The Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race is Guam’s elite running event, so named to raise awareness of the plight of Guam’s territorial bird, the Guam rail or commonly known as the Ko’ko’. A flightless bird endemic to Guam, the ko’ko’ population was decimated to near extinction by the brown tree snake, …
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The Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race is Guam’s elite running event, so named to raise awareness of the plight of Guam’s territorial bird, the Guam rail or commonly known as the Ko’ko’. A flightless bird endemic to Guam, the ko’ko’ population was decimated to near extinction by the brown tree snake, pesticides and other introduced detractors. Efforts to save the ko’ko’ from extinction are ongoing and public awareness and community involvement inspired by events such as the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race and the Guam Ko’ko’ Kids Fun Run have made a remarkable impact.
A signature visitor attraction, the race was first held in 2006 and participant numbers and prestige have grown with each succeeding year. The Guam Visitors Bureau is excited to reintroduce the event after several years!
Ko’ko’ Half Marathon and 5K Ekiden Relay
The Guam Ko’kơ Road Race features a 5K (3.1 miles) four-person Ekiden relay with an out-and-back course that starts in Tumon in front of the Guam Visitors Bureau, heads south on Pale San Vitores Road toward Chalan San Antonio, then returns to Tumon and finishes at the Governor Joseph Flores Memorial Park (Ypao Beach). All participants will receive a finisher’s tee and medal.
The Guam 2025 Ko’ko’ Road Race features a Half Marathon (13.1 miles) out-and-back course that starts in Tumon in front of the Guam Visitors Bureau, heads south on Pale San Vitores Road toward Chalan San Antonio then south on Marine Corps Drive (Route 1). Runners will continue south bound along Route 1 and pass through the capital city of Hagatna and into Asan village. The turn around point is in the center of Asan village. Runners will return northbound on Route 1 back to Tumon and finishes at the Governor Joseph Flores Memorial Park (Ypao Beach).
Ko’ko’ Kids Fun Run
The Guam Ko’ko’ Kids Fun Run is a fun-filled family event featuring a 0.6K, 1.6K and 3.3K Fun-Run for children ages 4-12 years old. All runners receive a finisher’s t-shirt and a chance to win awesome prizes including Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals for the top three boys and girls in each division. The race course begins and ends in the Governor Joseph Flores Memorial Park and will feature a beach shore run for the older age division.
About the Ko’ko’
Guam Department of Agriculture – Division of Aquatic & Wildlife Resources
The ko’ko’ (Hypotenida owstoni; Guam rail) is endemic to the island of Guam, meaning, that it is only found naturally on the island. The ancestor of the ko’ko’ is believed to have flown to Guam thousands of years ago, and over time, existing with no predators, lost its ability to fly. In 1983, Department of Agriculture (DoAG), through its Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources (DAWR) came together with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to create a captive breeding program on Guam and in conjunction with zoos across the United States of America to prevent the species from going extinct.
Today, you can find ko’ko’ at DoAG’s DAWR Captive rearing facility, zoos across the U.S., and wild populations on Rota and Islan Dåno’ (Cocos Island). In 2020, the International Union for Conservation of Nature upgraded the red list status of the ko’ko’ from “extinct in the wild” to “critically endangered” giving hope that the ko’ko’ has a chance to return to greater numbers. The only other species given this list upgrade was the Califonia condor.
The ko’ko’ is an important animal in the CHamoru culture with a legend surroundings it and once being a food source for the people. Today, the ko’ko’ is a symbol of hope for the restoration of the health of Guam’s ecosystem.
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