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Guam > Guam Ko'ko' Road Race - Half Marathon &
Ekiden Relay
Hagatna, Guam
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Date
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Event
Details
Originally hosted by
the Guam Visitors Bureau in 2006, the inaugural Guam
Ko’ko’ Road Race was first a 20K individual and
4-person
Ekiden Relay, as part of an effort to attract international athletes to
the island and bring attention to
the plight of Guam’s territorial bird, the Guam Rail or
Ko’ko’ bird. A
flightless bird, the Ko’ko’ is endemic to Guam, and
its numbers have been decimated to
near extinction by the brown tree snake, pesticides and other
predators. Efforts to save it from
extinction are ongoing and in 1995 a hundred Ko’ko’
birds were released on Rota, the Mariana Island just north of Guam,
where there are no snakes.
The 2009 Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race features both a half
marathon and a 4-person Ekiden Relay, which consists of legs of 3.24m
(5.38km), 3.2m (5.15km), 3.2m (5.15km) and
3.36m (5.41km), respectively. The relay exchange points 1 & 3
will be located on
Marine Corps Drive in East Agana (close to the Citibank building) and
exchange point 2
will be located on Marine Corps Drive in Asan, near the entrance into
the
village of Asan just before the turnaround point.
With an out-and-back course that takes runners along the oceanfront
along the north side of the island, the race course begins and ends at
Governor Joseph Flores Memorial
Park (also called Ypao Beach Park) with a hill climb and rolling slopes
for the
first two kilometres. The next fifteen kilometres is relatively flat as
it winds its way through the residential village of Tamuning and along
the main thoroughfare of the island's western coast, Marine Corps
Drive. The terrain
remains level into the capital city of Hagåtña,
with the turnaround point just inside the village of Asan.
Runners will enjoy scenic ocean views, running on a road only feet from
pristine
white sandy beaches and sparkling turquoise ocean water for the
majority of the course.
Race
Weather & Climate
Precautions should be taken against heat and humidity. Proper hydration
and nutrition prior to the race is extremely important as the
temperatures in Guam will likely be in the high 80s with humidity in
the 80 to high 90 percent range. A long distance event with these
conditions can be dangerous for those who are insufficiently trained
and prepared. If this is your first time participating in a running
event of this length in a warm and humid climate, take fluids at each
of the Aid Stations.
Fees
For international runners:
$50 if registered by September 18, 2009
$60 between Sept. 19 - October 9
$70 between Oct. 10 - 14
For local runners:
$30 if registered by September 18, 2009
$40 between Sept. 19 - October 9
$50 between Oct. 10 - 14
Registration
To reserve your spot in the fall 2009 running of the Guam Ko'ko' Road
Race, register online at Active.com.
Website
www.guamkokoroadrace.com
Map
View Larger Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in either the half marathon or the Ekiden relay at Guam's
annual Ko'ko' Road Race?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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Boards
Race information provided by Sally
Malay, Guam Visitors Bureau
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