NMI masters athletes top half marathon, 5,000m

Kosuke Sato, center, is the fastest amongst the half marathon runners of the Oceania Athletics Masters Championships and first place in his 50-year-old age group last Saturday. Second is Raymund Tolentino, left, with Oceania official Edward Dela Cruz Jr.(LEIGH GASES)

The longest distance event in the 2023 Oceania Athletics Masters Championships—the half marathon—was swept by CNMI runners last Saturday morning from the Hyatt Regency Saipan to the Pacific Islands Club Saipan and back.

What’s more impressive was not merely their age—which ranged from 35 years and above—but that they also competed in not one, but multiple events throughout the four-day championship event under Saipan’s blazing hot summer sun.

There were 15 half marathon runners and the CNMI placed first in all age divisions.

The fleetest afoot overall was Kosuke Sato from the men’s 50-54 division, with a time of 1:27:22.19. The second fastest overall was Akiko Miller of the women’s 50-54 age group with a time of 1:31:05.73. 

Akiko Miller, center, is the women’s 50-54 age group winner and second overall in the Half Marathon event of the Oceania Athletics Masters Championships last Saturday. Second is Jessica Ortizo, left, and are both joined by Edward Dela Cruz Jr., an Oceania official and athlete for NMI.(LEIGH GASES)

In the women’s 35 age group, Savannah Grant took first place with a time of 2:10.20.81 and Kathy Ruszala was second with a time of 2:21:50.90.

Kathleen Tolentino took home gold in the women’s 40 division with her time of 2:13:48.59; second went to Angela Taflinger at 2:28:13.69; and third was Sheila Isla at 2:29:47.45.

Rosemarie Chisato took first place in the women’s 45 age group with a time of 2:00:18.81 and second went to Guam’s Jennifer Pulmones at 2:06:50.04.

Second to Miller in the women’s 50 division was Jessica Ortizo at 1:58:33.54.

In the men’s division, Chad Taflinger took gold in the 40 age group at 1:52:51.52; Jess Gariguez took first in the 45 age group at 2:42:21.78; second to Sato was Raymund Tolentino at 2:02:43.26; and Mike Sawyer was first in the men’s 55 at 1:51:44.17. 

Most of the NMI half marathon runners in the Oceania Athletics Masters Championships pose with their medals after the awards ceremony last Saturday morning at the Oleai Sports Complex track and field.(LEIGH GASES)

Barefoot runner Chong Nam Lee took home the gold medal in the men’s 65 with a time of 1:37:44.21 and second went to Manny Sitchon at 2:23:28.49; and in the men’s 70 age group, Paul Khang finished first with a time of 1:46:26.82.

In the 5,000m masters championships, Miller topped the women’s 50 and overall with a time of 18:48.74; second was Ortizo at 24:02.42; and Isla took the 40 age group at 31:21.40.

Edward Dela Cruz Jr. took gold in the men’s 30 age group at 25:42.01; Keith Longuski took gold in the 35 age group at 20:34.75; Taflinger was first in the 40 age group at 21:13.69 and second went to Jacoby Winkfield at 23:32.21.

Sato finished first in the men’s 50 division at 18:31.63 and second went to Leith Pool at 25:24.26; Lee was first in the men’s 65 at 18:49.69; another barefoot runner, Changwhan Jang, took first in the men’s 70 division at 18:02.10 and second was Khang at 20:39.34.

The 29U men’s 5,000m was the only event not won by the NMI but by Micronesia’s Hugh Kent at 16:23.89; second was Micronesia’s Jaedon Way with a time of 23:14.13; and third was NMI’s Simon Necesito at 26:45.03.

In the women’s 10,000m race/walk masters championships, 80-year-old Jeane Rayphand took gold at 1:07:31.86.

Andrzej Szefler took gold in the men’s 10,000 race/walk with a time of 57:52.58 and was also first in the 5,000m race/walk at 28:33.47.

For 50-year-old Sato said the half marathon course was flat and easy to run. “There was road construction but there were people guiding and I didn’t have any problems with it,” he said. “I trained for three months which was just enough time for the half marathon.

Sato also joined the 5,000m race and the 800m race and also topped his 50 age group in both races.

Miller said that she was happy for both her first place 5,000m and half marathon wins. “I had [a] great experience. I am still learning about recovery conditioning and how I [can]make my best race etc. I saw many powerful athletes in [the] masters events. Thank you for giving me [the] opportunity. Great work all staff and volunteers.”

Results of the other Masters Championships and Oceania Cup events will be posted in the next editions of Saipan Tribune.