Guam Events to Support Ko’ko’ Bird (Guam Rail) Awareness

GVB Announces Its Support of Ko’ko’ Preservation Through “Ko’ko’ Weekend” Events.

The Guam Visitors Bureau is proud to announce that its signature Ko’ko’ Weekend events will take place on April 12 & 13, 2025, at the Joseph Flores Memorial Beach Park (Ypao) in support of the preservation of Guam’s territorial bird – the Guam rail or “Ko’ko.”

The Ko’ko’ Weekend will commence with the Ko’ko’ Kids Fun Run on Saturday, April 12, 2025.  Kids ages 10-12 will run a 3.3k race beginning at 7:00am, kids ages 7-9 will run a 1.6k race at 7:30am; the last division featuring the Ko’ko’ neni’s ages 4-6 starts at 8:00am.  Activities and refreshments will be available throughout the morning for the kids and all finishers will received medals from “Kiko the Ko’ko’ Bird.”

On Sunday, April 13, 2025, the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race will take place with the Half Marathon beginning at 5:00am and the Ekiden Relay starting at 5:30am. The Half Marathon will begin at Ypao Beach Park and head southbound on Marine Corps Drive with the turn around point in Asan. The Ekiden relay is a returning featured event in this year’s run which involves a team of four runners, each running a 5-kilometer leg distance while exchanging their team sash between each runner.

The Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race began in 2006 to bring awareness to the plight of the Ko’ko’, a flightless bird that is endemic to Guam.

The Ko’ko’ was federally listed as a critically endangered species of rail in 1984.  With just over 100 Ko’ko’ birds in Guam and 200 known birds in Rota today, the plight of the Ko’ko’ still exists due to the threat of predators.  Driving awareness through the Ko’ko’ Weekend events aid the efforts of the Guam Department of Agriculture Division of Aquatics and Wildlife to preserve, repopulate and reintroduce the Ko’ko’ bird.  

Growing in popularity over the past 20 years, the Guam Ko’ko’ Road Race has drawn thousands of runners from across the globe to join local runners in the various running events. What started as a 5k has evolved to include a Half marathon event and an Ekiden relay along with a separate day entirely dedicated for the Kids.

Adding to this year’s events, the Japan Club of Guam will be joining in the festivities with the Harumatsuri – Japan Spring Festival – to be held on Saturday, April 12 from 2pm-9:30pm after the Kids Fun Run. Extra parking will be available at John F. Kennedy High School with shuttle buses running every half hour from 1pm-10pm, courtesy of the Japan Club of Guam.

“GVB is excited and proud to continue this signature event that sets us apart from most other races. Not only are we encouraging family and friends to participate by bringing back a favorite race component – the Ekiden relay, but we are also encouraging the community to learn more and contribute to the preservation of the Ko’ko’, which is a significant icon of the CHamoru culture,” said GVB President & CEO Régine Biscoe Lee.

GVB welcomes everyone to join in the fun.  Interested cheer groups, water station volunteers, and sponsors may email info@visitguam.org for more information.  Interested runners and parents may register for the Koko Kids Fun Run, the Ko’ko’ Half Marathon, or the Ko’ko’ Ekiden Relay at guam.com/koko.

SEEN IN MAIN IMAGE: Ko’ko’ Kids Fun Run 2024

Media Contact:  Lisa Bordallo, Public Information Officer, GUAM VISITORS BUREAU, SETBISION BISITAN GUÅHAN, Tumon, Guam, (671) 979-1523, lisa.bordallo@visitguam.org