Kauai Marathon & Half Marathon
Koloa, HI
- Marathon, Half Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Kauai’s tropical paradise is the backdrop for this world-class event. The Kauai Marathon and Half Marathon participants pass hula dancers and Taiko drum troupes along the course while viewing striking mountain and ocean views. Each runner concludes his or her journey along one of the most beautiful oceanfront finishes in … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Sep 06):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 84 | 85 | 86 | 85 | 86 |
| L (°F) | 75 | 77 | 72 | 78 | 74 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Most unique and memorable races.
This is not a flat, fast marathon. With a total elevation gain of about 635 meters, the course demands patience and strength. Long climbs and rolling hills are constant companions, … MORE
This is not a flat, fast marathon. With a total elevation gain of about 635 meters, the course demands patience and strength. Long climbs and rolling hills are constant companions, and they add a layer of difficulty that requires smart pacing from the very beginning. Combine that with temperatures ranging from 24–30°C and humidity around 80%, and you have a race that tests both physical endurance and mental resilience. The heat and humidity are no joke — hydration and fueling strategies make a huge difference here.
One thing that helped was the weather on race day: although it was sunny, the direct sun exposure only lasted about an hour. Much of the time after sunrise, clouds rolled in and gave much-needed relief, which made the challenging conditions at least somewhat manageable.
Early in the course, running through the famous Tree Tunnel is breathtaking — the canopy of greenery creates a natural gateway that feels almost ceremonial for the runners.
The race organization is solid. From volunteers at aid stations to the locals cheering on the sidelines, you feel welcomed and encouraged the whole way. That warmth makes a tough course feel more rewarding.
This race is a blast
This is my second time traveling to this race, and I'm sure it won't be the last. The race is tough, but the organization is great, and the people are … MORE
This is my second time traveling to this race, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The race is tough, but the organization is great, and the people are wonderful (volunteers and fellow runners). The ice packs at the finish are life-giving, and I love any race that gives me a cold Diet Coke. Also the only race I have been to that gives food at the start, too. Medal is great, and the shirt looks nice, though I wish they would do men’s and women’s fit instead of the boxy unisex size. I also found it bizarre that in a race of almost 2000 people, there were walkers lined up at the front — might be worth an overhead announcement that this isn’t cool. But these are my only minor complaints. What a gorgeous location.
Welcome to Paradise
I was initially going to do the Maui Oceanfront Half for Hawaii but after the devastating fires I decided to cancel that trip. I chose to do this race instead … MORE
I was initially going to do the Maui Oceanfront Half for Hawaii but after the devastating fires I decided to cancel that trip. I chose to do this race instead for a few reasons. The main one was that it took place on a Holiday weekend and I needed to minimize vacation day use to save them for Antarctica in March and the other reason was quite a few of my running friends were finishing their 50th state here. I also ideally wanted to go to a different island than O’ahu for Hawaii as I had already been to O’ahu and Honolulu on vacation. Kauai is a beautiful island but is much less urban than O’ahu which has it’s positives and negatives. The biggest negative being it’s more expensive and logistics can be trickier with less flights and hotel options but the positives are that Kauai has some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen and it feels more authentic. For the race I just took off Friday and had Monday off so it was a pretty quick trip. There was good pre-race communication with a simple but easy to read race guide and the right amount of pre-race emails. I took the earliest flight from Boston to Lihue Friday and arrived mid-afternoon. The host hotel for the race is the Grand Hyatt Kauai. It’s a fancy resort and a bit more expensive than I usually pay for a race hotel but with the race discount it is cheap for a Hawaiian resort and was much cheaper than the lodging I initially booked for Maui. It was somewhere around $350 per night. Since I was staying only a couple nights I decided to treat myself and pay it. It is very convenient staying there as the expo is there and there are shuttles to the race there. Kauai is a difficult island to explore without a car as there are limited ubers and lyfts but there is enough to do around the resort and the surrounding areas to get away without renting a car if you don’t drive or don’t want to. I did rent one since I wanted to explore. After I arrived I checked in and then went to the expo. The expo is open both Friday and Saturday. It’s a small to mid sized expo about what you would expect for a race this size with a couple thousand runners. Swag included bib, tote bag and shirt. The shirt is a nice material but it’s neon green and not my favorite design. Saturday I explored the island (walked to Poipu beach to see sea turtles and seals, visited Waimea Canyon and took a raft tour of the Na Pali coast) and then Sunday was race day. The race starts early at 6am which is necessary as it is hot and humid. The race starts about 1.5 miles from the hotel and there were shuttles. One thing I loved is there were a ton of signs directing where to go to the