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Defending champs back for more ‘Hell’
Last year’s champions Mieko Carey and Konstantin Fast will be back for next month’s Hell of the Marianas Century Cycle Race.
Guam pro Mieko Carey heads out of Kagman during last year’s Hell of Marianas. (Jon V. Perez)
According to race organizer Eric Tydingco, Carey and Fast are among the 30 to 40 off-island bikers that will compete in the Dec. 5 event. They will be joined by fellow pros Alexander Dorovskikh of Russia, Ryutaro Nakamura of Japan, and Kaon Cho of South Korea, and other bikers from Guam, Japan, Korea, and the U.S.
Fast was the top overall finisher in last year’s 100-kilometer event after completing the race that started and ended at Mariana Resort & Spa in 2:49:22. Dorovskikh came in at second with his 2:51:41, while Nakamura finished third after submitting 2:56:13, and Cho placed sixth with a time of 3:12:35.
In the women’s division, Carey clocked in at 3:30:36 to beat the 4:11:44 of Saipan’s Kimiko McKagan and the 4:36:56 of Guam’s Lynn Mattix.
Carey was ranked No. 14 among the more than 70 finishers in the race and hopes to have a faster time when she makes her ninth appearance in the annual race.
“My bike performance is getting better as I have been training under coach Josiah Middaugh. I feel stronger. Before doing Hell of Marianas, I am going to Malaysia first for an adventure race with Takahiro Ogasawara. I will come back on Dec. 1 and then fly to Saipan on Dec. 4. I hope I can win again. I cannot wait to do this race—this is my ninth HOM and I will celebrate it with my friends on Saipan,” said Carey, who also topped the 2008 and 2010 editions of the race.
Meanwhile, registration for the Hell of Marianas is ongoing. Entry fees are $60 per person until Nov. 27 and $85 from Nov. 28 to Dec 2. Late registration will not be accepted.
The Top 3 finishers in the pro road bike division (men’s and women’s categories) will win $1,500, $800, and $500, while the Top 3 amateurs will get $300, $200, and $100. Bikers can also join the two-person and four-person races.
For more information, visit the event’s website at www.hellofthemarianas.com.
