Test your limits at KONQER Saipan

Organizers and supporters of KONQER Saipan pose for a photo during a press conference for the event yesterday at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Be prepared to push yourself to your limits and overcome the challenge of one of the region’s obstacle course races when KONQER Saipan King of the Hill holds its inaugural event this Saturday at the Gov. Eloy S. Inos Peace Park in Puerto Rico.

The race starts at 9am at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan beach front.

Organizers are expecting close to 500 joining the inaugural racing event on Saipan. KONQER began in Guam in 2015, was also held for the first time in Koror, Palau in June of this year, and with Saipan’s addition became a three-circuit race.

Race director Kaz Endo, who is also KONQER Sports’ chief executive officer, said obstacle course races are one of the fastest growing sports events in the world and the third leg of their now three-circuit race offers different levels of challenges to each competitor.

“Every obstacle is designed with extreme athletes and weekend warriors in mind. It is made for different sizes and levels. Those who complete the course as an individual can join a team and do it again. Likewise, those who compete in teams can do it individually after,” said Endo in yesterday’s press conference at Fiesta’s executive lounge.

U.S. military personnel and other embassy staff spending their rest and relaxation days here are also expected to join, taking a cue from the 40 marines that competed in the Palau leg of the circuit. The great turnout in the previous races prompted organizers to make the event a three-circuit race in a year.

“We’re doing three events in one year. There’s Palau and Guam, and now we have Saipan. We dream to also have it in other nearby countries like Kona in Hawaii or in Okinawa, Japan. We want to expand KONQER in the Pacific,” said Endo.

“We know that we’re facing a long road ahead of us but we want to keep the momentum. Everybody can do their share and our events bring a lot of people. That’s why, if there are countries out there that want to host KONQER, we encourage them to come and observe the race in one of the three circuits,” he added.

Endo said Enduro, Completion, Business, and Sprints are the four categories of KONQER’s obstacle races with the former the toughest and challenging, drawing a small group of extreme athletes. Completion race is the largest component where majority of participants join since there’s no time involved but only self satisfaction and gaining confidence as you overcome the challenge and finish the obstacle course.

Business is a competitive team category with companies also using it as a team building exercise for their employees, while Sprints is an obstacle course that includes a lot of running and climbing.

“Every course is different but the Sprints category remains the same, which is composed of 15 obstacles,” added Endo, who was joined in the press conference by KONQER president Kelli Wedd, Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Chris Concepcion, Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan general manager Wendi Herring, Bank of Guam’s Tania David, IT&E’s Melissa Camacho, and Steve Sablan of Saipan Brewing Co.