The Guam Visitors Bureau hosted a press conference on April 10 at the Capitol Kitchen for its annual Ko’Ko’ Weekend.
Ko’Ko’ Weekend is GVB’s annual weekend of road races, and has attracted runners from across Guam, Asia, the United States, and parts of Europe and Africa.
GVB’s president and CEO, Régine Biscoe Lee, said that the weekend has drawn over 482 overseas participants.
According to registration data presented at the press conference, 692 runners are registered for both the Ekiden Relay and the Ko’Ko’ Half Marathon. About 252 children are registered to participate in the Ko’Ko’ Kids Race on April 12.
Lee said the race is typically held in the month of April to help boost visitor numbers.
“[April] is kind of a low season for Guam travel,” she said. “We want to invite our friends from abroad to come visit Guam especially during this period and to promote sports tourism and events here on Guam.”
The race has also attracted a number of social media influencers and celebrities from across Guam’s source markets, including the 2024 Ko’Ko’ Half Marathon Women’s Division champion, Sachi Uozumi from Japan.
Gerry S.A. Perez, GVB’s vice president, said the race attempts to accomplish three things: spread awareness about the endangered Ko’Ko’ bird and incorporate it as a part of the island’s tourism branding, host a running event that is unique to the region, and expand the field of competition for the island’s runners.
Perez said that the Ko’Ko’ races have met a lot of the original expectations since it started in 2006.
“This is the record number of half-marathon runners ever, reported by the Guam Running Club,” he said.
Yolonda Topasna, a project program coordinator at the Department of Agriculture who helps manage Ko’Ko’ bird populations, showcased Suete, a 5-year-old male Ko’Ko’ bird.
The endemic Guam bird was once considered extinct in the wild, but through conservation efforts was reintroduced in Rota and Cocos Island in Guam. Despite this it is still considered a critically endangered species.
Topasna said that the mission of the department and the Division of Aquatics and Wildlife Resources is to help restore the population of the Ko’Ko’ bird and other threatened species like the Sihek (Guam Kingfisher).
Race Director Manny Hechanova of the Guam Running Club, told the Journal that this year’s race is “spectacular” and has surpassed GRC’s and GVB’s expectations by meeting its goal of 500 participants with days to spare.
“There are still people calling us asking if they could still register,” he said.
Kraig Camacho, a senior destinations specialist at GVB, said that the road race helps bring the community together.
“There’s so many things that come out of the Ko’Ko’ Road Race,” he said. “We have almost 24 different associations cheering [the racers] on.” mbj