On August 26th, Palau conducted the 2016 Kids Athletics and elementary Athletics championships with 600 students from 8 different schools from Babeldaob to Koror. This event is a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Palau National Olympic Committee and the Palau Track and Field Association, and it’s been added to the annual school calendar and, this year were able to organise this event with the assistance of all elementary PE Teachers, Police Academy and CAT team Palau assistance.
We had a total of 18 Teams of 15 members each and 9 different Kids Athletics Stations where students were mixed from grades 1-5th grades and participate in the Kids Athletics events that started at 9:00am and concluded around 11:30am. The elementary Athletics championships was organised for students from grades 6th-8th where all students represented their own schools and competed in some sprint and relay events.
This was a whole day event and members of the Ministry of Education and Principals from all the elementary schools took part of this event and all students received a Kids Athletics 2016 Certificate while the students who took part of the elementary athletics championships received ribbons with results and distance of their individual and also ribbons for relay teams.
For the Palau Marathon, Half Marathon and Half Marathon Relay; they had a total of 89 runners; 12 Marathon runners-only 1 Female; 43 Half Marathon Runner and 34 relay members. This event was suppose to be held on April 2 of this year, but due to the drought season we faced earlier this year, we moved it till September 3rd, with the approval and support of the Palau Pacific Resort and the Palau National Olympic Committee.
PTFA was fortunate to have support from the following partners and sponsors to help make this event possible; UNITED stepped in to support all the 8 water stations along the course from KB shell all the way to PPR, providing their own supplies and water to support all the runners. Bank Of Hawaii also set up a special water station in front of the Bank of Hawaii along the course of the last 5k of the race. Koror State Government and CAT Team provided all the transportation support and water igloos for all the runners from the start of the full Marathon and Half Marathon runners all the way into PPR.
KB Shell for allowing us to use the parking space in front of their Gas Station as a Check in Point for both Full marathon and Half marathon event. Ministry of Justice to assist with the escorts of the marathon and Half Marathon runners. Ministry of Health for providing Medical assistance on the roads and to support all the runners.
Also this event was a success for these various donors; NCD Unit, DHL, Palau Trading Company, CTSI, Palau Vacation Hotel, PNCC,Instaprint, Day Dream for funds to help cover so some of the expenses of this event. and last but not least, Ministry of CCA for providing our Briefing location two days prior to the event where we conducted the event briefing and gave out all the race numbers and had a carbo load dinner and of course the Palau National Olympic Committee for supporting PTFA with the awards for the post race ceremony and the President of PNOC, Mr. Frank Kyota, PTFA President, Regis Akitayan and the General Manager of Palau Pacific Resort, who were presented during the Post race ceremony to award all the prizes for all the winners of this year’s event.
Next year’s marathon event is scheduled to be held on April 8th, the first Saturday of April and encourage all participants to continue until next year’s event.
Elementary Athletics Championships Results
