BRM bike race set for Dec. 18

Beach Road Magazine will be hosting an MTB and road bike race next month in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

Dubbed as Beach Road Magazine Jungle Bell MTB Bike and Road Race, the event will take place on Dec. 18 and will have four categories: children’s race, MTB short and long course, and road race division.

The children’s race, which will start and end at the parking lot of Paupau Beach. Older children will do two laps of the course and young ones will complete only one lap. For the MTB short course, bikers will leave the starting line and turn left to the parking to Marianas Country Club Road, bear right onto Binadu Dr., left at “T” (water tank), behind the golf course to Suicide Cliff road (Marpi Parkway), right to Kimikaze, left to Grotto road, left down Santa Clause Lane, and straight back to Paupau via landfill road. For the MTB long course, after the Kimikaze trail, bikers will head to Autobahn, Santa Clause Lane, and Banzai, before heading back to Paupau Beach. The road race will also begin at Paupau and bikers will head to Suicide Cliff, Bird Island, Grotto, and Banzai before returning to the starting line.

Medals and other prizes will be given to the winners in each categories. Raffle draws will also take place after the race.

Next month’s race will coincide with the launching of Northern Mariana Islands Cycling Federation—the latest sports group formed in the CNMI and aims to assist organizations in holding bike races in the Commonwealth.

NMICF president Vince Seman, in a press release, added NMICF will be the umbrella organization for local cycling clubs and will help CNMI athletes and cycling programs become eligible for grants, funding, and participation in regional and international events. “I’m relatively new to mountain biking but instantly got hooked with my first trail ride. I got involved with NMICF to help grow the sport locally and hopefully give our top riders a chance to put the CNMI on the map internationally,” Seman said.

“I am looking forward to this race. It will be a great opportunity to get to get back on the bike after the Hell of the Marianas and at the same time become a part of a history by participating in the launching of the NMICF,” NMICF vice president Lewie Tenorio said.

Meanwhile, Beach Road Magazine account manager Susan Marchitti said next month’s race has drawn the support of PHI Pharmacy, Marianas Visitors Authority, Saipan Grand Hotel, and Brabu Pharmacy. Registration is set for 5:30am and entrance fee is only $10, while the race starts at 6:30am.

For more information, contact Marchitti at 235-7645.