Jim, Orica top Happy Hearts 5K

The CHCC Sunshine Squad and Run Saipan were at it again with their mission to get people moving with their 5th edition of the Happy Hearts 5K on Friday, Apr. 3 during golden hour at the Garapan Fishing Base.

Despite it being Holy Friday and with hundreds trekking up Mt. Tapochau early in the morning, the turnout was still pretty big during the sunset race with close to 100 participants. Just as soon as the race started, it ended with Takeru Jim finishing strong and first overall with a time of 19:18, followed by Eugene Olivar coming in at 20:45, and J.P. Camacho close behind with a time of 20:58.

In the overall women's results, Orica George took first place with a time of 24:45, with An Bang in second place finishing at 26:13, while Olivia Leung rounded out the top three with a time of 27:04.

With this race sponsored by CHCC, there were also Top 3 men and women for CHCC staff who joined. For the men’s staff category, Edmundo Bata led the group with a time of 25:47. Kurt Songsong followed in second place at 27:32, and Fitz Gerald Cuenco finished third with a time of 37:17.

In the CHCC staff women results, Roxanne Joyce Soriano came in first with a time of 30:19. Mackenzie Powers earned second place finishing at 32:27, and Emele Tamanikaiverat placed third with a time of 37:23.

Dr. Jenna Kong, CHCC Sunshine Squad’s chair and internal medicine physician said that the group donated $500 to Run Saipan as they do every year and provided refreshments for the race. The goal of this event, she said, “is to encourage cardiovascular health and to have fun walking, jogging, running, and just being outdoors and exercising their heart.”

The Sunshine Squad is composed of members from various hospital departments and their committee’s purpose is to sponsor social events that foster camaraderie among providers and to provide quarterly donations to various nonprofit organizations.

She then expressed gratitude to everyone who supported the event, including those who registered but could not attend due to the holiday, and thanked Run Saipan for their coordination efforts.