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By Patrick Lujan
South Korean runner Yeunsik Ham was the first ever marathon finisher in the much-anticipated inaugural Guam International Marathon Sunday morning.
The marathon started at 4 a.m. in front of the Guam Visitors Bureau in Tumon, shot up the hill to the Kmart intersection and headed down south, turning around in front of the National Park Service building in Sumay.
Guam Olympian Derek Mandell, running his first ever marathon, led the way throughout the first half and beyond with three international studs drafting right on his tail.
“I didn’t know how many were behind me,” Mandell later commented. “All I know is one of them kept clipping me.”
Mandell led the pack before the three guests made a move after the turnaround and pulled away to make it a three-man race with about seven miles to go. The group clocked in at one hour, 21 minutes at the halfway mark.
Ham, a 33-year-old veteran of 20 marathons, broke away from the three-man pack of elite international runners at the 37K (23-mile) mark.
“I was nervous going up the final hill (back up to Kmart), but after that I was calm,” Ham said through an interpreter.
After crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 43 minutes, seven seconds and entertaining media from South Korea, Ham mentioned that the course was fun but Guam is ‘hot’. And to think he didn’t even run in the warmest time of the day. Ham takes home the $1500 top prize.
Japan’s Eigo Iwamoto finished second in 2:43:26 with a strong second half of the run. He was running solo a couple hundred meters behind the lead back in the first half of the race.
Satoshi Namai from Japan was third in 2:45:08 while Hi Seoul Marathon winner Jinsoo Choi placed fourth in 2:49:42.
Mandell placed fifth overall in a very respectable 2:56:46.
The top women’s finisher was Eunhee Youn from South Korea, who’s strong stride led her to a 3:08:49 time. Guam’s Emily Cook was second (11th overall) at 3:22:57.
Guam Runners Shine
Chris Magtoto took the half marathon in a time of 1:18:26, beating out Japan’s Yusuke Tokitani (1:19:16). Charlie Epperson was third at 1:21:11.
High school running star John Aquino took second place in the 10K race with a time of 36:03. Fello junior runner Gerald Asuncion was fourth in 39:33.
Olympic marathoner Marie Benito was second place in the female division 10K in 43:53.
Guam runner Gabe Lombard took the 5K race and a cool $500 in a time of 17:32.
NOTES: Ham, a resident of Seoul, South Korea, was asked if he was worried for his homeland over the threats made by North Korea, Ham simply said: ‘No’… He plans to return next year to defend his title…After crossing the finish line, Mandell jokingly said, “Never doing that again”…Derek’s parents Desmond and Gerri were cheering him on throughout the course…Half-marathoner Greg Uncangco, a firefighter with the Guam Fire Department, said after completing the course, “Gonna walk straight to GMH”…Japanese runner Hayato Date ran the marathon wearing a traditional Japanese kimono and getas -, yes he ran with the tradition Japanese wooden slippers! He finished in 5:36:26.
Guam International Marathon Results
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