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The Guam Visitors Bureau is pleased to announce that the 2008 Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race will be held on Sunday, October 19. To attract additional serious athletes, this year’s Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race has been expanded to an individual half marathon, increasing the length of the race to 21.08K, or 13.1 miles. The four person Ekiden, or relay race, will remain a 20K event with each team member completing a 5K leg.
The Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race, now in its third year, is one of GVB’s key signature events and traditionally held during the weekend of the Guam Micronesia Island Fair. Last year’s race welcomed a 64% increase in participation with over 600 runners competing along one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course, which runs along Guam’s lovely East Agana Bay, has been slightly modified this year to accommodate the half marathon length yet still begins and ends at Ypao Beach Park, where GVB’s offices are located.
Trophies will be awarded to the top overall male, female, and overall team division winners. The overall team winners from the Corporate and Military teams will be recognized on the perpetual trophies for these divisions. Medals will be presented to the top three teams in each division. In addition, Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race sponsor Continental Airlines has graciously donated round trip economy class tickets for the overall male and female winners to return to Guam for the 2009 Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race. All finishers will receive a medal for their participation in this year’s race.
The Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race was created by GVB to garner increased interest in the island by international athletes, but more importantly, to bring attention to the plight of Guam’s territorial bird, the Guam Rail or Ko’ko’ bird. The Ko’ko’ is a flightless bird, endemic to Guam, who’s numbers have been decimated to near extinction by the brown tree snake, pesticides, and other predators. Efforts to save the Ko’ko’ 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 Guam Rail also thrives in 17 zoos in the US mainland, but the most exciting news is that the Ko’ko’ has been successfully re-released into the wild on Guam, in a 60-acre, snake free zone located on Andersen Air Force Base, where breeding pairs have produced 10 chicks so far. Guam’s Department of Agriculture is also working to rid Cocos Island, the tiny island located just off Guam’s southern shore, of predators so the Ko’ko’ may also be re-released there as well. It is these efforts that GVB plans to continue supporting through the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race.
Interested athletes may register for the 2008 Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race online by clicking on the race logo at GVB’s website, www.visitguam.org/main, and scrolling through “Fast Facts” to the Register Online button. Local participants may register and pay the registration fee at GVB’s offices in Tumon during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm and at Hornet Sporting Goods in Tamuning.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
