylon Deleon Guerrero and Duncan Laxa, 02:28:58;
• Scrambled Legs’s Margie Camum, Nicole Delon Guerrero, Limuel Bernal and Aaron Pamintuan, 02:29:47; and
• GXM Jr.’s Barbara Peteru, Heart, Mariell De Luna, Alyssa Omampo and Alan Peteru, 03:07:57.
Team Run Saipan members pose for a photo after completing the Marianas Ekiden at American Memorial Park on Saturday.
Team KNAS4 members celebrate as they cross the finish line of the Marianas Ekiden at American Memorial Park on Saturday.
