67 from 3 countries join Rota Blue Triathlon

Sixty-seven competitors from three countries joined the 23rd Annual Rota Blue Triathlon held last Nov. 18, with elite long-distance triathlete Masayuki Matsumaru and Hiromi Matsumaru of Japan finishing first in the Ironman (long distance) course.

The duo led a pack of 67 registered athletes, including 48 competitors from Japan, 10 from South Korea, and nine from the Northern Mariana Islands (eight from Saipan and one from Rota).

Following Masayuki’s time of 3:55:17 in the men’s division were Sung Jo Yoo of Korea (4:54:24) and Katsuhiko Hara of Japan (4:57:08). Following Hiromi’s time of 4:28:46 in the women’s division were Yeojin Yang of Korea (5:16:02) and Eunpa Kim of Korea (5:39:43).

In the half Ironman course, the men’s division’s Top 3 finishers were 34-year-old Tsukasa Hirano (1:57:38), 53-year-old Hideya Miyazuka (2:00:36), and 35-year-old Ken Takahashi (2:23:39) of Japan. The women’s division was led by Keiko Nakakarumai (2:31:23), Ai Handa of Japan (2:39:03), and Heather Brook of Saipan (2:39:58).

“It’s great to have the Rota Blue back this year,” said Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) Community Projects manager Martin Duenas. “Although rough seas forced us to shorten the ocean swim, the athletes expressed much satisfaction with the event, overall.”

Min Ki Kim of South Korea, who runs triathlons for fun, shared his thoughts about his first experience with the race.

“Very wonderful,” said Kim. “The place and the view are fantastic. All arrangements and the venue are wonderful. And also the people are very warm, very happy. I love this place! Definitely, I will come back again.”

The event was co-organized by the MVA, Kiyokazu Fitness Club (KFC), Rota Mayor’s Office, and Rota Municipal Council.

“A very good, perfect race! Thank you, and my appreciation to all the local people, who are so friendly, hospitable and kind,” said KFC president Onishi Kiyokazu. “The MVA did a very good job on bringing athletes from Korea. We welcome all countries to Rota, and we plan to continue the Rota Blue triathlon.”

This was also the first year KFC used regular flights to arrange travel for Japanese athletes, versus a charter flight.

“I feel really good about it. I’m so glad our visitors are really enjoying themselves today,” said Rota Mayor’s Office special assistant for programs and grants Aubry Hocog at the event awards dinner, which featured local cuisine and dance. “We always want them to have a good feeling when they leave Rota. We want to share our culture, share our great sites, and have them experience a little of what our island and people are about. Hopefully that will encourage others to come and visit.”

The Rota Blue Triathlon is an annual signature event of the MVA and featured two distances: the A-type half marathon distance, which includes a 1.5-kilometer swim, followed by a 40K rigorous biking course and a 10K run (no time limit); and the B-type Olympic distance, which has a distance of 2K in the swim leg, 90K in the bike course and 21K run (8-hour time limit). This year, the swim leg for both courses was shortened (500m) due to the rough waters.