13 of us participated in this event in celebration of our friend's 50 state marathon. As stated by others, the most scenic part of the course is the first half … MORE
13 of us participated in this event in celebration of our friend’s 50 state marathon. As stated by others, the most scenic part of the course is the first half (out and back), with a very underwhelming out and back in the opposite direction. (The half ran a bit of this as well, and it was dreadful). With scenery comes elevation, nearly 1,000 ft, in that first half. But the most crippling aspect of this race is the humidity. It is no joke!
For me the biggest “complaint” would be the start, as in there was no starting line, no chip mat, no national anthem. Everyone gathered in the parking garage and simply ran out. I wasn’t a fan of the finish line either, as it was in the grass behind the hotel, which, although scenic, required a curb hop and a precarious run through some exposed tree roots and rock on tired and unsteady legs. I’m wondering if they are not permitted to have the lines on one of the nearby roads? Other than that though, the finish line was very well ran and the post race set up for food and fluids was convenient.
With such a small race I wasn’t expecting more than a packet pick up, so I was pleasantly surprised by the expo and the race apparel offered. Sadly, my race shirt size was way off and there was no smaller size available, but I did buy a cute shirt from Big Island Running Company (Run Big!).
If you’re running the half and you sweat a ton be sure to carry a bottle, as the first stop was close to 4 miles for the half.
We did the pre-race pasta and local luau, and found it very touching.
Our group had a blast in Hilo, so I am so glad my friend chose this race for Hawaii.
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Brutal but beautiful and memorable race
13 of us participated in this event in celebration of our friend's 50 state marathon. As stated by others, the most scenic part of the course is the first half … MORE
13 of us participated in this event in celebration of our friend’s 50 state marathon. As stated by others, the most scenic part of the course is the first half (out and back), with a very underwhelming out and back in the opposite direction. (The half ran a bit of this as well, and it was dreadful). With scenery comes elevation, nearly 1,000 ft, in that first half. But the most crippling aspect of this race is the humidity. It is no joke!
For me the biggest “complaint” would be the start, as in there was no starting line, no chip mat, no national anthem. Everyone gathered in the parking garage and simply ran out. I wasn’t a fan of the finish line either, as it was in the grass behind the hotel, which, although scenic, required a curb hop and a precarious run through some exposed tree roots and rock on tired and unsteady legs. I’m wondering if they are not permitted to have the lines on one of the nearby roads? Other than that though, the finish line was very well ran and the post race set up for food and fluids was convenient.
With such a small race I wasn’t expecting more than a packet pick up, so I was pleasantly surprised by the expo and the race apparel offered. Sadly, my race shirt size was way off and there was no smaller size available, but I did buy a cute shirt from Big Island Running Company (Run Big!).
If you’re running the half and you sweat a ton be sure to carry a bottle, as the first stop was close to 4 miles for the half.
We did the pre-race pasta and local luau, and found it very touching.
Our group had a blast in Hilo, so I am so glad my friend chose this race for Hawaii.
Close to the Hilo airport
Hilo is not a resort area, so if you are coming here with the idea of relaxing spending time before or after the race, perhaps Kona is a better choice … MORE
Hilo is not a resort area, so if you are coming here with the idea of relaxing spending time before or after the race, perhaps Kona is a better choice for that. The host hotel was about a mile from the race start/finish. We saw a fair amount of homeless people in town.
I was prepared for the hills and honestly it wasn’t that bad. First 3 or so miles was a gradual incline along a 2 lane busy road. Not so scenic. But then you turn off into residential area and this had some beautiful views. It was an out and back, so the down hill part was heavenly! 197 runners in the half. So not a big event. Small hometown feel. Swag was a big disappointing. They ran out of my size for the t-shirt and the design not so great. They had a nice little expo. Only water was offered post race. They claim of hundreds of volunteers along the course is simply false. I think this is a good race if you are going for a half in every state. Easy in and easy out.
Old Hawaii beautiful run!
I ran this race just prior to the world shutting down. I was supposed to run the Barcelona Marathon, but it got cancelled so I flew the other direction to … MORE
I ran this race just prior to the world shutting down. I was supposed to run the Barcelona Marathon, but it got cancelled so I flew the other direction to Hawaii, where the “Pandemic” had not happened yet. It was a great race that was beautiful. The run was through historic Hilo, on oceanfront roads and through canopies. It reminded me of the Big Sur Marathon, which I have since run!
Good 50th State run
Overall Rating: Middle of the road. It was a good balance of all the marathons I’ve run up to this point. Course Difficulty: It was pretty tough. Other reviews that … MORE
Overall Rating: Middle of the road. It was a good balance of all the marathons I’ve run up to this point.
Course Difficulty: It was pretty tough. Other reviews that I read said there were some challenging hills…I would say this is in the top five most challenging runs that I’ve done as far as hills go. Plan on going up or down, sometimes steep for the first 16 miles, and then slight grades for the last 10. The first 12 miles are pretty shaded, but be ready for full sun and warm temps for the end of the race. This race is also run on open roads, some with narrow shoulders, and can be a little dangerous. I almost got hit by a tractor trailer, and ran into another runner trying to get out of this guys way; he was going way too fast, but still, something to keep in mind.
Course Scenery: Amazing for the first 20 miles, not so much after that. You will get an excellent representation of the big island on this run. Waterfalls, surfers, rainforest, lava beaches, sea spray, etc.
Race Production: It was ok. After doing ultras for a while, I have forgotten the difference between ultra aid stations and marathon aid stations. There were three places that had hammer gels, and water/Gatorade every two miles. Volunteers were excellent, the race started on time, and timing mats worked throughout the course. Packet pickup was fine and pretty smooth. I really don’t have any complaints, but I also don’t have that “overwhelmed by how good it was” feeling either, so like I said at the beginning, it was ok.
Race Swag: Good medal, nice short sleeve tech shirt.
My Performance: Awesome…uh…I mean, average. I just don’t have enough self control to go to Hawaii and not hike six miles in to see the green sand beach, or hike down to the black sand on the north coast, so I was tired at the start. Add to that the three 100k’s I’ve done this year, and my severe underestimation of the hills and heat, and I’m ok with average. I don’t think we need to spend too much time on that though, I mean c’mon, I’m in Hawaii running my 50th state marathon; the whole thing was a celebration!
Final notes: This Marathon was the perfect end to my KR 50/50 Challenge! It was a good representation of all the runs that I completed to get to this point, and it made me earn the medal. I’m happy with the choice, and getting this state crossed off of the list.
If you’re looking to run this course, bring a few of you’re own gels, some salt, and a little sunscreen; you’ll be good to go!
Beautiful somewhat challenging course.
Awesome event. Well organized. A must do!! Race director is a true professional who makes every effort to make everyone’s experience memorable. It’s Hawaii at its very best. MORE
Awesome event. Well organized. A must do!! Race director is a true professional who makes every effort to make everyone’s experience memorable. It’s Hawaii at its very best.
It's a race
The old course. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX MORE
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