13 finish Guam virtual tri/duathlon

Saipan triathletes pose for a group photo before racing in the Guam National Virtual Triathlon/Duathlon last Saturday. (Jonathan Ibajan)

Saipan’s sports community continues to join the trend in competition at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, as 13 completed the Guam National Virtual Triathlon/Duathlon.

Thirteen-year-old Isaiah Aleksenko was the youngest finisher among Saipan participants in the Guam Triathlon Federation-organized event and timed in at 4:54:00 in the 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike, and 10K run. The Swimming Center Tsunami Saipan member had split times of 15:00 in the swim leg, 3:34:00 in the bike, and 1:04:00 in the run.

Janet King heads out of the water at Guma Sakman in Susupe. (Jonathan Ibajan)

Aleksenko, her mom Yulia, Brad and Kathy Ruszala, Robyn Spaeth, Ricky Castro, Nap Dizon, Manny Sitchon, Marshall Hoskins, Lydia Tan (duathlon), Ambet Omampo (duathlon), Eric Abragan, and Janet King were the other Saipan finishers in the virtual meet, as they completed the course last Saturday.

The group had the swim leg from the Guma Sakman in Susupe to the waters off Oleai Beach Bar and back. For the bike course, from Guma Sakman, the riders headed to Pacific Islands Club and proceeded to the former Marianas Resort & Spa before going back to Susupe for the bike-run transition. In the run leg, the Saipan bets cruised along Beach Road for the turnaround at the Marianas Medical Center near the Garapan Fishing Base before heading back to the start/finish line at Guma Sakman.

Isaiah Aleksenko is first out of the water during last Saturday’s Guam National Virtual Triathlon/Duathlon.(Jonathan Ibajan)

The 13 Saipan participants were among the 67 finishers in the first week of the virtual competition. King completed the race in 4:53:00 (with split times of 1:18:00/2:13:00/1:21:00); while Castro and Sitchon submitted 6:26:00 and 6:20:00, respectively, and Omampo 9:12:00 in the duathlon (5K run, 40K bike, and 10K run). Times of the other Saipan finishers have yet to be posted online.

Ambet Omampo gets ready to head south for the 40K bike leg of the duathlon. (Jonathan Ibajan)

Saipan Duathlon Dec. 19
Meanwhile, the Triathlon Association of the CNMI has opened the registration for the 5th Saipan Duathlon.

The course will feature a 5K run, 20K bike, and 2. 5K run with the race to be held at the Banzai Cliff in Marpi. Interested participants an enter in the individual or team (men’s, women’s, and mixed) events and both road and mountain bikes can be used in the race.

Manny Sitchon, left, and Nap Dizon run back to Guma Sakman to complete the 10K run of the triathlon event. (Jonathan Ibajan)

Registration fee is $20 for individual and $40 for team. To sign up online, visit https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=225341. Registration deadline is Dec. 17.