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Korean triathletes extol Ironman 70. 3 Saipan
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- Nineteen athletes and four staff members of Korean sports community No Excuses depart Incheon Airport last March 10 for the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Saipan. (Contributed Photo)
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- A Korean athlete pedals past Kensington Hotel during the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Saipan held last March 11. (Contributed Photo)
Nineteen triathletes from Korea have extolled their experience in The Marians earlier this month for the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Saipan.
From March 10-13, the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) hosted the athletes in cooperation with one of the biggest on/offline sports communities in Korea, No Excuses, which also sent four staff members on the tour. The promotion was to raise awareness of Ironman 70.3 in Saipan and position The Marianas as a premier triathlon destination. The promotion included a tour of Saipan along with participation in the Ironman 70.3 Saipan event.
Overall, 28 athletes from Korea joined the race, and Kwang Hoon Lee finished first overall. Among the No Excuses participants, Kyungtae Park placed second and Sungjin Cho placed third in the 25-29 men’s category. Yaelim Choi also placed third in the women’s 25-29 category. In addition, in the relay race, Suzy Choi (swimming), Beom Kim (cycling), and Jaeyoon Lee (running) finished third.
During their visit, the participants went snorkeling and filmed short video clips at Managaha. The team toured scenic and historic sites including Suicide Cliff, Banzai Cliff and Bird Island, as well as paid a visit to the Korean Peace Memorial where they observed a moment of silence for Koreans who lost their lives during World War II in The Marianas. After the tour, the participants went on a shopping and gourmet tour in the main tourist district of Garapan.
“This was the first time a major Korean triathlon group like No Excuses visited The Marianas. Their participation in the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Saipan is wonderful,” said MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion. “With No Excuses’ passion for triathlons and their love of The Marianas’ beautiful nature and organized triathlon courses, they were able to achieve great results. We will continue promoting more diverse marketing strategies to attract more Koreans to The Marianas to experience various sports related programs and events throughout the year.”
The participating No Excuses athletes are posting their experiences on various SNS channels, including No Excuses’ official blog and their personal Instagram accounts.
The tour was also supported by Jin Air and Aqua Resort Club. (MVA)
