Honolulu Marathon

Can running 26.2 miles actually be fun and enjoyable? Yes! If it’s the awesome Honolulu Marathon!
Before last year, I was addicted to half marathons. However my sister would always pressure me to do a full but really, that’s twice a half and there are cars made for going that far. But who can resist early entry pricing? $ 26.20 bought me my first full marathon and a bunch of priceless wonderful memories along with it.
The Honolulu Marathon starts at 5 am near Ala Moana Beach Park and ends at Kapiolani Park and basically runs you all over downtown, Waikiki, and a little of the east side of the island. A beautiful fireworks show starts off your run and in between you are given all the gels, gatoraide, ice cold sponges, icy hot spray and vaseline your little heart desires. Among the mostly flat 26.2 miles of beauty Hawaii offers is also the Aloha spirit of its people. I can’t think of a spot along the race that didn’t have people cheering everyone along. It was awesome!
Early registration went up to $ 32 this year but in my opinion that is still an amazing price to run a full marathon in Hawaii. Perfect weather, the best group of volunteers I have ever encountered, extremely organized event from packet pickup to crossing the finish line, I found myself signing up again this year! Am I crazy? I said I’d only do it once!
Everybody should do at least one marathon in their lifetime. With no time limit and the perfect location, the Honolulu Marathon is really perfect for anyone and everyone!

My 100^th review on Unilocal!And it goes a little something like this…
Dear Diamond Head, I’m never going to look at you the same. My thighs are killing me! Hawaii Kai, I don’t even know where to start. Probably never going to see me running/​walking that strip again. Haha! But hey! I discovered a Ross store in the neighborhood!
What an experience! Glad I did it! From registering online (If I recall, Military rate is the same as Kama’aina rate), to the Expo at the convention center, to being at the Start line and watching fireworks, seeing all of the volunteers and supporters up early and working hard for us runners, and getting to that friggin Finish line, the memories will never fade from my mind. It was my first marathon and I’m happy to say I experienced it here in paradise. I mean c’mon. The Christmas lights in downtown, the sunrise at Diamond Head, the beach views from Hawaii Kai, the beautiful million dollar mansions in Kahala (OMG! Wow!), and Kapiolani Park, are all the awesome scenic points from this run.
Then there are the awesome supporters! The water stations, sponge stations (nice touch!), medical stations, food from the locals, entertainment (rock bands, hula girls, DJ’s, and Taiko drummers and more!), and the photographers. Way to make our experience wonderful.
If I were to suggest anything, it would be to add a few more water stations on the Hawaii Kai route. I heard one of the tables ran out of water and cups, so they packed up early. Oh no! I decided not to wear a water pack because I thought the stations along the way would be plenty fine. It was blazing hot out there!
The bling! So awesome. I love it! I also heard this years finisher medal is so much better from last years. Glad I earned a good one. It feels like I’m wearing gold baby! Thank you so much! The neon green t-​shirt is kinda cool, too!
The marathon malasada. YES! It was delicious. But again, I didn’t have water to wash it down. I wish there were a couple of water stations, like near the finish line and near the food. I could barely walk! Instead, it was way in the back. I didn’t discover it until I was standing in line for a Finisher photo.
The participants. The nice thing that sets the HNL marathon from others is that there is no time limit and the word «Walk» is included in the title: Honolulu Marathon & Race Day Walk. So, there were 29k participants and such a variety in age. Some dressed up in costumes. Wheelchair participants. A firefighter group. A few Marines carrying their 75lb pack. A dude carrying a 60lb barbell on his shoulders. Senior citizens. First timers. Amateurs. Elite runners. I was so amazed. These are all of the people that inspired me along the way (praying out loud helped, too!).
My ride home was an Über driver. That app came in so handy. He was awesome, too! And it was nice to have a $ 20 credit as being a marathon finisher since the rate was 3.2x higher than usual due to the activity around Kapiolani.
Then there was Day 2 at Kapiolani Park. If you’re mobile enough to go back, they have waiting for you a personalized Finisher Certificate (you could also have it laminated for $ 20) and magazine for free, which listed all of the finishers by time and name. Great souvenir!
Thank you, Honolulu Marathon! Wish I could say I’d do it again, but I think one is enough for this woman. As soon as the run was over, I cried like a baby, could barely move, and swore like a sailor. It took 3 days for me to fully recover, but I still have scars from chaffing. Maybe next time I’ll sign up as a volunteer! Aloha and mahalo!!!

Overall, a very well organized marathon, but I’m not going out of my way to recommend it to my running community purely due to the humidity which was tough for this desert-​loving Californian to handle.
START: I was a big fan of the 5am start, even though it meant getting up at 3:30am for my pre-​race preparation. But California is 2 hours ahead of Hawaii this time of the year, so it was very easy for me to get up since I was still on California time. I was staying in Waikiki and saw hoards of people walking the ~1.5 mile from Waikiki to the Ala Moana start line, but I wimped out and hopped in one of the cabs waiting at the base of our hotel. The cab was an easy ~5 minute ride for about $ 10 and got us within a few big blocks of the start line. My big complaint about the start line is that it wasn’t marked in waves as far as I could tell, and all of the walkers somehow thought it was OK to move all the way up to the front.
The race starts out with a really nice 5 – 10 minute firework show as we were crossing the start line. Then it’s 2 hours in the dark since sunrise wasn’t until just before 7am. But I much preferred running in the dark to running in the heat later! I would have been OK if the race had started even earlier :)
COURSE: The course was very well marked and well manned. My only complaint was that the road was a very tight squeeze going up Diamond Head the first time since it was still pretty early into the race, the road was relatively narrow, and part of the road was blocked off for elite runners going the other direction. I’m a decent hill runner since I do a lot of trail runs, so Diamond Head the first time was totally no problem, I just ran straight up, but around mile 23 on the way back, it was a killer!
The overall course was very nice, with occasional short stretches of truly beautiful ocean views, but for the most part was no where near as scenic as I had expected. For the most part, the views were blocked by huge gated mansions, which were nice enough, but not the beach/​ocean views that I had expected.
The volunteers and spectators were amazing! The water stations were plentiful, especially in the latter HOT half of the race when there was at least one water station every mile. The later water stations were staffed with bags and bags of ice, and volunteers were also giving out sponges that were soaked in buckets of ice water, which were amazing as well.
I wasn’t able to find a cab or call an über after the race so I just walked the mile back to Waikiki. It was probably the slowest mile I’ve every walked, but I had a blast drinking my iced tea, enjoying the beautiful beach walk back to my hotel.
One last note: because there were so many international runners from Japan, they had kilometer markers right alongside the mile markers. I got confused in the early kilometers/​miles, but I quickly started to enjoy it. The kilometer markers came so much more frequently and made me feel like I was really moving!
EXPO: Easy to get in/​out. I think a lot of people walked over from Waikiki to the convention center, which is what we should have done to avoid the $ 10 parking charge. But overall the expo was very convenient, although I was annoyed that they didn’t give me my shirt upfront at the expo. After the race I was too tired to bother to pick up my shirt since I saw that it was made out of cotton, which I don’t run in anyways.

