Stephen Nutting poses with the Manatee Division trophy during the awards ceremony of the 2023 Hell of the Marianas at the Hyatt Regency Saipan Ballroom on Saturday.
IN recognition of his dedication and loyalty to the toughest bike course in Micronesia, attorney Stephen Nutting, a long-time cyclist and one of the original participants in Hell of the Marianas when it started 16 years ago, was awarded the Manatee Division trophy at an awards ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Saipan Ballroom on Saturday.
Nutting has participated and completed every single Hell of the Marianas since 2007.
According to Northern Mariana Islands Cycling Federation President Vince Seman, “Back in 2010, a unique division was created based on weight for which athletes barely qualified, and it was dubbed the ‘Manatee Division’ of the Hell of the Marianas.”
Nutting was among the original “Manatee Division” riders.
Seman said “the person who deserves this [division] trophy is Stephen Nutting. Since Hell of the Marianas began back in 2007, he has had absolute passion for the road and has trained hard for many years — and earning scars from stray dogs along the way.”
For this year’s Hell of the Marianas, Nutting was the solo competitor in the 70 and above age group, clocking 6:44:38.
At the awards ceremony, he announced his retirement from cycling. “There is nothing like this in Saipan and it has grown year after year, and I’m really pleased to be a part of it. I wish I was able to do it again, but I think I’ll be going into retirement,” he said.
