Run Saipan website, 2024 race calendar unveiled

Saipan’s premier running club, Run Saipan, has a new and convenient website, www.runsaipan.com for all the information you need about their races.

Their 2024 race calendar is also available on their website.

First up in another year-long calendar of events is the return of their three-day race—Run Saipan Trinity 2023—from Saturday, Jan. 13, through Monday, Jan. 15. The series will encompass a 10K on the Beach Road Pathway, a 5K up Mt. Tapochao, and a 5K in Marpi in the span of three days. Runners can choose not to run on all race days and will receive an event medal for each race joined. A commemoration medal will be given to those who complete all three races.

Next up on Feb. 10 is the 4th Annual Marianas Ekiden which is a 21-kilometer relay split between teams of four runners each.

In the month of March there will be the 4th Annual Mangrove 5K on March 2. It’s free for Run Saipan members.

On April 26 is the 3rd Annual CHCC Happy Hearts 5K, which will be from the Garapan Fishing Base where participants will head south to just past the Japanese Tank Memorial along Quartermaster Road and back.

May brings the ever-popular Star Wars Day Race “May the 4th” on May 4.

The beginning of summer is marked by the 3rd Annual Grotto 10K on June 1, which will start at the Grotto in an out and back in semi-flat course.

July will see the 4th Annual Latte Built Independence Day 2-Miler on July 4, which will be from the Garapan Fishing Base to National Office Supply and back.

Next, instead of the Run Saipan Half Marathon in December, it will be on Aug. 30. Before that, there will be the 3rd Annual Beer Mile on Aug. 2, which coincides with International Beer Day and will be held at the Saipan Vegas Resort golf course.

For Oct. 19, there will be the Splash and Dash on a new course at American Memorial Park and Micro Beach.

The month of November will see the 3rd Annual Saipan International Airport 8K Trail Run and the Veterans Day 5K on Nov. 11.

The last month of the year will end with a bang with the 4th Annual Run from ‘24 1 Mile Road Race on Dec. 31.

Officially founded in 2020 by president Edward Dela Cruz Jr., Run Saipan was established as a nonprofit organization in 2021.

Run Saipan seeks to promote a healthy lifestyle in the CNMI by supporting community projects such as regular 5K races, running and nutrition workshops, sending athletic ambassadors to the schools, and working with Northern Marianas Athletics to increase the opportunities for cardiovascular health available to all residents in the Commonwealth, regardless of running ability or experience. 

Dela Cruz thanked Dr. Ron Snyder for the website—a three-year project. “It’s really beautiful so all the credit goes to Dr. Ron for this. This makes things a lot easier, especially having our online calendar and everything one year out… So, if anyone wants to know about any events with Run Saipan and Northern Marianas Athletics, they can go to our calendar page https://www.runsaipan.com/2024-calendar.”