Japan’s Masayuki Matsumaru braved the island heat en route to conquering the 16th Annual Rota Blue Triathlon last Nov. 14 on Rota.
The veteran triathlete crossed the finish line of the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-km bike, and 10-km run men's A division in 2:10:26.
Compatriot Yu Yumoto clocked in second after checking in at 2:13:52, while Taro Shirato made it a 1-2-3 finish for the Land of the Rising Sun coming in third with a time of 2:24:20.
Japanese triathletes also dominated the women's A division with Kaoru Suzuki (2:47:18) seizing first place, Nahoko Niwa (2:58:56) taking second, and Aya Kimura (3:06:03) placing third.
Guam's Cameron O'Neal, meanwhile, won first place in the men's B division after completing grueling 2-km swim, 90-km bike, and a 21-km run course in 4:55:44. Japan's Yuta Kobayashi clocked in second with a time of 5:10:33, while compatriot Tatsuo Shimizu came in third with a time of 5:38:54.
In the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) race, Japan's Kenichi Inamoto was able to secure first place with a time of 2:55:56, with countrymen Genri Goto getting second place and Koreyoshi Mukaigawa bagging third.
In the Challenge race, Saipan's Amanda J. Allen, Jackie Van Dam, and Tamiko Winkfield completed the course with a swim time of 28:11, bike time of 1:26:30, and run time of 1:06:58 for a total time of 3:01:39.
Japan's Motoharu Ueda completed the course with a total time of 3:09:20, while Saipan's John Jenkins and teammate David Baker came in third with a total time of 3:28:15.
Jenkins said participating in the triathlon had diverse meanings for the many participants.
"I’m sure for many big-time triathletes, this competition was about racing and winning. For me, it was about doing my personal best and making it to the finish line alive and in one piece. I look forward to participating in future events," he said.
Van Dam, for her part, came away impressed with the multi-sport event and hungry taking part in more triathlons.
“The Rota Blue Triathlon was an awesome triathlon. It was my and my husband first triathlon to compete in and it definitely won’t be the last. We were amazed by the natural beauty that Rota has to offer: the secluded beaches, amazing jungle and trees with no tangan-tangan, the blue, blue water and the people. It’s majestic. The triathlon was both challenging and rewarding both in beauty and fitness level and we can’t wait to start training for XTERRA [Saipam Championships] and Tagaman,” she said.
Kiyokazu Fitness Club Triathlon Club of Japan hosted the event in collaboration with the Marianas Visitors Authority and the Rota Mayor's Office. This popular triathlon provided participants additional preparation for the upcoming Olympics to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
In all, more than 150 participants took part in the 16th Annual Rota Blue Triathlon, which started with the swim course at the island’s East Harbor.
Triathletes then rode their bikes along a 40-km paved and dirt road from Sinapalo Village through Sasanhaya Bay Lookout and back to East Harbor, ending with a 10-km run up the eastside to a point just beyond Alaguan Bay Lookout.
Participants at the awards party, held at Rota Resort and Country Club, feasted on local delicacies while enjoying a local dance group and live band.
“This year's Rota Blue Triathlon was another outstanding success, thanks to the hard work of the KFC Triathlon Club of Japan, the Rota Mayor's Office, Rota Resort and Country Club, and all the volunteers,” said MVA managing director Perry Tenorio. “And contributing to the success, of course, were the wonderfully hospitable people of Rota.”
The annual Rota Blue Triathlon is one of four major triathlon events held in the CNMI, along with the XTERRA Saipan Championship, Tagaman Triathlon and the Tinian Turquoise Blue events. (Saipan Tribune)
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