For those into fitness, the best experience you’ll have every year! This is my second time running and it was amazing. I was super happy to have beaten my previous record of 5:09. This year my record is 4:39!
The experience is amazing, tons of support from volunteers and the residents (like around Kahala).
The sun rises wherever you are but Diamond Head is very scenic. Also along the highway towards Hawaii Kai because you can see the beach.
So the marathon is the usual 26.2 miles. It goes from Ala Moana, towards Downtown Honolulu, back to Ala Moana, to Waikiki, up Diamond Head, into Kahala going to the highway to Hawaii Kai, run to Hawaii Kai and then loop back, back through Kahala and up Diamond, and finally ends at Kapiolani park. Very long route but so scenic.
The other thing I like is seeing others run. It’s such an inspiration because there are those who are trying to do the same thing you are, either just completing the marathon or beating their personal best.
All in all, such good fun and I recommend anybody and everybody to try at least once in their lives! Hey if I can do it, anybody can!

I walked this marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I trained with a local group in the San Francisco Bay Area who all came over together but I preferred to walk it by myself so I could set the right pace for myself and not have to worry about my teammate.
We had to get up in the middle of the night and walk about a mile to the start … there are about 30,000 participants of whom about ²⁄₃ are from Japan. I think they do it for corporate team-​building and not so much for the running experience. I saw a lot of Japanese people who weren’t even wearing running shoes! As a walker, I think I finished ahead of about ½ of the total participants with my 6 hour time.
Parts of the course are out-​and-​back and if you happen to be on a 6 hour pace you will find yourself climbing Diamond Head while the wheelchair racers are descending. And guess what? The organizers will force all the outbound participants over to the side of the road, smushed like sardines, to make room for the wheelchair racers.
Thinking about setting a personal best time? After the several minute delay waiting on Diamond Head, you can forget about that.
The course is not that pretty, for being in Hawaii. A good chunk of it goes through a boring residential neighborhood without even a view of the ocean.
It’s nice to do it with Team in Training because everybody wears their t-​shirts and yells «go team» at each other.
Weather kinda hot, even in December (hence the very early start).
And a long walk back from the finish line.

Who can turn down $ 26.20 to run in a marathon? Only the crazies would see that as a steal haha. $ 26.20 is their early bird special for kama’aina only; 1 dollar per mile. This was actually their 40^th anniversary special back in 2012, but it was such a huge success, they’ve continued this price over the past couple years.
I’m a proud runner to say I have ran 3 marathons total; ran the Honolulu Marathon 2xs and the San Fran Nike Women’s Marathon 1x. Even though I say I am never going to do this again, somehow, I still manage to sign up for another marathon every year LOL. I guess it’s just my mentality to want to get a better time even though it puts my body in so much pain.
The Honolulu Marathon is the fourth-​largest marathon in the United States, which draws athletes from all over America and the world. With that said, you can expect over 30,000 participants in this race. And yet, the organization still manages to keep everything smooth and well-​organized. That’s really impressive if you ask me.
The Expo is usually held at the Convention Center. Because this race is huge in participation, expect the expo to be just as big! Picking up your packet and numbers are sorted by race numbers and very well-​organized. After picking up your packet and numbers, you then head to the guys with the laptops to activate your chip in your race bib. Also don’t forget to explore the expo as there are so many vendors there selling running attire, shoes, race snacks, etc. There’s also places where they’ll tape you up for free with a minimum purchase of something. It’s just a great place to hang out for other tips to help prepare you for your race.
Here’s some tips to make it a great run:
1) hydrate Hydrate HYDRATE before and after the race. Make sure to help yourself at the water aid stations when needed. I recommend not stopping at every single thirst station. You don’t want to over-​hydrate yourself where you’re going to the bathroom all the time, which will affect your race time.
2) Carb-​load a week before the race; but eat a light meal the night before the race.
3) Make sure you train with the shoes you plan on running in at the race.
4) Wear running clothes that you’re comfortable in and could prevent chaffing (I heard rubbing Vaseline in areas that rub helps with chaffing too).
5) Wear compression socks to help prevent blistering.
6) Stretch before and after the race to prevent cramps. Bananas also help with cramping.
7) Prepare all your running gear the night before the race so you are not rushing in the morning.
8) Get a good night’s sleep the night before the race.
9) Eat a light breakfast the morning of the race.
10) 26.2 miles is a long way. Be sure to pace yourself. And stop to stretch if needed. Oh and if you see Satohap at the Aid stations, make sure to spray down your legs. It feels amazing for muscle cramps :)
The course starts at Ala Moana Shopping Center. There are certain check points in Waikiki that provide complimentary shuttles to the start line. Be sure to check the website for more information. I highly suggest getting dropped off for 2 reasons: 1) the start and finish line are at 2 different locations, so parking might be a challenge. and 2) no one wants to drive back home after completing a full marathon! lol
From Ala Moana, you head into downtown where you loop around and head back towards Ala Moana, continue through Waikiki, head up Diamond Head to make your way to Hawaii Kai. By mile 17 – 18, you make the roundabout on Hawaii Kai Drive and head back to Kapiolani Park to finish. There’s no time limit to complete this race.
Although it sounds like a very far distance, completing a marathon is not just physical, but also a mental strength. If you keep telling yourself you can’t do it, then your actions will mirror your thoughts and you’ll find yourself giving up too soon. There are so many people that sign up for this race and don’t finish. So for those that cross that finish line, regardless of your time, just know you’re the 2% of the population that has ever completed a marathon. That is a HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT! Once you cross that finish line and claim your finisher’s medal, be sure to wear that medal with pride because you did it and didn’t give up!
Once you receive your medal, you must make your way towards the finishers area where you can pick up your finishers shirt at the Shirt-​Pick Up tent and also explore the area to get your free malasadas, banana, bagel and water. There’s also an area where you can take a picture with the official HNL Marathon backdrop and have a picture keepsake printed right away. All free of charge! Be prepared for a long line, but trust me, it’s worth it.
The best way to recover from a marathon is bathing in a warm bubble bath with muscle relaxer soap and a wine in hand… yes, I’m speaking from experience on this too haha :) Happy running my friends!

