Phair, Chisato top Half Marathon

There were surprises and prizes galore as Joel Phair and Rosemarie Chisato braved the early morning rain and outran 33 other runners in their divisions to top the 2023 Run Saipan Holiday Half Marathon last Saturday.

Phair came in first overall with a time of 1:44:38 after running the length of the 13.1-mile course from the Hyatt Regency Club Elan parking lot to the Marpi softball field and back. Meanwhile, Chisato topped the women’s division with a time of 2:00:24.

High school students rounded off the men’s overall division as silver went to Simon Tang at 1:52.44 and Landen Taflinger was bronze at 1:57:25.

Run Saipan veteran running sister An Bang came in second to fellow member Chisato at 2:03:48, while Jessica Ortizo was third with a time of 2:05:40.

Phair, a PHI Pharmacy pharmacist, said his overall win came as a big surprise. “I was expecting a Top 5-10 finish based on my expected time, but never expected to win. There are definitely several faster runners on Saipan. Lucky for me they had other plans on race day.”

The 44-year-old said that he runs fairly regularly but races only occasionally. “Usually, it’s my wife that will sign me up for things when she thinks the prizes are cool. The half marathon was a good tune up for where I’m at in my training so the timing was right to jump in. Bigger goals include a few marathons next year and to ‘run the year; (2024 miles) throughout the calendar come January.”

As to if he was in the lead through the race, he said he moved up in the first quarter mile and extended it throughout. He added, “The early start and rainy weather were very welcome. Even the hills were okay because it was still dark when I ran up them. Somehow not seeing the climbs as a whole makes it easier to just put the next foot in front of the other and get through it.”

He then gave thanks to Run Saipan, the Department of Public Safety, and the many volunteers that made the race possible. “For a small place it’s really great to have a group that provides such a full and diverse race schedule throughout the year,” said Phair.

For Chisato’s part, she also said that she was surprised to be the first woman to complete the race. She said of her preparation for the half marathon, “I always train before the race so I was prepared. I made sure I slept early and hydrated. I got up [at] 4:30 in the morning 4-5 times a day for my training. And I am very happy that this is the fruit of my labor.”

She added, “The course was difficult but it was fun at the same time. I just made sure to have fun while running. I would like to thank my family and friends for their support and [for] inspiring me.”

The age division awardees for the half marathon in the 19-34 men’s age group were Aaron Pamintuan at 1:58:52; Simon Necesito at 2:08:07; and Kurt Sonsong with a time of 2:33:59.

The women’s age group Top 3 were Amber Estupinian at 2:20:00; Jean Bracken who clocked in at 2:27:23; and Jove Taman at 2:44:14.

Adam Walsh, who clocked in at 2:02:15, was the lone runner in the 35-39 age group, while Chad Taflinger at 1:58:49 was the lone participant in the men’s 40-44 age group.

Top 3 in the women’s 40-44 age group were Angela Taflinger with a time of 2:08.35; Kathleen Tolentino at 2:12:34; and Shiela Mabutas at 2:23:50.

In the men’s 45-49 age group, Jovi Chavez was the only runner and came in at 2:43:59, while Mei Hun Jin was the lone runner in the women’s 45-49 with a time of 2:44:20.

Top 3 in the men’s 50-54 age group were Matthew Furan at 2:02:33; James Abuy at 2:16:54; and Raymund Tolentino at 2:18:04. The women’s 50-54 age group had two runners with Marilou Carlos coming in first at 2:26:23; second was Rebecca Wiggins at 2:34:01.

Kim Church was the lone runner in the 55-59 age group with a time of 2:44:56.

In the 60+ age group, Top 3 were Chong Nam Lee at 2:05:13; Changwan Jang with a time of 2:08:46; and Tom Austin who clocked in at 2:46:40.

A lunch banquet was held after the race where the Top 3 medals of the overall and age categories were awarded along with additional raffle prizes including the grand prize of $500.

Run Saipan president Edward Dela Cruz Jr. thanked the race’s title sponsor, Atkins Kroll for sponsoring for the second year in a row.

“I hope that it will become a third consecutive year in a row in 2024. Thank you to Hong Ye Construction for sponsoring the ETC prize of $1,500. The lucky school with [the] most participation this year was Saipan International School,” said Dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz then thanked on behalf of Run Saipan board and running community, the following organizations for the success of the event: Northern Marianas Athletics, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Aqua Resort Club, Saipan Paddling Club, Northern Marianas College, Marianas Visitors Authority, Napu Brewing Company, Tapped Out, MARPAC, Gold’s Gym Saipan, Latte Built 24, Coalition of Private Schools Association, Saipan International School, Division of Fire Emergency Medical Services; the volunteer core made up of NMA, Run Saipan, Atkins Kroll, Marianas High School NHS, and MHS Run Club.

He then gave a special thank you to the Department of Public Safety. “Thank you Commissioner Clement Bermudes and your outstanding officers for providing safety and security for our runners, pedestrians and motorists alike,” he said.

Results of the AK 5K Fun Run will be posted in the next issues of Saipan Tribune.