Hawley rolls through Sugarcane Railroad 81km course

Before the sun even peeked out over the horizons of the Marianas, 24 runners were already on the move—setting off on a far from ordinary day in the island’s first ultramarathon-style run, one that traced history and pushed the limits of the human body. The Inaugural Sugarcane Railroad Journey Run 81km, organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority and Sports Aid Japan, began at 5am Saturday, Jan. 17, in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Haruji Matsue, the legendary “Sugar King.”

Hours later, with much of the day already gone at around 3:27pm, CNMI’s Krista Hawley crossed the finish line as the first-place solo runner, completing the grueling course in 10 hours, 28 minutes. She Runs Next, the only relay team to take on the brutal course, posted a time of 9:31:34.

CNMI’s James Munnis and Joel Phair finished in tandem, both with a time of 12:11 flat, while Angela Taflinger clocked in at 12:23:51.

Starting at Micro Beach Road, the course sent runners through a punishing island-wide loop under hot and humid conditions—climbing toward Mt. Tapochao, winding through Marpi, dropping down to Beach Road and Sugar King Park, then following the scenic beach path south through Koblerville. From there, runners pushed on through San Vicente and Laolao, up Papago and Capitol Hill, before finally circling back to the finish line at Micro Beach Road—an 81km journey that pushed their bodies to the limit, yet unfolded through paradise.

Hawley, an avid runner who recently won medals in the Oceania Athletics Cup Masters Championship last year, took on the journey of her life—her first 50-mile race ever. She said upon hearing that it will be hosted by Sports Aid Japan and MVA, she and her fiance, James Munnis knew they wanted to join. “From my understanding, this was the first ultra marathon on Saipan and since I love running, there was no excuse for not joining. We were both very excited to be part of such a challenging event on Saipan.”

Upon running through neighborhoods, up steep hills, and from the north to the south of the island, she said finishing first was unexpected. “I love the quote “live your life saying ‘I can’t believe I just did that!’ Not ‘I wish I would have done that’”. Running this sunny, hot & humid 50 miles definitely falls into that category. Coming in first was unexpected, but a good reminder that age and gender do not define what someone is able to accomplish.”

The toughest stretch of the course, she said, was the last few miles from the bottom of Capital Hill to the finish line as it seemed like an eternity. “I run in that area often, but I’ll never look at it the same way again. The most memorable part of the journey was the amount of love & support I was given throughout the whole race. Friends & family showered me with ice cold towels, water, snacks and joined me for sections of the run. The love I felt along the course is a core memory I won’t soon forget.” What pushed her through in the final miles, she said, was her daughter, who, having her join with her encouraging words and fun playlist set her up for a successful finish.

Past the marathon mark, she said she stayed positive, even celebrating the halfway point and using mental tricks to push through the second half. Despite the heat and sun, she held her strength and kept her spirits up. Her training followed a marathon-style approach, with long slow runs, shorter fun runs, hiking, and a focus on keeping her heart rate low—something made harder by Saipan’s heat but effective on race day. She credited much of her performance to the support of Saipan’s tight-knit running community, saying the encouragement she received during training and the race made a big difference.

When asked if she will join again next year, she said, “Definitely! Sports Aid Japan and MVA did an excellent job, created a fantastic course and I look forward to next year!”

Kimiko McKagan, member of the 6-woman squad She Runs Next with Alison Nelson, Rebecca Wiggins, Kathy Ruszala, Cherie Moses, and Heather Kennedy, said that they had a great time. The all girls team ran about 8-10 miles each. McKagan said, “I know ultramarathon is so hard, especially here it’s so hot, but doing relay with friends, so much fun. I encourage everyone to do the next one!”

Masako Tezuka from the MVA Japan office hopes that this run will expand next year not only to locals or Japanese participants, but also to Koreans and others as well.