My first marathon and still my favorite one! It’s beautiful there… everyone was very friendly. Before the race a lot of runners from Japan were standing around waiting to run smoking… craziness! I saw some of them take smoke breaks during the marathon as well. I ran several miles with someone I had never met who had gone to my high school in Ohio. Bizarre. The best part of the race is after… definitely stay for a few days… hang out in the Jacuzzi and drink frozen drinks with umbrellas! No one should go sit on a cramped plan for hours right after they run a full marathon!

I start running this marathon every year since 2010. Why? Because it’s really cheap if you sing up early. After running the marathon, they will email you and let you know when you can sign up for a early entry. Normally from the end of December to the middle of January. These a couple of years, it is only 26.20 to kamaaina. A buck for a mile!
I didn’t like the finisher’s t shirt of 2014 by Under Armour because it was not dry fit. Hope it’s a better quality one this year.
There is no time limit for this marathon, so you can walk from the beginning to the end and just enjoy the atmosphere or try to beat the professional runners.
I recommend to run this marathon at least once in the life time.

Honolulu Marathon is a good beginner marathon since there is no finishing time limit or cut-​off. You can take as long as you want to finish 26.2 miles. In addition, you can beat the start of a marathon with a fireworks show at 5am!
Course: We started past the Ala Moana shopping mall. One of my huge gripes was the self-​pacing start line and there were walkers in the 3 – 4 hour mark. The walkers threw off my finishing time since it was tiring to weave around them for the first 3 – 4 miles.
The course is relatively flat. There is an incline when you are around the Diamond Head area (mile 7 – 8 and 24 or so). The route has some out and back parts and not very scenic. We went through a lot of residential area, so nothing really next to the beach or ocean.
The weather was strange as there were pockets of torrential rainstorms, wind, and heat. All we were missing was the snow!
Race ended at the Honolulu Zoo area. Since we were closer to the Ala Moana shopping mall, we had to walk back for 2 miles after the race.
Communication: Just followed the Honolulu Marathon on Facebook for any updates. This is one of the rare marathons to physically mail you your participant ID number.
Expo: The Expo was the convention center. Just bring your participant ID number and pick up your goodie bag. The expo itself wasn’t anything special. There were plenty of booths catered to the Japanese participants.
Water Station: Plenty along the course. There were water stations every 2 miles or so. In addition, some of the houses and volunteers set up their own stations along the course. I ate some frozen pineapples after mile 20. Yum!
Amenities: Race provided the Under Armour finisher’s t-​shirt and medal, where you get after you finish the race. Women and men specific t-​shirt sizes available. Get the freshly made malasada once you are done! So good! Forget about the banana and bagel.
Price: Register early to take advantage of the $ 55 registration! Follow Honolulu Marathon Facebook page for the details. We registered in January 2014 for the December 2014 race.
Verdict: Fun race where you get to party with 30,000 runners. There are tons of participants in costume. We even saw a couple dancing the marathon! Take your time, and you’ll finish the marathon.

An amazing experience.
Let me tell you a short story… About 18 month ago, I weighed in at 212 lbs, and was fat, slow, and barely active, aside from hiking. I suddenly made the conscious decision to get fit, and increased my exercise regimen as well as improving my eating habits. I started to enter races, but the thought of entering the Honolulu Marathon at the beginning of 2014 seemed too far-​fetched, even for me, so I missed out on the early entry fee. As September rolled around, I made the decision to run the marathon. And thus began my training!
I researched marathons and training tips (always helpful before diving any kind of run of this magnitude). Packet pick-​up at the marathon expo a few days prior was quick and easy, no problems at all. When the day finally came, it turned out to be a cold, windy, and wet day. But I did not let it get to me. All my training led me to my first Honolulu Marathon!
After that starting gun goes off, the fireworks go off, and you slowly approach that starting line (the are staging areas when for people’s estimated finishing time), you realize that you’re in for a 26.2-mile haul. My major gripe in the beginning is that there are people who stage themselves in the three to four-​hour and even two to three-​hour areas and start WALKING. I don’t know, but it gets in the way of those who are making their way to the finish line as soon as possible. It puts themselves and those around them in danger.
After the first few miles, it’s not too bad. It’s a standard race through downtown, and the going through Waikiki. But then you reach the Diamond Head section, and you meet an incline. After that, it’s downhill and you’ll find yourself on a 14ish-​mile round trip to Hawaii Kai and back. That part is all flat for the most part. On that day, the rain and wind kept coming, but again, I pushed through! And by the time you reach Kahala Mall, the crowds thin out to the point where you can go at a comfortable pace and not worry too much about the crowds.
The final four miles are a doozy. It found me looping back around Diamond Head. After traversing 20-​miles, one of the last obstacles I’d wanna face is a hill. But deep down, I knew that the end was near, and I pushed through.
All through the course, there were people lining the streets. Both to provide entertainment and moral support. Many aid stations along the course provided restrooms, water, Gatorade, gel packs, and sponges.
As I reached that final stretch, I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face, knowing that I just ran 26.2 mile nonstop. After crossing the finish line, finishers were given a shirt, medal, and food like bananas and malasadas to munch on, along with water to drink. There’s even a screen (on delay) showing all those that cross the finish line. So stick around for a while after you finish, and you can catch yourself reliving that moment!
In the end, I finished with a time of 4:55:25, just hitting my goal time of under five hours. For me to place 5535 in a field of 21 000 finishers from all 50 states and around the world is pretty darn good for a marathon first-​timer, don’t you think?

