Previous Story
29 go through Hell in Marpi
|
Posted on Dec 10 2006
Twenty-nine off-road enthusiasts suited up in rash guards and helmets yesterday to tackle the Hell of the North mountain bike race in the second challenging knobby wheeled event of the year not called the XTERRA Saipan Championship.
The latest Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation happening was as thrilling as the vertically vexing Tough Love mountain bike race. Stuart Smith took the tape from Micro Beach to Mount Tapochau but there was a four-horse race in Marpi.
A pack of four riders provided for a photo finish as race organizer Nate Hawley was the first to complete the four-lap circuit with a time of 57:23, while local race veteran Tyce Mister was a bike length behind in second place at 57:25. The Pacific Island Club’s Kieran Daly was a second behind in third at 57:26 and Ken Pierson followed in fourth at 57:27.
After taking up positions at the start line just before the CNMI Veterans’ Cemetery, the riders took anything but a leisurely four lap journey up to the Last Japanese Command Post, turned north toward the landfill, curved around the Cowtown Raceway Park to the Banzai Cliff seaside trail, past the monuments, and back.
Prizes were awarded to the top finishers, the best newcomer, and the dirtiest mountain bike and Hawley thanked all of the riders for participating in the event and offered special thanks to the all the volunteers and spectators for their cheers and encouragement.
The only thing that marred an otherwise successful race was the crash that one of the riders suffered while heading through one of the technical sections of the course on the
Banzai Trail.
Suffering more than bumps and bruises, the rider was taken to the Commonwealth Health Center for clean up and stitches and fourth place finisher Pierson (DDS-SDA) will be handling any dental work that he might need done as a few teeth have become loose.
Hawley offered up the first donation to raise some money to cover his Emergency Room visit sent out an email to the racers and local triathletes to take a collection.
