Northern Passage kicks off Sunday

The 3rd Northern Passage will be held Sunday with proceeds from the road and MTB races going to the family of slain Godfather bartender Emerita “Emie” Romero.

Registration begins at 6am, while races starts at 7am at Mariana Resort. Entry fee is only $20 and raffle prizes will be given away, including a free entry to the 2012 XTERRA Saipan Championship.

Each of the road and MTB division will have three courses. For the road championship course, bikers will head to the four corners of Suicide Cliff, Bird Island, the Grotto, and Banzai Cliff and return to Mariana Resort for the finish. In the sports course, participants will only pedal up to Bird Island, the Grotto, and Banzai Cliff and back to the finish line, while the rookie course will bring bikers up to Bird Island and Banzai Cliff and back to Mariana Resort.

For the MBT championship course, bike will climb up to Marianas Country Club, turn right at the top of the hill onto the trail, turn left at the million-gallon tank, ride coral road behind golf course, pass the FEBC road and turn right onto the paved road, ride up to Kimikaze trail, ride to the bottom, cross the road into the Autobahn trail, and turn right heading to paved road toward the Grotto.

From the Grotto, riders must turn left to Santati trail, ride to the junction, turn right to the coral road towards Cowtown, continue right toward Banzai trail, and turn left to Banzai trail until emerging at Banzai Cliff. From Banzai, bikers should head back to Mariana Resort, turn left and ride up the FEBC road, turn right at the top of the hill and ride the coral road behind the golf course, turn right to the trail that leads to the Marianas Country Club, turn left at the end of the trail into the pavement, and ride down the hill to the finish.

For the MTB sports course, from Mariana Country Club, bikers should turn right at the top of the hill onto the trail, turn left at the million-gallon tank, ride coral road behind golf course, pass the FEBC road and turn right onto the paved road, ride up to Kimikaze trail, ride to the bottom, cross the road into the Autobahn trail, and turn right onto paved road toward Grotto. Next up will be a left turn toward Santati Trail, ride to the junction, turn right onto coral road towards Cowtown, continue up to Banzai Trail, turn left onto Banzai trail, emerge at Banzai Cliff, and ride the road back to Mariana Resort.

The MTB rookie course will also bring riders up the hill toward the Mariana Country Club and from there, they will turn right at the top of the hill onto the trail, turn left at the million-gallon tank, ride coral road behind golf course, turn left at the FEBC road and ride down to the bottom of the hill, turn left onto paved road, and return to Mariana Resort.[B][I] (PR)[/I][/B]