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NMA Turkey Trot tomorrow
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Posted on Nov 22 2017
Salvi Villanueva, left, and Tania Tan are seen here a few steps away from completing last year’s 32nd Annual Mt. Tapochau Turkey Trot Run. (Saipan Tribune)
The Mt. Tapochau Turkey Trot, the Northern Marianas Athletics’ signature event for November, will have its 33rd staging tomorrow with seasoned and recreational runners expected to join the early morning race on Thanksgiving Day.
The run begins in Lower Base, near the Tanapag Harbor area and participants will make their way out to Middle Road and toward Isa Drive to take on the first challenge of the winding road going up to Capital Hill. Runners will then turn right on the road leading to Mt. Tapochau, before the Retirement Building. The run escalates when they reach the foot of Saipan’s highest peak and begin their ascent on the rocky terrain. The challenge of the 4.2-mile race builds up as they go further the snaking course toward the finish on top of Mt. Tapochau, adjacent to the stairs leading to the concrete image of Jesus.
Registration begins at 5am with $10 fees for adults and $5 for U18 runners. Participants have an hour to warm up as the race starts at 6am.
Age categories that are up for grabs are U12, U17, Open, 30-39, 40-49, and 50 over. The top runners in each age division will get turkeys, courtesy of Joeten Enterprises, while the first men’s and women’s will receive gift certificates provided by event sponsors. All participants—who could either run, walk, and crawl—are also qualified for the raffle where exciting prizes are up for grabs.
Saipan Swim Club members, Agape Christian School students, Trench Tech fighters, and other local groups are expected to join the annual race.
Charlie Sendin topped last year’s race with a time of 40:23 to join the ranks of former winners Keith Longuski, Mamiko Berger, Stuart Smith, and Eli Torgeson. Torgeson, based on Saipan Tribune’s archives, owns the fastest time in the Turkey Trot after finishing the 2008 edition of the race in 34:20 and breaking Smith’s 36:46 in 2006.