It was a dark and stormy night and… wait a minute. It was actually the Honolulu Marathon! I was happy that it was slightly stormy to begin with because I was concerned with the hot sun beating down on me. I burn easy.
This was my first year running the Honolulu Marathon and man I definitely should have trained more! I usually do a half hour of cardio everyday which I bumped up to one hour a day and it wasn’t enough.
My day started out super early with participants meeting at the starting line by 5 am. I decided to walk it since I live about a mile from the start line. I didn’t want to deal with the mess of finding parking and shuttling it over. In hindsight I should have did it because I would find out later that one mile would sure make a difference!
After the start of the race was announced, fireworks started being fired into the sky! I don’t know how they got away with it, but the Honolulu Marathon blasted away fireworks at 5 am on a Sunday morning! Good morning Honolulu!
I spent about five minutes in awe of the large amount of people and the awesome fireworks and then started on my journey. I decided to walk because I wanted to conserve as much energy as possible for the trip ahead.
I thought nothing of my journey until I rounded the corner to get onto King Street. Next stop, Hawaii Kai! The thought of driving to Hawaii Kai daunts me, but walking?! Jeez!
It was awesome running into Victoria M, Malia H, Todd S, Chad Y, Paul C, and Ed L along the way. Victoria, Malia, and Todd kept me company. I lost Victoria somewhere in downtown when we made a pit stop at Murphy’s Bar and Grill.
Once we got onto Kalaniana‘olé Highway it started pouring rain with strong gusts and we got soaked from head to toe. It was torture but we persisted. Lori I was on route with a tent, table, food, and drinks! It was so awesome! We grabbed some food and drink and kept going.
Malia and Todd stepped into the sidelines briefly and I continued on my trek. I felt a bit of pain in my feet but it was nothing that I could not deal with so on I went. By the time I got to Hawaii Kai, I was running on fumes, but that still would not stop me. Onward I went and continued heading back.
On the way back I got texted a picture of some gorgeous food from Lori’s tent. My friends were there and they started grilling! Amazing! I couldn’t wait to get back to the tent.
Once I got back to the tent, I got treated to a sight for sore eyes. Friends that I had not seen for a long time had gathered there including Art T, Susan F, Jayson N, and Roy Y. They sat me in a chair, made me a plate of delicious guava chicken and a marinated burger, and passed me a Powerade and water. I enjoyed this heavenly meal and continued on my way.
I was in a lot of pain, but was still able to walk, so I just managed my pain mentally and continued moving. Coming along the homestretch with less than fives miles to go, I worked my way down Kahala Avenue. I was in intense pain at this point and the excessively loud music that I did not care for from DJs on the side of the road made me feel worse. Even though I did not like it, I forced myself to filter it out and inched closer to the finish.
Kahala Avenue ended and then I was on Diamond Head Road! Up I went and then when I started down that’s when I hit the wall. At Mile 24, debilitating cramps sidelined me. No matter how much I did not care and wanted to keep going, my body would not let me. My legs had stopped working.
I spent several minutes massaging and stretching my legs. I had a banana so I ate while I sat. I tried to get up several times. I could not. I tried to use a lifeline by making a phone call. I had no service. I was stuck.
Finally, after about 15 – 20 minutes I forced myself back up through the pain and hobbled forward. I went about 50 feet and got stuck again. I sat back down, and repeated my stretching and massaging routine. I forced myself up again. I failed. I sat down. This happened several times before I could fight enough through the pain to keep moving. At this point my cell phone died. I was on my own.
Painful, tiny, slow steps were my new pace. I was a snail! I was moving and that’s all I wanted. I eventually made it to Kapiolani Park and the finish line was in sight! About 50 strangers sitting along the sidelines started cheering me on with cars driving by honking and waving at me and pedestrians stopping to cheer me on too. It felt amazing that so many people that I did not know took time to encourage me so much.
Before I knew it, I crossed the finish line! First thing I did was fill a cup with water and down it because I had become so thirsty. I picked up my finisher’s shirt and medal next, walked to the nearest tree, and collapsed by it. I laid there for a good twenty minutes then got up.
With a dead cell phone and less than $ 20 cash in my wallet I decided my best option was to bus it. I limped to a nearby city bus and jumped in. The dark day turned into a bright one.

