Kimiko tops age group in XTERRA Guam

Saipan’s Kimiko McKagan clinched an age group championship in XTERRA Guam, while pros Ben Allen and Carina Wasle topped the men’s and women’s divisions of last Saturday’s muddy race.

Saipan’s Kimiko McKagan, left, poses with fellow age group champion Sarah Huber during the awards ceremony for last Saturday’s XTERRA Guam. (Contributed Photo)

McKagan completed the event that featured a 1.5-kilometer swim, 35K bike, and 8.2K run in 4:03:38 to emerge as the runaway winner in the women’s 45 to 49 age group. She finished more than 30 minutes ahead of Guam’s Michelle Santos (4:39:58) and Japan’s Yasue Yoshimi (5:02:01). The Saipan triathlete had a split time of 34:06 in the swim leg to place No. 66 out of 104 participants, was ranked No. 62 in the bike with her 2:17:38, and No. 42 in the run leg after registering 1:11:54.

McKagan finished 45th overall out of 85 finishers, just one notch behind another Saipan bet, Lorie Hutchison, who was the lone entry in the 50 to 54 age group and timed in at 4:02:49 with split times of 34:11, 2:13:54, and 1:14:44.

Meanwhile, in the pro division, Allen bagged his second victory in the XTERRA Asia Tour with his third consecutive triumph in Guam, while Wasle recorded her first win of the season.

Allen, who got his first victory in XTERRA Saipan last month after falling short in XTERRA Philippines in February, made it two in a row as he completed the Guam race in 2:26:28. As usual, he was first out of the water with his 19:56 and was the lone swimmer to finish the two-lap race under 20 minutes. The Australian pro was also the No. 1 biker with his 1:18:42 to pad his lead against eventual runner-up and XTERRA Philippines winner Bradley Weiss of South Africa. Allen went on to complete his domination of in XTERRA Guam despite its similar race condition to XTERRA Saipan with an impressive time (fastest) in the run leg (46:46). The Aussie made it to the finish line more than 10 minutes ahead of Weiss, who clocked in at 2:36:42.

Rounding out the Top 7 in the men’s division were Japan’s Takahiro Ogasawara (2:40:17), Austria’s Benesch (2:41:53), Guam’s Charlie Epperson (2:44:36), the Philippines’ Joe Miller (2:55:00), and Korea’s Kaon Cho (2:59:32).

In the women’s division, there was a close finish for first between Wasle and XTERRA Saipan champion Jacqui Slack with the former winning by only 30 seconds after timing in at 2:44:21 against the latter’s 2:44:51.

The Austrian pro overhauled Slack’s early lead after finishing the bike leg about three minutes ahead of the triathlete from the United Kingdom, 1:29:25-1:31:12. Slack was the first female out of the water with her 21:51, while Wasle was third and No. 11 overall after posting 23:35. Wasle managed to hang on to her slim lead, as she recorded 51:21 in the run leg against the 51:48 of Slack.

Guam’s Mieko Carey completed the Top 3 after clocking in at 2:56:10, while last year’s XTERRA Guam winner Renata Bucher (3:09:16) dropped to fifth behind the United Kingdom’s Daz Parker (3:03:51). Australia’s Belinda Hadden rounded out the pro finishers and timed in at 3:19:11.