NMA kicks off cross country series tomorrow

The Northern Marianas Athletics Cross Country Series will begin tomorrow with participants racing in two courses at the CPA Airport Field.

NMA official Elias Rangamar said runners in the 7-and-under, 9-and-under, and 11-and-under age groups will race in the 1,500m course, while participants in the 14-and-under and 18-and-under divisions will take the longer 5,000m course.

The Top 3 placers in each age group will receive medals, while trophies will be awarded to the Top 3 schools.

A school will qualify in the team awards if it will field at least five runners in the races. Points will be awarded to each runner to determine the rankings of schools. The first finisher will get a point, two for second, three for third, four for fourth, five for fifth, and so on. The school with the lowest points wins the division. In case of a tie, the school with a sixth finisher wins the tiebreak.

NMA is reminding participants that they will not be allowed to run barefoot for safety purposes. In NMA’s past tournament held at the rubberized Oleai Sports Complex track and field facility, some runners ran barefoot.

The association had also set guidelines for this weekend’s races.

Runners who will have two false starts will be disqualified. Interfering with another runner and failing to complete the course define by legal marking system will also result to disqualifications.

Registration for the first part of the cross country series will start at 3pm, while races will begin at 4pm.

Participants in the 7-and-under, 9-and-under, and 11-and-under age group will race first and will be followed by runners in the 14-and-under and 18-and-under divisions.

The second leg of the cross country series is scheduled for Nov. 8, also at the Airport Field, while the NMA Cross Country Championship is set for Nov. 15 with the venue to be announced later.

In the championship, Marianas High School is out to defend its title in the 18-and-under division The Dolphins will be challenged by Kagman High School and Saipan Southern High School.

Tinian is the defending champion in the elementary division, while Hopwood claimed the most individual awards in the middle school division.

For more information on the cross country series, contact Rangamar at 664-2502.