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Shimizu, Halliday conquer Kaike
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Posted on Jul 23 2008
Maimi Shimizu and Ken Halliday made history when they became the first participants from the CNMI to complete the Kaike Triathlon during its 28 staging last Sunday in Tottori Prefecture, Yonago City in Kaike, Japan.
Shimizu, who won a bronze in the half marathon of the recent 2008 Oceania Championships, finished the course in 10:42:32, which was 103rd overall and seventh among women participants.
The veteran triathlete, who finished second to Renata Bucher in the 2008 Tagaman Triathlon, finished the exhausting 3-kilometer swim in 54:18, negotiated the 145-km bike in 5:17:13, and then battled the 42.195-km run in 4:31:01.
Meanwhile, Tinian transplant Halliday crossed the finish line 201st overall with a time of 11:31:43. His splits were 56:37 in the swim, 5:31:13 in the bike, and 5:03:53 in the run.
The 28th Kaike Triathlon drew 850 participants from Japan, a sprinkling of triathletes from South Korea, as well as the two entrants from the CNMI.
Marianas Visitors Authority’s Ed Diaz, who accompanied the two triathletes to Japan, said local organizers were pretty much impressed with the accomplishments of Shimizu and Halliday, given that the previous entrants from the CNMI either failed to finish the race or completed a shortened version of it.
“Both Maimi and Ken finished the race and were honored by the Kaike committee Mr. Sato and Mr. Matsunagi-san. They said this was the first time that the CNMI team ever completed the full course of the event. The first invitation given to Tagaman was four years ago,” he said.
Diaz said Shimizu’s and Halliday’s trip to the Land of the Rising Sun to participate in the 28th Kaike Triathlon wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Northwest Airlines, Pacific Development, Inc., Pacific Islands Club, Taga Inc., and MVA.
The Kaike Triathlon, which started in 1981, is the first triathlon ever held in Japan and began with 52 racers 27 years ago. Over time, the course has expanded to a 3-km swim, 145-km bike and 42.195-km run and entries swelled to nearly 900 the past couple of years.
