Kabiriel bound for Down Under half marathon

Northern Marianas Athletics has named Ketson “Jack” Kabiriel as its lone representative to the Oceania Marathon/Half Marathon Championships to be held in Gold Coast, Australia in July.

This is the first time that the CNMI will be sending an athlete to the Down Under event which will be held on July 5.

In an email to Saipan Tribune, NMA president Kurt Barnes said Oceania Athletics Association will pay half of the cost of Kabiriel’s airfare, while NMA will shoulder the other half. Meals and lodging will be provided by OAA.

Kabiriel earned a ticket to the half marathon event after ruling the 2009 CNMI Half Marathon Championship, which was a qualifier for the Oceania tournament.

The 34-year-old athlete completed the 21-kilometer race in 1:31:42 to beat 17 other male participants. Korean veteran runner Bae Jim Keum (1:34:26) placed second, followed by Coco Restaurant’s Ronald Villafria (1:37:16) in third place.

Others who completed the rain-soaked 13.1-mile race held on May 2 were Quincy Johnson (1:45:45), Chang Whan Jang (1:48:58), Fred Camacho (1:52:27), Tamio Nishikido (1:52:28), John Douglas (1:56:42), Keone Chariton (2:09:23), Joshua Berger (2:10:52), Manny Sitchon (2:11:52), Yosh Gabaldon (2:14:57), Brad Ruszala (2:29:59), John Jenkins (2:42:50), and Bernard Samson (2:44:17).

The qualifier began at the Oleai Sports Complex track and field facility and had runners headed to Beach Road, then turned left and headed south to the Pacific Islands Club in San Antonio for the first turnaround point. From PIC, runners headed back north for the second turnaround point at Winchell’s in Garapan. From Garapan, runners returned to the track and field facility for the final 1 1/4 laps of the race.

Dawn Hammermeister was the lone woman competitor in qualifier, but did not finish the race. NMA hopes to send male and female runners in the Oceania marathon next year.

Kabiriel, in an earlier interview with Saipan Tribune, said he is scheduled to leave for Australia either on July 1 or 2 and get acclimatize in the Gold Coast for one or two days before the race. He added he has been undergoing rigorous training sessions to prepare for the Down Under half marathon.

“I’m doing speed workout for 13 miles. I run 50 miles a week, from Monday to Saturday. I go 10 miles with four miles speed workout and six miles easy run. I wake up at 4:30am and go up to Marpi for my long and speed workouts. At times, I also go to the track in Oleai. Then I go to work,” said the Safety First employee.