Youngest, fastest XTERRA Sport finisher

  Kaisei Toda bested 10 other XTERRA Sport participants, posting the fastest time in last Saturday’s 2011 XTERRA Saipan Championship.

Toda, who at 15 was the youngest entry in the shorter course of last weekend’s race, completed the .75-kilometer swim, 20-km mountain bike, and 5-km run in 2:17:14 to top the 15 to 19 age group and take the No. 1 spot overall in XTERRA Sport.

The former Tsunami Saipan swimmer was the second out of the water, finishing one lap of the swim course at Micro Beach at 9:11. He then headed to Navy Hill up to Mt. Tapochao for the bike leg and returned to the bike-run transition area at the 1:43:23 mark, also the second fastest in the field. For the final leg of the triathlon race, Toda ran north up to the driveway of Anak’s condominium and lost several minutes as he had second thoughts in the run course.

Toda initially thought he had to go through the Anak’s woods for the run trail, but police officers manning the area told him otherwise, as XTERRA Sport run course was only up to the driveway and participants must head back to Micro Beach for the finish.

The young triathlete went on to complete the run leg in 24:50 (seventh best) and despite wasting some time in the final phase of the race, Toda was still the first XTERRA Sport participant to cross the finish line.

He was more than five minutes ahead of No. 2 overall finisher John Arceo, who timed in at 2:22:35. Arceo, who had split times of 14:46 (swim), 1:45:12 (bike) and 22:27 (run), ruled the 45 to 49 age group, beating fellow Saipan bets Tim Goodwin (2:31:15/third overall) and Derek Chambers (2:51:20).

Ketson “Jack” Kabiriel came in fourth overall (2:35:49) and won the 35 to 39 age group, while another Saipan participant-Jeffrey Diyco-placed fifth (2:36:50) and prevailed in the 40 to 44 category. Other age group winners were Charlie Sendin (2:51:33/30 to 34) and Paul Plunkett (2:43:39/50 to 54).

In the women’s division, Saipan’s Susan Marchitti was the fastest with her 3:07:03, just 17 second ahead of fellow Saipan triathlete Eileen Escudero (3:07:20). Japan’s Junko Tachikura finished third overall with her (3:52:59). Marchitti recorded 20:02 in the swim leg and 2:16:37 and 30:24 in the bike and run, respectively, to gain top honors in the 50 to 54 age group. Escudero had split times of 13:59, 2:29:37, and 23:44 for the 40 to 44 division, while Tachikura submitted 23:06, 2:57:46, and 32:07 for the 60 to 64 category.

Meanwhile, results for the XTERRA Sports and Championship relays will be released in Saipan Tribune’s Thursday edition.