Focus on a raceInterview

Guam Marathon : A Boston qualifier for Asian runners

27 Dec, 2012 (Thu)

§staticmap(1566,3,450,250)Hello, on April 7th 2013, you’ll be organizing the Guam International Marathon. Can you tell us where it is located?

The Guam International Marathon will start and finish in Tumon Guam at beautiful Governor Joseph Flores Memorial Park located at Ypao Beach.

How old is the race and why was it created in the first place?

This is the inaugural Guam International Marathon. The Guam International Marathon was created to provide runners from nearby Asian countries with an opportunity to run a marathon on US soil and to experience the warmth and beauty of Guam as a destination. The race was also created to provide local runners with a first class marathon event they can use as a qualifier for marathons such as the Boston Marathon.

Credit : Guam International Marathon
What kind of route have you set up for the runners? How would you describe it?

The race course is an out and back course, flat and very scenic. Much of the race route follows Guam’s western sea shore and has many beautiful views.

How many runners do you expect on Sunday morning? What type of runners do you plan to attract?

Expectation for the first running of the Guam International Marathon are conservative. We would like to draw 1,000 runners from Japan and Korea and another 1,500 runners locally. Race organizers hope to grow the event to 4 to 5,000 runners in the near future.

Do you organize other races during the Weekend? If so, on what distances?

There will be a total of 4 races held on Sunday. In addition to the full marathon, there will be a half marathon, a 10k, and a 5k. Race day will provide runners from all ability levels to participate!

Credit : Guam International Marathon
At that time of the year, what kind of weather can we expect?

As a tropical island, Guam’s weather remains relatively consistent throughout the year. April is the beginning of dry season for Guam, so there should be little chance of rain. Temperatures at the start of the event, 4:00 am, will be in the low 70’s and will climb to the mid to high 80’s by 11:00 am

Have you planned festivities around the marathon?

There will be a pre-race party held at Pacific Islands Club on the Saturday evening before the race. At the conclusion of the race, there will be large celebration at Governor Joseph Flores Memorial Park with local entertainment, awards, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Runners can cap off their day by taking a cooling swim in the tropical lagoon at the beach.

The race finished, what advice would you give a runner who has never been to Guam before? A good restaurant, a fancy sightseeing?

Guam is a major tourist destination and there are many things to do. Guam has great shopping, beautiful tropical oceans that are ideally suited for snorkeling, diving, and fishing, and many optional tours built to explore the island.

Credit : Guam International Marathon

In a single sentence, what would you tell the readers of ahotu Marathons to make them register for the Guam International Marathon?

The Guam International Marathon promises to bring runners a scenic flat warm weather marathon course, but what race participants will enjoy most about Guam is the warmth and beauty of its people and the island. The hospitality will be exceptional and the event will leave each runner with wonderful memories of Guam.

Interview with Ben Ferguson, Race Director of the Guam International Marathon. Ben has worked as an executive in the hospitality industry for 26 years. He also serves as the President of the Guam Cycling Federation and is an avid runner and cyclist.

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