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Saipan Sports Fest: Best races you never heard of
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Posted on May 05 2009
“The best races you never heard of” is how some are describing the 2009 Saipan Sportsfest held from April 18 to 25, 2009 in the Northern Mariana Islands.
The 8th Annual XTERRA Saipan Championship and 20th Tagaman Triathlon were bookends on a week of competition, XTERRA University workshops, and festivities on these tropical islands in the western Pacific.
Competitors hailed from near and far, including 30 XTERRA athletes and 20 Tagaman triathletes from Japan. Other participants came from Guam, Korea, Australia, the United States, Switzerland, and the Philippines.
“Many of the pros vowed to come back next year and bring at least five of their friends,” said president Wolf Mojica of event organizer Taga, Inc. “The execution of both events was almost flawless.”
The two events had 254 total participants, 43 more than in 2008. Sam Gardner of the United Kingdom and Renata Bucher from Switzerland took the top spots in XTERRA, which had 134 total participants, including 63 individual finishers and six teams. The shorter XTERRA Sport had seven individual finishers and three teams. Thirty-seven runners joined the XTERRA Sunset Trail Run. The Tagaman had 51 individual finishers, 19 teams, and 18 children participating in the TagaKids.
“Saipan Sports Fest is attractive for competitors of all strengths and ages,” said Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio. “It’s for professionals, serious competitors, and those out for a healthy 5K or 10K run. With the inclusion of children races, the Sports Fest also makes a perfect vacation for the sports-minded family.”
Next year will mark the 9th XTERRA Saipan and 21st Tagaman Triathlon on Saipan.
“Now that you’ve heard of it, you can mark your calendar for Saipan Sportsfest 2010: XTERRA Saipan Championships on March 13 and Tagaman on March 20,” said Tenorio. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]