No no no NO Honolulu marathon!!! Just because you’re one of the cheapest marathon registration fees I will NOT sign up again to wake up at 3am to run your hot and hilly course! If you don’t like running varying elevations, this is not the race for you. Yes, I saw the course map and elevation prior to signing up, but it’s a lot worse than it looks on paper. Honolulu is the only marathon I have not been able to complete in a decent time and that toys with my ego. Yes the fireworks at the start of the race are cool and yes some of the scenery over looking the cliffs on the windward side of the island is awe inspiring. The Christmas lights in front of the Bishop Museum are also a sight to behold while you’re running through downtown Honolulu before sunrise. However, my quadriceps muscles have developed a hate relationship with Diamond Head! No amount of water soaked sponges could have cooled me off from the sun blazing down on me during the majority of the race. (Oh and I guess I should mention that this is the only marathon I’ve heard of that doesn’t have a time limit, so that might motivate newbies to sign up.)
This race is jam packed and you find yourself running on heels the first mile. Other than that I have two major complaints. This is the only marathon I know of that you don’t get your finishers tee shirt at the expo, so you’re definitely earning it. My legs felt like ground beef after passing the finishers line and I was in no mood to wander around Kapiolani park to get my shirt! That’s soooo wrong! Nor was I in any mood to go hunting for the malasadas I was promised. I never did get them, but I really didn’t care at the time. This was the most unorganized marathon finish line I’ve ever encountered. They wouldn’t even let me take a quickie picture under the finishers banner. I didn’t get to experience the after party because my legs were dead, I was covered in salt and all I wanted to do was crawl in bed with a hot dog and chocolate milkshake! Normally I feel pretty good after a marathon and ready to sign up for the next one, but I must admit, Honolulu humbled me! I guess I’m not such a bad ass afterall!

This Marathon was really fun. I ran the 2013 race. We’ll organized. Awesome opening ceremony fireworks.
I enjoyed the route. Plenty of water stops. It’s funny to see all the people in the costumes. By around mile 15 most of the costumes are sweated out and looks of regret on the runner’s face.
There was one awesome guy who ran with a tuba the whole way!
The route is 13.1 miles out 13.1 miles back, a view of the ocean along the way, ending at Kapiolani Park. You pass the Honolulu Zoo, and plenty of supporters.
I have it at 4 stars because there was no food offered along the route. I have run other marathons where pit stops include orange and banana slices as well as gel packs, not the case here.
You should park quite a ways away from the start if you’re a quick finisher. There is no official close out time they wait until the last person crosses the finish line.
Great run, I’m already registered for the 2014 event!

Expo/​Packet Pickup: The expo is pretty tiny and lackluster for a big marathon. From the official merchandise to the majority of the vendors, it is pretty much all geared towards foreign runners specifically from Japan. That’s fine with me since I get to practice my very limited Japanese and they get to practice their English. Adidas for the past 3 years has been the official race merchandise vendor and their products aren’t all that impressive. They were much better when Nike was the official race vendor. One good thing is that the expo is open starting on Wednesday. Don’t forget to bring your bib number that they’ll mail to you a couple of weeks before the race.
Pre-​race: If you’re staying near the zoo/​Kapiolani Park, catch one of the buses to the starting area near the Ala Moana Center. I prefer to stay at a hotel near the start and just walk on over. This is a good marathon to run before running a marathon in Japan. The majority of the participants are from Japan. Even though there are pacing signs directing runners on where to start in the corral, very few runners follow those directions. But not to worry, the streets are pretty wide and you’ll spread out soon enough.
Race: The race starts pretty early so that runners can avoid some of the heat and you’ll be sent off with a bunch of cool fireworks. Keep in mind that you’ll be running a marathon in a tropical paradise where it’ll be hot and humid. If it rains, it’ll be a warm comfortable rain. The sun won’t be out until about 2 hrs into the race. Don’t try and run a PR here unless you’re well trained in warm weather. The course is pretty awesome with its scenery but would count as a pretty challenging course.
Post-​race: It gets pretty crowded in Kapiolani Park after the race, but there are plenty of signs to point you in the right direction. So pick up your malasada, banana, and some water. Take a picture with a hula girl around the small pond. Then head over to the middle of the grassy area to pick up your finisher medal and shirt. I wish more races would be more like Honolulu, where you only get a shirt if you complete the race. The shirts then have a little bit more meaning.
Then on Monday, stop by Kapiolani Park and pick up your finisher certificate, a paper with the official results, and meet the male and female winners! You can also buy some official race merchandise at a deep discount (usually 50% off).
Overall: I love this marathon and would love to run it every year as long as I can afford it. I would give it 5 stars but I’ve run the New York City Marathon and Honolulu is not quite at that level.

GO TIFFANY Y!
As you get older, you wonder if you could do the same things you did when you were younger. So to prove it to myself, I signed up for the Marathon for the «Kamaaina» deal! $ 1 a mile… not bad at all!
The last time I did the Honolulu Marathon was 20 years ago!
My intention was to train hard for it during the summer but work was so busy that I didnt train as much as I wanted to, but I ran/​walked it.
Time was not important this time around, the goal was to finish.
The EXPO was catered to the Japanese runners. I can see why, with 30,000 runners, 52% of them were Japanese and I was glad to hear that 40% were from Hawaii! I did think that paying for the parking at the convention center was a little ridiculous, especially if youre just going to pick up a number (unless im one of those who wasnt paying attention and paid $ 10)
The run started off great! Maybe starting it earlier would give a lot of us more time to run in the dark because once the sun came out, it was sucking the energy out of me. Thats what I get for not training in the sun!
The thing I was impressed with a lot is the volunteers and the supplies! The volunteers were awesome in getting water/​gel packs/​sponges, and even the Satohap sprays out to everyone. ICE NEVER RAN OUT! Every water station to the end had ICE! THat was shocking to me and im THANKFUL for the organizers and volunteers because without all of them, it would have made the run miserable for a lot of people.
For the run itself, it starts off at Ala Moana, run to Chinatown, Turn back towards Ala Moana through Waikiki, up and down Diamond Head, on to Kalanianaole Hwy, turn around near Roys Waikiki, Go back to Diamond Head and finish up at Kapiolani park… simple as that!
I had a great time, I still have a little soreness 2 days after the run, but its manageable. Next year, I will return. Im stamping my goal on this Unilocal review, I WILL shave at least 1 hour off of my time!

