Team Run Saipan tops Inaugural Marianas Ekiden

Team Run Saipan of, from left, captain Chong Nam Lee, Michael Denevan, Ayano Braxton, and Lily Muldoon topped the competitive division of the Inaugural Marianas Ekiden last Saturday from Micro Beach in Garapan to just before Pacific Islands Club Saipan in San Antonio and back. (MARK RABAGO)

Fittingly a team named Run Saipan won the non-profit club’s Inaugural Marianas Ekiden held last Saturday from Micro Beach in Garapan to just before Pacific Islands Club Saipan in San Antonio and back.

Led by team captain and barefoot runner Chong Nam Lee and with speedsters Lily Muldoon, Michael Denevan, and Ayano Braxton in the lineup, Run Saipan finished the 21-kilometer run in 1:32:38 to win the competitive division.

Braxton, Muldoon, and Denevan each tackled the first 5K increments of the race before Lee anchored the team by finishing the 6K part.

“There’s no secret or anything. Luckily we had good members for this event. We just met here and we just chatted [on social media],” said Lee, who personally picked his three members with help from Run Saipan president Edward Dela Cruz Jr.

Muldoon said the Run Saipan team evolved a lot in the past two weeks.

“We had some people pull out and in isolation due to COVID and it’s been a very hodgepodge team. It wasn’t until this morning that we realized we will be running together. Our secret is we’re just recognizing that this is an international team. We have representation from Korea, Japan, and America,” she said.

Braxton was surprised she got picked on the winning team.

“I just got a message two days ago and was told my teammates were Mr. Lee, Lily, and Michael and I said ‘what? I’m not ready!’”

Overall, Muldoon said it was nice to start the half marathon relay bright and early at 5:30am for a change. Lee said Saturday morning was near perfect conditions for a long run because, save for some rain near PIC and some cars blocking their running course at Sabalu Market where he had to zigzag, everything was OK.

Saipan
International School ’22 was the only other team entered in the competitive division with skipper Rex Pixley, Tiana Cabrera, Jesse Sablan, and Serin Chung crossing the finish line in 1:46:45.

Team KNAS4 actually had the fastest time and topped the non-competitive division with a time of 1:29.11.

Captain Kasuke Sato said his team was supposed to enter the competitive division, but their other female runner, Akiko Miller, was indisposed. Miller was replaced by Taro Goto and the rest of the team was made up of Shuji Kuroda and Noriko Jim.

Coming in second in the non-competitive division was Running Bikers of captain Floro Derexes, Edgar Abalos, Ronald Villafria, and Arvin Velasco after the quartet reached the road in front of the Club Elan parking lot in 1:47:38.

Rounding out third in the non-competitive division was the all-women’s team of Run Saipan Pacemakers led by skipper Rosemarie Chisato with members Evelyn Pangelinan, Jessica Ortizo, and Ann Bang. They finished the race in 1:51:49.

A total of 12 teams took part in the face-to-face version of the Inaugural Marianas Ekiden with other teams opting for the virtual option.

The rest of the teams that joined the non-competitive division are Marianas Ekiden 2 in 1:57:02 (Robyn Spaeth, Kathy Ruszala, Michael Mancao, and Simon Necesito), Arguably Descent in 1:58:11 (Brad Ruszala, Trey Dunn, Travis Spaeth, and Robby Glass), Marianas Ekiden 1 in 2:02:02 (Denise Myers, Sildrey Veloria, Moji De Luna, and Kurt Songsong), Go Extra Mile in 2:26:50 (Eric Abragan, Sharon Abragan, Christian Joseph Yap, and Laarni Zapanta), GXM ENC in 2:28:58 (Daryll De Luna, Jedidiah Peteru, Dylon Deleon Guerrero, and Duncan Laxa), Scrambled Legs in 2:29:47 (Margie Camu, Nicole Delon Guerrero, Limuel Bernal, and Aaron Pamintuan), and GXM Jr. in 3:07:57 (Barbara Peteru, Heart Mariell De Luna, Alyssa Omampo, and Alan Peteru).