(GVB) – The Guam Visitors Bureau has announced that the 2012 Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race (half marathon and ekiden relay) will be held Oct. 14 at the Gov. Joseph Flores Memorial Park. GVB has also introduced the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race sponsors, United Airlines, Pacific Islands Club, Gatorade, and KUAM AM-FM-TV, to the island’s media and running community at the Pacific Islands Club.
During a press conference, executives from the race sponsor organizations unveiled the 2012 Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race prizes. GVB announced they will host the first male and female Guam residents to finish the 2012 Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race Half Marathon at the NikkanSports Toyohiragawa Marathon in May 2013, in Sapporo, Japan. United Airlines, the official airlines for the event, will provide round-trip airfare for this year’s top overall male and female finishers to return to the 2013 Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race.
Japan’s Masashi Shirotake, the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race Half Marathon two-time defending champion, is returning once again to defend his 2011 course record time of 1:12:43, courtesy of United Airlines. Competing for the first time this year is Amy Atkinson, who has just returned from the 2012 London Olympics where she represented Guam in the 800m run. Also running this year is Guam Olympian Derek Mandell, who won the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race Half Marathon in 2009 and also competed in the 800m event in London this summer.
Top finishers in both events will win up to $5,000 in total prize money. The first-, second- and third-place male and female overall finishers in the Half Marathon event will be awarded $1,000, $500, and $250, respectively. The first-place team overall in the Ekiden Relay event will be awarded $1,000.
Record number
In 2011, more than 1,600 total runners participated in the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race, over 600 of whom were from Japan. Race registration projections estimate a record number of runners will compete in the 2012 event.
“We look forward to welcoming runners from across the globe to this exciting event,” said GVB Deputy General Manager Nathan Denight. “The annual Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race provides opportunities for the local community and visitors alike to enjoy Guam’s beauty as a top cultural and resort destination.”
This year marks the seventh anniversary of the race, which is a half marathon solo and ekiden relay (four-person team) road race. The race starts and ends at Gov. Joseph Flores Memorial Park. The race course showcases the villages of Tumon, Tamuning, Asan, and the capital village of Hagåtña.
Additionally, there will be cheering groups along the race course from the community, as well as cultural entertainers. The International Association of Athletics Federation certified the race course as officially 13.1 miles long. Touted as one of Guam’s signature sports tourism events, the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race attracts visitors to Guam and benefits Guam’s indigenous Guam rail, also known as the ko’ko’.
Efforts in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources raise awareness for the plight of the flightless bird and help preserve this endangered species. "Che’lu" is the official mascot for the Guam rail and interacts with the community of Guam and visitors, endearing them to Guam’s territorial bird. Che’lu and a live ko’ko’ bird made special guest appearances at the press conference, educating and entertaining the attendees.
Online registration is open through the Oct. 10 closing deadline at www.guamkokoroadrace.com. The registration fee for teams that participate in the school division for the Ekiden Relay has been set at just $40, or $10 per runner, to encourage as many students as possible to participate.
Supporting sponsors include Docomo Pacific, Japan Guam Travel Association, Pacific Daily News, Cycles Plus, Guam Department of Public Works, Guam Fire Department, Guam Police Department-Highway Patrol Division, Hertz Rent-A-Car, Hornet Sports, Market Wholesale Distributors Inc., Mayors’ Council of Guam, Paradise Fitness Center, Pay-Less Supermarkets, Triple J Five Star Wholesale Foods, Guam Department of Agriculture-Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources.
