SAIPAN — Registration is closing soon for the Saipan Sugarcane Railroad Journey Run, an 81-kilometer endurance event with organizers urging interested runners to sign up by this Friday, December 12.
The run is all set for January 17, 2026, thanks to the joint organizing efforts of Sports Aid Japan and the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA). The course will follow the route of Saipan’s historic sugarcane railway from the Japanese administrative period in the early 1900s to commemorate the 150th birthday of Haruji Matsue, known as the “Sugar King.”
General registration for individuals is ¥19,200 through Sports Aid Japan’s portal while NMI residents can register at an $80 local rate by signing up in person at the MVA office on Beach Road. If the full distance isn’t for you, resident relay teams are also welcome for $80 per team.
The event starts and finishes at American Memorial Park (Micro Beach), Garapan, with a 4:30 a.m. start ceremony and the race beginning at 5 a.m. Runners have 16 hours to complete the course as the finish line closes at 9 p.m. Organizers said relay teams of 2–6 runners will switch participants at designated aid stations.
Participants will receive items including a digital finisher’s certificate, an official race t-shirt, and a Marianas specialty product, along with a pre-event reception the night before the race. Organizers emphasized safety and self-sufficiency, including navigation by official maps, passing checkpoints, and carrying required night gear and a cellphone. MVA said individual runners must also show proof of completing a marathon in October 2022 or later, though the requirement is waived for team entries, with additional rules applying.
