Bae, Macasieb win Sunset Runs

Saipan resident Ji Keum Bae ruled the 10K Sunset Run, which served as one of the side events of the 2009 XTERRA Saipan Championship at the American Memorial Park last Friday.

Bae crossed the finish line with a time of 28:26 after going around the park twice. Yoshi Suzuki arrived in 29:54, good for second place.

Noriko Kim, the lone female runner to run the distance, finished third overall at 29:59.

The other runners were Ken Yashimoto (30:00), Ming Lin (30:49), Ken Pierson (33:16), Alexander Racoma (34:57), Stan Good (42:53), Tsutomu Kamiya (43:01), Ben Babauta (48:55), and Yuko Nagamine (51:24).

Filipino professional triathlete Arland Macasieb, meanwhile, used the 5K Sunset run to warm up for the XTERRA Saipan Championship the following day and easily topped the race with a time of 15:41.

Macasieb, who came all the way from New Jersey, finished last among the 13 pros in the XTERRA Saipan Championship last Saturday won by Sam Gardner of Great Britain and Renata Bucher of Switzerland in the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively.

A total of 32 runners joined the 5K Sunset Run with Saipan’s Allen Moses finishing second to Macasieb in the men’s overall with a time of 16:20. He is the lone competitor in the 10-19 male division.

Two female runners—Akane Imaya and Autumn Beechler—were third and fourth overall with their times if 20:29 and 22:30.

Kento Akimaru topped the boys’ 9-and-under category by clocking in at 22:46. Lennosuke Suzuki was second (32:36), Hibiki Sakai third (32:37), Ichiro Borja fourth (34:45), Taiga Sato fifth (34:46), Akira Kadokura sixth (36:50) and Mondo Taniguchi seventh (57:26).

Usami Takmitsu finished second to Macasieb in the 30-39 male category.

In the male 40-49, Derek Chamber timed in at 49:23 and Robert Lorez finished with a 24:54.

Beechler was the winner in the 20-29 followed by Eunk Young Lee (27:39), Ana Inos (29:09), and Meihue Rengiil (40:58).

Catherine Anderson (28:23) beat Vilma Pangelinan (41:07) in the 30-39 female.

Imaya led 11 female runners in the 40-49. The others were Gemma Good (24:31), Ryoko Chang (25:59), Fely Santos (26:26), Lori Serna (29:05), Rossana Aquino (29:08), Yukari Nigh (30:54), Tess Duenas (31:00), Luz Ito (41:17), Judy Santos (45:19), and Maria Ornes (49:29).

In the 60-and-over female division, Masako Brobst and Yasuko Weathersbee of Kealakeua, Hawaii finished the 5K distance with times of 42:24 and 58:20, respectively.