Tagaman applications ready

Time is ticking away as roughly nine weeks are all that separate Saipan’s crop of multi-sport mavens from an international field of professional, amateur, and first-time triathletes in search of the elusive Tagaman trophy.

As the CNMI braces for the 17th running of the Tagaman Triathlon, the third annual Saipan Sports Fest, and the 5th XTERRA Saipan Championship, planners recently made available the newly completed application forms to the public.

Hours spent in the water, on the roads, and in the gym will soon present their value to the more than 200 endurance aficionados expected to compete, and with the sand fast slipping to the bottom of the hourglass, the time to register is now.

Prospective participants need to step up soon as well. According to Taga Inc. vice president Wolf Mojica, there is less than a week for racers to enter the 17th Tagaman Triathlon free from the progressively increasing late registration fees. Currently the cost to enter the race is $120, but it will jump to $130 after the end of the month, and will get higher each month thereafter.

Applications are available at the Marianas Visitors Authority headquarters in San Jose, and will soon be available to world via internet at www.tagaman.com. In the meantime, Team Unlimited, Taga Inc., and the MVA have been working round the clock to host the multi-sport enthusiasts from throughout the region for April’s XTERRA Saipan Championship and Tagaman Triathlon.

Calls and emails have already begun to filter in to the MVA, the Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation, Taga Inc. and local hotels from interested racers in Japan, Korea, China, Russia, the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, and Guam.

Local hotels have taken reservations from Europe, and their sales reps have coordinated equipment rental arrangements upon their arrival to Saipan to compete in either of the races or the extremely challenging PIC Double.

Money spent by the non-profit Taga Inc. in advertising in both domestic and international triathlon magazines have made an impact already, and sponsors continue to find ways to take part in the biggest week on the local sporting scene.

For more information about the Tagaman Triathlon, or to obtain an application form for this April’s race, contact Frank Tudela at the MVA by calling 664-3210.