Unilocal 365 Challenge x 2 #251/​365
Pre-​Marathon:
Back in January, there was a good deal going on that I couldn’t pass up. I figured that I had a whole year to train especially because I was supposed to have run the inaugural Nike Women’s Half Marathon in DC, which didn’t pan out because I ignorantly thought a person with a bunion can’t run-​so I pulled out from that race.
After my doctor and podiatrist assured me that I can take precautionary measures, I did the Spartan Race and realized that I can run.
As I started signing up for a lot of runs, I remembered I signed up for the Honolulu Marathon. I figured I could use the other races and my training to get ready for this event too.
The Experience:
The Honolulu Expo made it real for me after picking up my packet.
I also made sure I bought all the essentials for a marathon from lightweight, dry-​wick clothes to making sure I was properly fueled with carb gels/​chews and electrolyte mixes.
What I learned was that nothing goes according as planned (maybe for seasoned marathoners their plans work) because I changed my whole game plan that morning.
See, after researching everything and anything to prepare the best that I could since 26.2 miles is a big distance for me that I have never conquered, I thought I could calculate what I run according to the shorter distance runs that I do… wrong.
The night before, I had everything prepared from my clothes, shoes, Bib, safety pins, bagel, etc. However, after Dan dropped us off near McKinley High School and my dad and I walked to Ala Moana Boulevard, I looked in my bag and noticed I forgot the safety pins for my bib, my bagel (and all I had were two multi-​grain rolls besides the gel chews and sports beans), and my Ibuprofen. Thank goodness for the businesses that were catering to the Japanese internationals because they had a booth with a box of safety pins!
Lining up at the Start Line:
Initially, I figured since I am a slow runner who walks in between and my pace improved from 21 minutes to 14 minutes… that I could do that and average a finishing time in about 5 ½ to 6 hours.
It didn’t happen-​I became intimidated as everyone crowded in revving to go. I looked at my dad who was a seasoned marathoner and I told him that he can run ahead because he suggested running for 30 minutes… THIRTY MINUTES. I told my dad, «Uh…I’m more of the 10 – 15 minutes? How about this, you run ahead and we’ll see each other at the finish line plus we can text each other just to make sure we are okay.»
And when the fireworks went off, I ran the first mile and during this time-​everything I planned I threw out the window. As I shared, I became intimidated because everyone was just running like it was a 10k. I was afraid I was going to gas out early and I wanted to make sure that I finished the marathon. So, I created a new plan of running the first mile… walk the rest and run/​walk at the 20 mile marker… after all, the longest I’ve been running recently is 6 miles. That didn’t happen either.
Things I learned along the route:
–The volunteers at the hydration station and first aid station were amazing
–The residents, family members, friends and the community of Hawaii cheering on the sidelines were inspiring especially the lady who held up the sign «At least you’re running better than Congress»
–Body glide will fade and you need vaseline to lather up your feet to prevent blistering
–Bring extra TP because the portapotties ran out of TP and thank goodness for Chevron Kahala
–Hydrate with sipping water and/​or gatorate/​electrolytes instead of gulping it down
–Refuel consistently… I ate 2 or 3 beans every quarter mile and drank it with water
–It’s okay to rest a bit but NOT for long
–I learned the definition of «hitting the wall» as I reached the 20 mile marker
–It’s physically and mentally challenging… the struggle is real (I ran the last mile)
–The epic score, «No Sacrifice, No Victory» from Transformers is the best thing to listen to as you are running towards the finish line. Yeah… I was pretty dramatic since I was almost losing my mind because I wanted to give up yet determined to finish till the end and after seeing my family cheering/​waving-​I started crying because hey-it’s my first marathon
–You are greeted with a lei not remembering that you were supposed to smile as you cross the finish line, so my picture will be ugly…*vanity*
–There’s malasadas at the end but I was too tired and in pain and just wanted to go home to shower and sleep
–The finisher’s shirt and medal is beautiful
Overall, from the Expo to the Marathon-​everything was organized. Congratulations to all the runners/​walkers who participated as well as finished this marathon!
Oh, last thing… I signed up for the 2014 Hapalua Half-Marathon…I figured if I hit the wall, I can tell myself that if I finished 26.2 miles, I can finish a half… *insane*

