2nd ANNUAL PIKA RUN 5K ON FEB. 15, 2025, IN TINIAN
Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) – Get ready to run like your tail’s on fire!
The 2nd Annual Pika Run 5K fires up on Feb. 15, 2025, on Tinian as part of the 21st Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival in The Marianas.
“Pika” means “spicy” in the Chamorro language. The run will start at 6:30 a.m. at the Fiesta Grounds Road Intersection in San Jose, Tinian, and proceed along the historic World War II-era Broadway before returning to the starting point.
Registration is $15. Cash prizes will be awarded in Men and Women’s Divisions: $150 for 1st place, $100 for 2nd place, and $75 for 3rd place in two categories, Over-All and Under 18. Registration forms are available on The Marianas Calendar at www.mymarianas.com/event-calendar. Registration can be made the MVA offices in Tinian or Saipan or with the Tinian International Women’s Alliance at the Office of the Mayor of Tinian or by emailing [email protected] or [email protected]. Registration and payment can also be made on race day from 6:00 – 6:30 a.m. at the start line. All participants will receive a t-shirt.
The iconic Tinian Hot Pepper Festival returns to The Marianas on President’s Day holiday weekend with food, fun, and flaming hot spiciness. The festival will be from 6:30 p.m to 11 p.m. on Feb. 14 and from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Feb. 15. Food vendors will open at lunchtime. Festivities will include food sales, live entertainment, competitions, arts, and crafts sales, and more on the island of Tinian, a 10-minute commuter flight from the capitol island of Saipan. The festival, affectionately known as “Pika Fest” among locals (“pika” means spicy), pays homage to Tinian’s small but famous “donni’ sali” hot pepper.
“It’s going to be another great Pika Fest in Tinian next month, and we invite everyone to come over and enjoy the festivities,” said Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) Tinian Field Operations Supervisor Vida Borja. “It’s already almost a full house at our hotels for the weekend, but we’ve got beautiful camping grounds right next to the festival, so come for the day or come for the weekend, but just come!”
The Tinian Hot Pepper Festival is an annual signature event of the MVA organized in cooperation with the Office of the Mayor of Tinian and Aguiguan and will once again be held at the Fiesta Grounds in San Jose, Tinian, adjacent to the picturesque Jones Beach and House of Taga, a U.S. National Historic Landmark featuring limestone monoliths carved by ancient Chamorros.
Free camping is available at Jones Beach, Taga Beach (toilets, barbecue pits, and outdoor showers available) and at the adjacent Tachogna Beach (barbecue pits, outdoor showers, and toilets are available). Hotel accommodations are provided by Tinian Ocean View Hotel, Tinian Diamond Hotel and Casino, Tinian Diamond Suites, Tinian Western Lodge Hotel, Lorilynn’s Hotel, Tinian Street Motel, Fleming Hotel, Sunshine Hotel and Green Lion House Hotel.
For more information, contact Tinian Field Operations Supervisor Vida Borja at [email protected] or 1.670.433.9365, MVA Community Projects Coordinator Sherman Santos at [email protected] or 1.670.663.3200, or the Tinian Mayor’s Office at [email protected] or 1.670.433.1802.
FILE- Men’s 2nd place finisher Jeff Pierrot, left, and Women’s 1st place finisher Virginie Ternisien accept their prize money for Top 3 finishes in the Pika Fun Run in February 2024 during Tinian Hot Pepper Festival in The Marianas. The 21st Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority will be held on Feb. 14-15, 2025, with the Pika Run 5K starting at 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 15.
The Marianas is an archipelago of 14 islands - including Saipan, Tinian, and Rota - in the Western Pacific. The Marianas are home to indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian people, as well as over 20 different ethnicities from around the world who live and work in this harmonious tropical paradise. Ancient latte stone limestone monoliths, traditional nature-based ocean navigation not reliant on modern technology, and a culture seasoned by East and West influences are just a few of the experiences found in The Marianas, where pristine sea, sand, and skies are only a 3–4-hour flight from major Asian gateway cities. From South Korea, Jeju Air and T’Way provide direct flights to Saipan from Seoul-Incheon. United Airlines flies three times a week from Tokyo-Narita, Japan, and daily from Guam. Hong Kong Airlines flies twice weekly from Hong Kong. Interisland travel between Saipan, Tinian, and Rota is provided by Star Marianas Air. For more information on The Marianas, visit www.mymarianas.com, Facebook/VisitTheMarianas, or Instagram @themarianas.