Kuroda takes Elite title in Taga 5150 Triathlon

Shuji Kuroda crossed the finish line during the Paupau Taga 5150 Triathlon last Saturday. (Kimberly B. Esmores)

Shuji Kuroda took home the Elite division title in the male category during the Paupau 5150 Taga Triathlon last Saturday.

Kuroda, who won the 6th Saipan Aquathlon 5-kilometer run, 1-km swim, and 2.5-km run last Feb. 27 at Pau Pau Beach and has consistently gained first place in various athletics events, finished last weekend’s triathlon in 2:27:49.

Following closely behind Kuroda at second place was 2019 Saipan Duathlon champion Charlie Sendin who finished with a time of 2:32:28.

Kuroda said one of his goals last Saturday was to at least beat Sendin who he looked up to for topping previous CNMI duathlons and triathlons.

“My goal was to beat Charlie who held first place [in an event] over a year before, I really wanted to beat him and I did it,” he said.

Aside from friendly competition, Kuroda was motivated to partake in the Paupau 5150 Taga Triathlon this year in hopes of gaining his first win as a single runner.

“I’m happy, I came here three years before and since then it was one of my goals to get first place in a triathlon so I’m happy. This is the first time I ran individually. The first triathlon I did, I ran with a team,” he said.

When asked about the struggle that stood out the most during the race, like a handful of his competitors, Kuroda said it had to be the bike portion because of the opposite facing winds. “The hardest part was biking because today was really windy,” he said.

Kuroda shared that he has been training for the triathlon for two years and his hard work really paid off.

“With running, I have been running for a long time. However, for biking and swimming, I just started incorporating it into my life about two years before so I’d say I’ve been training for the triathlon for about two years,” Kuroda said.

Other individuals who exceled in the male category during last weekend’s triathlon were Daryll De Luna, Christian Villacrusis, Jared Inselmann, Nate Hawley, and Florence Antonio. Dynamic Trio and Tri To Compete also topped the team competition.

De Luna topped the 19-under-division with a time of 3:53:18, followed by second place Eric David who finished at 4:07:15.

Meanwhile, Villacrusis prevailed in the 20-29 division being the sole competitor of the division with a time of 3:34:57.

Aside from being named the fastest overall finisher, Inselmann finished first in the 40-49 category with a time of 2:24:24, followed by Michiteru Mita at 2:51:58, while completing the Top 3 was Ronald Villafria who finished at 3:11:47.

In the 50-59 division, Hawley prevailed with a time of 2:49:12, followed by Tyce Mister at 2:51:42, and rounding up the Top 3 was Carl Rohinger at 3:09:39.

Antonio dominated the 60-and-up division with a time of 3:18:51, followed by Chong Nam Lee at 3:29:37. Completing the Top 3 was Manny Sitchon who came in at 3:31:57.

The Paupau 5150 Taga Triathlon was named as such because it encompassed 1.5-km swim, 40-km bike, and 10-km run, which adds up to 51.5 km. It was organized by the Triathlon Association of the CNMI.