"It exceeded our expectations given its new to Palau, but with the turnout of participants registering prior to the event and the huge number of people registering on site, it's a successful event," said Kodai Ruluked, PVA's Marketing and Research Manager.
An estimate crowd of 500 people - families, friends and participants - enjoyed Sunday at Long Island rooting for their local teams and solo participants at the 15-sprint obstacle course.
The Sprint 15 obstacles will have the participants climb, run, jump, crawl, slide and rope walking. And paddling event will begin the course. With the huge turnout of participants locally and off-island, plans are underway to make this an annual event. "We are going to do this every year and turn it into one of our signature events that locals and tourists alike will enjoy," Ruluked added.
He stressed that the success of the event was made possible with sponsors coming out to support the event. "A huge thank you to all sponsor, participants and media and the spectators for making KONQER Palau a success," Ruluked added.
Peleliu was the site of the first obstacle course that was held on Saturday, where more than two-dozen participants took a very difficult trail through 8-miles away from tourists locations. "It was also successful considering that all participants that came from off island did the Peleliu course," said Rondy Ronny, PVA's Sports and Social Marketing Rep.
The trail was filled with history and culture while they get to enjoy the beauty of Peleliu. "There was bat filled caves, deep crevices to fit in and high elevated hills that were painful to go through. All the participants made it through and konquered Peleliu," Said Ronny yesterday.
More than two hundred participants registered for the events. The KONQER event debuted in Guam two-years ago and since than discussion with Palau Visitors Authority began that culminated with the concluded event.
It is hoped that the event will have a snowball effect for tourism. "This is in line with the goal of developing Palau as a high-value tourist destination," said Rondy Ronny earlier.
Palau's KONQER obstacle course is part of a plan to build an obstacle course circuit to be closer together that will include Guam and CNMI for travelers to compete in all three events.
Kaz Endo and a team of officials from Guam were on island to organize and officiate the event.
"We are also training the PVA staff in organizing the obstacle course so in future events they can do it without us," Endo said in an earlier interview.
