Trees rules Tagaman

Englishman Michael Trees captured his third Tagaman triathlon championship when he beat 124 other triathletes Saturday in the biggest sporting event on the island.

Trees, 37, won the Tagaman triathlon in 1994 and 1995. “I love the challenge. I don’t want to lose to younger people so I have to keep the pace as much as I can,” he said. Trees represented Japan where he has been living for the past 10 years as a triathlete coach.

This year’s event was a battle of champions as previous winners came back to compete. Tagaman-distance triathletes competed for a bitterly grueling 2 km swim, 60 km bike and 15 km run.

Businessman JM Guerrero, one of the organizers of the Tagaman triathlon, said this year’s number of participants almost doubled the 1999 record. “We want to be able to restore Tagaman to its previous record and we owe the success to the cooperation of business groups and the assistance of the Marianas Visitors Authority,” he said.

With a top-three finish in Saipan in 1991, 1992 and 1998, Japanese Hideya Miyazuka placed second in the race. New Zealander Stephen Farrell, who was the 1999 Tagaman overall winner, came in third.

Among the 30 women triathletes who joined the Tagaman, Heather Jorris from Hawaii bagged first place and finished number 10 in the overall. Ms. Jorris, 29, who has traveled all over the world to compete, is now headed for Hawaii to join the Kona Triathlon. “I hope to be doing this even when I’m 75 years old,” she said.

It was the first time for Caroline Cooksley, 21, to come to Saipan. She was the second woman triathlete to finish and placed 12th in the overall. Australia sent a seven-man contingent for the event.

Susan Burr, 30, an aquatic biologist, grabbed the third place among the women competitors and placed 13th in the overall. It was the fourth Tagaman triathlon for Ms. Burr who has left for Hawaii after staying in Saipan for almost six years.

“It’s nice to see and hear people who knows you shouting your name and cheering for you. They inspire you to go on and finish the race,” she said.

Guam sent a 10-man contingent in the race — composed of five men and five women led by Jill Khoury, president of Guam Triathlon.

Said Ms. Khoury, 40: “It does not matter if you’re late as long as you finish the race. It feels good to conquer a mental obstacle. If I can do it, then I don’t see any reason why others can’t. You feel so much satisfaction to conquer your own fears and do something you’ve never done before.”

The island-municipality of Rota sent six triathletes led by Joseph Santos. Said Santos, 39: “I want to encourage the local people to be physically fit especially the politicians who should live by example.”

Likewise, 31-year-old Ed Barcinas, also from Rota, placed 28th in the overall and vowed to continue convincing more local people to join the triathlon.

Filipino Ronald Villafria must have set a record when he decided to run barefoot because his wet rubber shoes was making it difficult for him to finish the race.

“I did not find it hard to run barefoot because I practiced without any shoes as I felt this will really happen. I was scared that running with wet shoes will just cause an accident,” he said.

Even if he did not get any sponsor, nonresident worker Manny Sitchon of IBSS, was inspired to join the race after watching the Tagaman triathlon last year.

Swimming coach Sachiko Hayashi was glad to be back as she first came here eight years ago to join the Tagaman. “I’m just happy to be back and I will be here again next year,” she said.

The race also saw husbands and wives competing in the triathlon. Saipan’s Gregg Kresge and Nicole Forelli, Robert Gardiner and Apple Wuttayagon, and Japan’s Kazumi Mineo and wife Yoko.

“We were just watching the athletes last year and told ourselves that next time we should be the one competing,” said Ms. Wuttayagon.