Jang, Soriano etch name into record books

Barefoot runner Chang Whan Jang and marathon junky Roxanne Soriano are now part of Rota Marathon lore as the first winners of the event.

The 71-year-old Jang finished first in the two-horse race in the men’s division with a time of 5:31:47 with second place Genero Mejia Jr. coming in at 7:08:56.

Soriano, who did the Chicago Marathon and New York Marathon prior to dipping her toes in the Rota Marathon, was the lone woman entry and crossed the finish line in 5:50:44.

Jang said he thoroughly enjoyed his 26.2-mile jaunt across the southernmost island of the CNMI last Saturday.

“The best part was the volunteers’ commitment and cheering us with big smiles. I felt like a king because police escorted me and emergency man followed me all the way more than five hours. Overall, I really appreciate all the things that the Marianas Visitors Authority and the people of Rota did,” said the 71-year-old Hopwood Middle School physical education teacher.

The Rota Marathon is the latest of the over 30 marathons Jang has completed since entering his first—the Guam Seiko Marathon—way back in 1982. He’s also been a constant participant of the Saipan Marathon since its inception in 2006.

“The asphalt road wasn’t hot yet but it was harder to run under the hot sun after 7:30am. I tried to run under shade side of the road. I also ran on the grass more than half of the race because it was so well maintained,” he said when asked about the course conditions.

He dedicated his win to his family, the friendly people of Rota, and his fellow Run Saipan members.

Soriano, for her part, admitted that joining the Rota Marathon was a last-minute decision, as she initially only signed up for the half marathon.

Thanks to some egging from her Kanoa FC teammates and from Jang himself, Soriano had a run to remember in the CNMI’s “Nature Island.”

“The best part was when I saw my Kanoa FC sisters. That boosted me 10,000 times. I also loved Luta’s warm hospitality. It’s really the best,” she said.

Soriano, who works at the Commonwealth Health Center, said she was also able to successfully complete the Rota Marathon thanks to the early 4am start time and the fact that the tree-lined course provided plenty of shade.

Aside from thanking her Kanoa FC teammates and Rota’s friendly people, she also gave kudos to Jovi Chavez who ran beside her in the last few miles of the marathon.

“For the first 6 miles I can still hear the half marathon runners from Saipan behind me so it was still okay because we all started at 4am. At around Mile 7 until mile 16, it was all silent and only the stars accompanied me and I could only hear the ocean waves,” she added.

In the half marathon, Dominic Kieffer dominated the men’s category with a time of 2:04:28, followed by Scott Smith’s 2:07:57 and Daniel Depolog’s 2:21:10. Topping the women’s division in the half marathon was Tammy Ackerman in 2:10:46 with Julia Mast and Sarah Faegre coming in second and third at 2:11:35 and 2:47:07, respectively.

Kieffer said the one drawback on the early start-time is that Rota’s natural beauty was shrouded in darkness during the race.

“I ran all of the race in the dark so I didn’t get to see a whole lot while I was running, but I did drive it a few times before and after. Rota is so breathtaking. I feel really lucky to be able to visit Rota. The people are always so friendly here too. I’m always waving at everyone, even when I’m running!”

The 30-year-old engineer said running the Rota Marathon is just the first leg of his “running for health” journey.

“I made a conscious decision in December to get back into running because I know it helps me relieve stress, and I feel better about myself and my circumstances afterward. But I want to shout out all the people I see walking/running on Beach Road every day. Seeing you run/walk each day has inspired me to start running again,” he said.

In the 5K course, multi-sport athlete Kaithlyn Chavez tore the tape first in 22:24 with Megumie Takaku Shimada second in 27:25, and Aubrey White third 28:54 in the women’s division.

In the men’s division Elphrain Taimanao Jr. was numero uno in 25:07 followed by Peter John White’s 25:27 and Jun Shimada’s 27:19.

Chavez said she felt very grateful and blessed to win the 5K course of the 2024 Rota Marathon.

“It was definitely a new and great experience because it was my first time going to Rota. The people there are really friendly and welcoming. Even though you don’t know them, they would just say hi to you with a smile.”

The Saipan International School student said the hardest part of the course was at the beginning, “because I couldn’t see where I was stepping since it was still dark. It also made it harder for me because I didn’t know the roads and the places.”

Conversely, the most pleasant part of the 5K was the support coming from other runners.

“When I passed them, they were cheering me on, which gave me a boost and motivation to push myself harder. Even though it wasn’t my best time, I definitely had lots of fun. I’m dedicating this win to Mimi Culp, M.J. Magno, Elizabeth Tom, and Aubrey White because they’re always there for me, pushing me and making me a better person,” said the 16-year-old.