Kabiriel tops half marathon qualifier

Ketson “Jack” Kabiriel topped last Saturday morning’s 2009 Half Marathon Championship, earning him a slot to represent the CNMI in the same event in Australia this coming July.

The 34-year-old mainstay of the Commonwealth’s national athletics team tackled the 21-kilometer race in 1:31:42 to beat a field of 17 early morning risers that took part in the half marathon that started a little over 5:20am at the Oleai track and field.

“The race good for me. I liked what I ran this morning. It motivates me for training in the event coming up in Australia. I appreciate the help of my coach, Dan (Kimball), for giving me some speed workout and keep me going in my training. I also wish to thank all the volunteers, especially those who manned the water stations,” said Kabiriel who is known in local running circles as the Roadrunner Bunny.

Kabiriel said he is happy with his time, despite clocking in more than two minutes slower than his personal record in the half marathon.

“Maybe if I do the race and there is someone in front of me, I will push myself to break my time. The hardest part was the start. The first three miles…I just don’t like it because my system was not awake yet. Then after three miles, that’s when my system said ‘go and hit the road.’”

Finishing second to the Safety 1st System Inc. employee was Korean veteran runner Bae Jim Keum (1:34:26) followed by Coco Restaurant’s Ronald Villafria (1:37:16) in third place.

Others who completed the rain-soaked 13.1-mile race were Quincy Johnson (1:45:45), Chang Whan Jang (1:48:58), Fred Camacho (1:52:27), Tamio Nishikido (1:52:28), John Douglas (1:56:42), Keone Chariton (2:09:23), Joshua Berger (2:10:52), Manny Sitchon (2:11:52), Yosh Gabaldon (2:14:57), Brad Ruszala (2:29:59), John Jenkins (2:42:50), and Bernard Samson (2:44:17).

The qualifier started at the Oleai Sports Complex track and field facility before Kabiriel and company headed to Beach Road. Runners then turned left and headed south to the Pacific Islands Club in San Antonio for the first turnaround point. From PIC, runners headed back north for the second turnaround point at Winchell’s in Garapan. From Garapan, runners returned to the track and field facility for the final 1 1/4 laps of the race.

With his victory in the CNMI Half Marathon Championships, Kabiriel will represent the islands in the 2009 Oceania Area Marathon & Half Marathon Championship.

Also dubbed as the 31st Annual Gold Coast Airport Marathon, the regional tournament will be held on July 5, 2009 in Gold Coast, Australia.

Returning Saipan resident Dawn Hammermeister was the lone woman competitor in the race Saturday but didn’t finish. Even if she did, she wouldn’t have been eligible to represent the CNMI in Australia because of Oceania’s strict residency requirements.

Northern Marianas Athletics, which organized the qualifier, has not yet decided on who will accompany Kabiriel in his trip to the Land Down Under.

Kabiriel and the woman representative will get an all-expense paid trip to Australia, courtesy of the Oceania Athletics Association.

Besides the half marathon race, the 31st Annual Gold Coast Airport Marathon will also feature a marathon and wheelchair half marathon, Southern Cross University 10km Run, and the 2.25-km and 4-km junior races.