Sildrey, Ann top 10K of Run Saipan’s Trinity series

Bang

In the first race of three consecutive races in the Inaugural Run Saipan Trinity ‘23, Sildrey Veloria and Ann Bang were the fastest in their 10K run back to Kensington Hotel on Saturday.

Veloria, who was first to the finish line overall, clocked in at 45:39 in the wet, early morning trek from the Kensington Hotel parking lot to a little past the Last Command Post in Marpi and back. 

Chad Taflinger came in second with a time of 49:02, with Chong Nam Lee right at his heels with 49:43.

In an interview with Saipan Tribune, Veloria said that “the course was kind of tricky because there are some parts of it that have hills. Usually, I will struggle to go up hills, but now it was pretty easy for me to get into a groove and hold a pace that I was comfortable with.”

Veloria

He added that with the rainy weather, “I feel like I will perform better without the rain, but there’s nothing I can do about the weather. Overall, the race was pretty fun, and I hope to do more 10K races in the future.”

In a changing of the tide, the fastest woman on the course this time around was Ann Bang, who finished at 54:36 and beat Rosemarie Chisato, who came in second with a time of 55:14. With a time of 57:46, Terra Allen completed the Top 3.

Bang exclaimed “finally!” after she was told she came in first for the women’s division, as Chisato usually comes in first. But Bang said she knew that the other women kept their energy for the next two days of races. “That’s why I can win today, but tomorrow, nobody knows, but I did my best today.”

She said in the first 5K, she ran with Chisato, but that she pulled ahead in the last stretch and kept the lead. Bang added that the course was good, “better than hot and humid [weather]. Windy and a little rainy is good for a run.” The 49-year-old said that it was a bit slippery but the group runs they have every week helps them out.

The Run Saipan Trinity ‘23 is a three-day running event to kickstart the club’s yearlong calendar of races.

Run Saipan president Edward Dela Cruz Jr., who also ran the race, said ​​”This is a historic first for a three-day back to back foot race in the Marianas.”

On a Run Saipan Facebook post, it said “Run Saipan would like to extend its most sincere appreciation, gratitude, and thanks to the management of Kensington Hotel Saipan and E-Land Group for allowing us to hold Day 1 of our race at their hotel.

Holding the race at Kensington Hotel provided our participants with not only parking but a safe and secure area for their finish line. We cannot thank the management of Kensington enough for providing us with maximum security for our Inaugural Run Saipan Trinity.”

Results of yesterday’s Day 2, 5K at Mt. Tapochao and today’s Day 3, 5K along the Oleai Beach Road Pathway will be posted in the next issues of Saipan Tribune.