Honolulu is the first of many marathons for me. I have a goal of running a marathon in every state. We all have to start somewhere — So I started with a marathon on my home turf. I signed up for Honolulu unfortunately after the awesome Kama’aina $ 1.00 per mile deal. Which, I won’t miss for the following years for myself and my husband. Way cheaper.
Let me start out by saying that if you plan on running the marathon — Not doing the walk portion — please train! This may seem obvious, but I just think training is so important and doing it properly can ensure success for a long time coming. So train! Secondly — participate in the marathon readiness races leading up to the marathon to help you train. I personally find I am easily motivated by a race and constantly having one to do keeps me really going. Plus it is always more fun to race then to just go out and do your own training runs. I think so anyways!
Let’s start with the expo. The expo is actually why I can not give this marathon 5 stars. For such a large marathon — I would imagine the expo to be bigger. Also I understand that a lot of Japanese run this marathon — but that doesn’t mean the whole expo has to be Japanese focused. (I am exaggerating a bit, I get that). I just found myself disappointed in the expo. However — that being said picking up your bib was very well organized and that is a plus in my book.
On the day of the race — parking is terrible for those driving in. Lucky for me my husband dropped me off near the start and he went on the hunt for parking. The shuttle the Honolulu marathon puts on though is brilliant.
As the start time neared the excitement was clearly in the air! One of the best things about this marathon was the fireworks at the beginning. It is so awesome to have that be your beginning to the incredible journey any marathon brings — and each one I’m certain brings it’s own unique journey. It was also quite nifty to be running with fireworks going off in the background.
The course is mostly flat with the exception of Diamond Head. Twice. First go around not so bad. Second go around — cruel and unusual punishment so close to the end of the 26.2 mile journey!
Biggest shout out and the best thing about this marathon (Any, really) is the volunteers! Everyone was well organized and aid stations were constantly working well so that they always had Gatorade and water for all the participants. They were cheering everyone on, high fiving and saying encouraging words. Without the volunteers — none of this is possible. I tried to thank as many of them as I could throughout the race. Remember to thank the volunteers and show them respect!
I thought the little things they did during the course made a big difference. Of course like mentioned, aid stations with water and Gatorade were well organized and marked and always ready for the next runner to come in. The gel packs at certain aid stations is a great addition. Although I didn’t personally use them as I carried with me what I needed — I know numerous people did and appreciated it! The biggest little thing that made a big difference: Sponges! I had never been so relieved to see a sponge in my life — and multiple times throughout the race — I was in heaven! These ice cold sponges were amazing to rub all over your arms, legs, face, squeeze on top of your head, stick down your shirt, whatever — just to keep you cool. It was certainly a hot and humid day for the race yesterday! The occasional misting was also awesome, but not as heavenly as those sponges!
After finishing I did find getting to the finishers tent to pick up my shirt and medal a bit confusing — but that could simply have been the fact that I was also searching for my husband and not paying attention to the signs. Though, even when we met up the signs didn’t do a lot of good. Malasadas at the end of the marathon — perfect! I’ve never had a malasada taste so good!
All in all — this is a good marathon. My first of many and I loved every minute of it (except the last 7 or so miles, those were mind over matter moments)! A marathon is not just endurance it involves having incredible strength to push through those tough times and miles. I will always be a long distance runner. I’m sure I’ll have numerous more Honolulu marathons under my belt before we know it.
My finish time… 5:47:06

Last year when I had the stomach flu, I dragged myself out of bed at 330am to shower and head over to Ala Moana Beach Park. I still had the runs so I carried tissues with me. Although I required numerous bathroom breaks I dug deep and was able to complete my very first marathon in 7h 46m 46s. I didn’t train except for completing the Great Aloha Run and hiking often. I was disappointed with myself as I wanted to break 7 hrs. I wanted REDEMPTION this year really, really bad…
So when the «early-​bird special» for Kama’aina registration took place, I signed up and wanted a second stab at it. I mean, who can turn down an entry fee for only $ 26.20???
I’ll admit that I HATE long-​distance running as I am lazy. I am easily bored and don’t care to listen to music while exercising. But I do like to push myself as I’ll take on challenges.
After you register for the Honolulu Marathon, you receive confirmation via email immediately. Then in late-​November you receive a letter informing you of the packet pick-​up as well as the various marathon related events.
The Honolulu Marathon Expo held at the Hawaii Convention Center in my opinion, is well organized. Upon entry the red carpet leads you to the pick-​up station where you present your letter and you receive your BIB. You are then led to the computer system to register the microchip on your BIB and asked to confirm your information. Because the Honolulu Marathon attracts more than 20,000 runners and their families from Japan, this Expo pretty much caters to the Japanese tourists.
You then get to walk around and check the various vendors for you to gain information and spend your money! All sorts of booths looking to get your attention but I pretty much only go to ones that sold energy gummy candies.
They also have complimentary bus shuttle service from Honolulu Zoo parking lot from 2am to 4am to the start area. What a plus for those who don’t live in town!
After taking part in the Honolulu Marathon the last 2 years, here is my advice:
1) get a good night’s sleep before the marathon
2) load up on «good» carbs about a week before the marathon
3) keep your body healthy (illness and injury)
4) keep well-​hydrated before and during the marathon
5) eat bananas to prevent cramping
6) get yourself WRIGHT socks, which are made for long-​distance running to prevent blistering
7) although this may NOT be for everyone, try running with a friend or set a target during the course**
**I am very fortunate for fellow Elite Unilocaler Arthur S. who reached out to me the night before asking who I was running with. When I advised him no one, he offered me to join him and his GF Hiroko S. and some other Elite Unilocalsters (Jayson N. and Arthur T.). Because I didn’t train at all, I didn’t want to hold them up so it was okay for them to pass me but I did my best to keep up with them.
I noticed the «Big Bird Tuba» man, a Japanese runner who carried a tuba decorated like Big Bird and would play the instrument during the course. For a small man carrying a big tuba, he moved FAST so I was encouraged to keep up with him.
8) pace yourself during the course — — I highly encourage you to NOT start fast where you run out of gas at the end. Whenever I had a hill /​incline (i.e. Diamond Head) I would brisk walk and as soon as it leveled out I would start jogging again.
When the sun came out the course was HOT HOT HOT. I didn’t put on any sunscreen lotion and the sun sure got to me. I made sure to hydrate myself with Gatorade and water at the water station and cooled myself off with cold sponges.
They did have some energy gels to pass out but for some reason the first station was given a small supply and they ran out!!!
During the course you will come across some generous locals who will offer you fresh fruit, candies, pretzels, water, musubis and high-​fives!!! How awesome is that???
This year when I crossed the finish line, I realized I had broken 7 hrs. I had signed-​up for Sportstats Race Alerts on Facebook and when I saw my official results, I realized I chopped my time by exactly 1 hr and 12 mins from last year. My time this year was 6h 34m 46s.
Immediately after the marathon, I got my free food, t-​shirt, medal and headed home. Took a shower and immediately took a nap as I was exhausted. When I took off my socks I had NO blisters, compared to last year where I had multiple blisters (including blood blisters) as I wore generic cotton socks.
I woke up from my 3 hour nap with sore legs but could walk around with some «burning sensation». I went for a short walk in my neighborhood and the more I moved around that burning feeling was minimized.
This morning I woke up with the same burning feeling in my legs but I hiked Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail and in the afternoon I hiked Diamond Head State Monument. Legs held up well.
If you set your mind to a goal and believe in yourself, it can be achieved.
I am living proof.

