Registration on for Tagaman Triathlon

Bikers cruise along scenic Marpi during the 2018 Tagaman Triatlon. (MVA)

Marking 30 years of existence, the Tagaman Ttriathlon is slated for March 30, 2019, on the island of Saipan in The Marianas.

Registration is available online at www.saipantriathlon.com or www.webscorer.com by searching the event name or Race ID 148748. The early bird registration fee through Dec. 31 is $80/solo and $180/team.

Tagaman is an annual signature event of the Marianas Visitors Authority aimed at attracting visiting athletes and media to the tropical shores of The Marianas. The event is co-organized by the MVA and Triathlon Association of the CNMI.

“Thirty years of Tagaman is just incredible and speaks to the endurance of this premier event as the longest-running triathlon in Micronesia,” said MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion. “We have to give a lot of credit to the founders of the race and the other members of Taga Inc. for seeing the great potential of this event all those years ago and organizing it for the first successful 25 years. Now we are injecting new blood into the event through the MVA’s close partnership with TRAC, and we see it slowly making a comeback to its glory days at the peak of visitor arrivals to The Marianas. Tagaman has been a key event in promoting The Marianas as an ideal sports destination, and we anticipate it will continue to do so for years to come. We invite all triathletes and teams who have not yet experienced this beautiful course to take the challenge in 2019,” Concepcion added.

With its 2K swim, 60K bike, and 1.5K bike courses, Tagaman is named after the ancient indigenous Chamorro chief Taga, renowned for his legendary feats of strength. Tagaman welcomes athletes of all levels and ages. The starting point and swim leg will be at Kanoa Resort. Bikers will then transition at Kilili Pavilion parking lot in Susupe, head south to Airport Road and north to Banzai Cliff before going back south to Minatchom Atdao Pavilion in Susupe for the finish line.

“This 30th Tagaman Triathlon will be a reunion of sort. We will revisit some sights and sounds of the first triathlon that was introduced some years ago,” TRAC president Ricky Castro said.

Cash prizes await the Top 3 finishers in the women’s and men’s open categories: $1,000 for first place, $700 for second, and $500 for third. Medals will be awarded to the age group divisions, team and individual finishers respectively.

Beginning Jan. 1, the registration fees will be $120/solo and $200/relay team, while rates will again increase on Mar. 1 to $150/solo and $240/relay team. The last day to register is Mar. 28.

Early sponsors for the 30th Tagaman Triathlon are Kanoa Resort Saipan as the official hotel, Neo System as the official timer, KFC Triathlon Club of Japan, and Tri Tour of Korea. Tagaman race series events to prepare for the main event will be announced in the coming months. (MVA)