I participated in this event for the first time at the 2012 Honolulu Marathon. I signed up in the beginning of the year when it was only about $ 26.20 the same amount of how the marathon is like in miles (26.2 miles). I figured why not, it’s an unbeatable deal. I went into this event without any kind of training and not knowing anything what to really expect. I kinda wanted to test my body for this new challenge that I brought upon myself. The day of the event, they give out bus rides from the Honolulu Zoo on Kapahulu Ave. down to the starting line at Ala Moana Beach Park from about 2 to 4 A.M. I prayed during the bus ride that I would be safe and everyone at the marathon will be safe also for this intense race. From there all of the runners and walkers and everybody in between start preparations. There’s entertainment and other things going on prior to the start of the marathon. When the marathon starts, fireworks go off which was pretty cool to see. It kinda gives you a boost of adrenaline when you start the race.
As far as my experience goes, I am not a runner or anything but I felt somewhat confident about my how my body can last in the marathon going at it for hours upon hours of flatward, upward, and downward mobility. I started the race very aggressively by running the first 10 – 15 miles until I totally KO’ed my legs. I couldn’t run anymore as all of my muscles in my legs gave out which forced me to walk the rest of the way. I knew that it was going to be a bad strategy and I paid for it. My mind was strong but my body wasn’t anymore. Nonetheless, life is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical and that’s what got me through the race at 09:23:40, after running, jogging, walking, limping, stretching, taking pictures, facebooking, instagraming, hydrating, taking some ones, taking a deuce, lubing, talking story, etc.
As a participant, the marathon is an amazing experience. The race starts from Ala Moana Beach park going down to downtown wrapping around there going down Piikoi traveling through Ala Moana Beach Park again then up to Kalakaua Ave. through Kapiolani Park then up to Diamond Head side through Kaimuki then up Kahala through Kalanianaole Hwy. wrapping around Hawaii Kai side then going back then the Kalanianaole again down to Waialae Ave. then to down Diamond head until you reach the finish line finally at Kapiolani Park. There are about 30,000 plus runners in the marathon which is pretty much the most amount of people that I have ever been around with ever. People dress up for marathons too! As superheros, mascots, etc. Maybe about a little bit of more than half of the people are Japanese tourists from Japan so you can imagine how much of an economic booster that the marathon gives to the state of Hawaii. The event is heavily sponsored by Japan Airlines. Throughout the course, there are first aid stations, water stations, Gatorade stations, energy gel stations, ice stations, and other things that you need to refuel yourself for the race. The stations can get really grueling as every station is heavily facilitated by volunteers. For every so and so kilometers and miles, there are timers posted up so you know how long you are taking. There are also people along the course that cheer you on throughout the course which is very motivating. Going up Kahala and Hawaii Kai side is awesome because there are people out there giving out cereal and pretzels and other refueling snacks. People even have their own entertainment going on in the residential areas for motivation. Even if you are one of the last ones still hauling it out, there are people there to cheer you on. When you are arrive at the finish line, they lei you and you get to pick up your finishers shirt. They also have other things going on like massages and free food (bananas, bagels, malasadas, etc.). I didn’t like it how you still have to walk quite a while to still get to the food and your finishers t-​shirt. They should just put that area closer to the Finish line!
The week and weekend prior to the marathon, they have the Honolulu Marathon expo at the Hawaii Convention Center. That is where you pick up all of your marathon stuff and where you can get more information about the marathon. There are businesses and vendors that are also there for all your marathon needs like sports packs, hydration packs, pain relievers, running shoes, athletic apparel, etc. It may seem that this is especially geared for the Japanese tourists but there is some really good things at the expo that can save you during the marathon!
Overall, I think the Honolulu Marathon is truly unique to Hawaii that brings together peoples of all kinds together for a great athletic event. I feel that it is well organized and major props to the volunteers for giving their time for support. I learned a lot from my experience and it has only added more motivational fuel to the fire. I think I will do it again and start some training.

Having that I have done the Honolulu Marathon 5 times already, I figured I would file a review since the marathon has transformed myself from a runner sitting on the sidelines to a Marathon Maniac and a 50 State Marathon Club member, who’s trying to do all 50 from Hawaii. With that said, Honolulu Marathon 2007 was my inaugural marathon into the big leagues. I did the Maui half marathon 2007 and came in at 3:01:17. Figured how hard could 26.2 miles be? Huge lesson learned. since I did not run regularly in between Maui and race morning, didn’t carb load, and just didn’t really do much of anything and it showed on race morning. I came in at a dismal 8:49:48, after sitting down a few times along Kahala Avenue.
The marathon is such a self discovery that you would need to WANT to do it within your lifetime, just to prove to yourself that you can do it. The training can be arduious, but the self satisfaction comes during race morning when you’re half asleep getting dressed to run 26.2 miles is a blessed feeling. First timers may not feel like that’s the case, but being that I am one of those who seek out marathons across the continental US and hopefully the world (one of these days), I can attest to one and all, that it is worth all that pain and discomfort.
For the Honolulu Marathon, its my hometown race and the fact of doing the distance with 20,000+ others at a 5am start is something to behold. I believe that the Honolulu Marathon has the earliest race start of any known marathon. Possibly due to the weather conditions, although it tends to be more chill than warm. Then again, it is Hawaii anyway. The only problem that Honolulu Marathon has is Diamond Head. My current goal is to run a sub 7 hour race in Honolulu. I can do it on the US Mainland countless times, but Honolulu remains elusive for me.
My best Honolulu would be a 7:10:18, and my personal worst came at 2011, when I twisted my ankle at mile 3, but managed to slug out 23 miles to finish in 9:27:35. I signed up for 2012, just to get revenge on that course and hope to just finish better than I did in 2011. The 2011 experience made me realize that I can do anything when I put my mind to it.
A+++++