shuttles as it is a big resort. The shuttle was efficient and I got there about an hour early. The start area was nice with plenty of porta potties and some light pre-race snacks but my stomach was a little off as I ate too much fresh fruit and drank too much fresh fruit juice on my trip and the options were fruit, fig bars and yogurt and I would not be able to stomach any of them. The start had announcements, some traditional Hawaiian prayers and the anthem. One thing I wish is that the corral was better organized. It didn’t really have any signs of where to line up by pace. I assumed I would be near the end given the time limit but there were a couple hundred participants behind me so there was a lot of passing the first mile. However one thing really nice about this race is it is on all closed or partially closed roads so there was plenty of space to spread out. I’ve also heard many of the other Hawaiian races are on open roads. The only downside is this race has a tighter time limit than some other Hawaiian races. It’s not a very tight time limit but you have to get to mile 6.7 in1:55 which is around a 16 minute/mile pace. This sounds easy enough for me except the first 7 miles are uphill. . After that though it is all downhill and you have as much time as needed to finish. If you don’t make it to mile 6.7 in the time limit they shuttle you to further along the course and you get a medal but no official time. Since Hawaii is not easy to get to, I could not risk a DNF and I pushed myself as hard as I could those 6.7 miles. Luckily they are beautiful. This is one of the most scenic half marathons I have done. I still have Grand Teton as #1 for scenery but this could be #2 and is definitely top 5. There are gorgeous tropical views and views of mountains. It is so beautiful the miles fly by. Most of the uphill is gradual and I was able to do run-walk intervals for most of it. There is a really steep section about halfway through mile 5 that I could only walk so make sure you bank time for that if you are worried about the time limit. Around mile 6 you go through about a mile of the tree tunnel which is really cool as you are surrounded by beautiful tropical trees and then you reach the time limit. I was very relieved I made it in about 1:45 so had plenty of time to spare. Of course that really wore me out and I mentioned I had stomach trouble and waited until after the time cutoff point to use the porta potty so the next half of the race was not pretty performance wise as I walked a lot and took several bathroom breaks but it didn’t matter I was going to get Hawaii done. And it was definitely still pretty scenery wise. This part is mostly downhill and if you didn’t waste all your energy on the uphill it could be fast. If you are a faster runner I would take the uphill easy and if this race didn’t have a time limit I would have taken it easier. Some of the next few miles are through a small town so there are a lot of spectators who were giving out fruit and spraying with hoses and sprinklers. The last couple miles while scenic enough were a bit frustrating as they had no shade and were super, super hot and humid. Race production overall I thought was very good but there were a few minor things that could be better. The course was very easy to follow and very safe with closed roads. There were accurate mile markers. The one thing I thought could be improved is more aid stations. They were every 2 miles which is not enough for how hot it was. I brought water but I wish I also packed something with electrolytes as even though one aid station in the middle had GU and all had gatorade I had cramping at the end of the race indicating I needed more electrolytes. There also weren’t quite enough porta potties. While there weren’t huge lines they were pretty full by the time I got to them and very gross. A couple extra aid stations and porta potties and a more organized start corral and I’d have no production complaints. My finishing time was okay. I was on pace to finish at 3:15 at the halfway mark but fell a part a bit for reasons stated above. I still finished under 3:30. The finish line is nice with an announcer and a finish arch. You get your medal which is nice though not spectacular. There is a good post race party. I liked that they had ice coffee with lots of non-dairy milk options as I could not handle dairy that day. They also had a pretty good selection of post race food but I couldn’t eat too much and just grabbed a bar to eat. There was a shuttle back to the hotel. The shuttle was pretty efficient. There was about a 15 minute wait. It wasn’t too bad and I had plenty of time to get back, shower and pack before 11am check out. I had a great time with this race and thought the scenery was so beautiful and Kauai was such a lovely place that I started to think I could make this a part of my regular rotation and go whenever I had a few spare vacation days but that all changed on my journey back to Boston. My initial flight was at 9pm on Sunday from Lihue and arrived in Boston at 5PM on Monday. We boarded the flight on time but waited in our seats 2 hours due to mechanical issues and in the end we needed a part shipped from O’ahu which couldn’t arrive until the next day so we unboarded and unfortunately the flight got moved back too late for me to get to work on Tuesday. Me and a few other runner friends on my flight ended up booking a different flight to Southwest Monday at 7am and had to spend the night in the Lihue airport on a bench and I eventually made it back to Boston bright and early on Tuesday and basically had to head straight to work. The whole trip took about 33 hours starting at the time I arrived at the Lihue airport. This is not really related to the race but remember Kauai is a small island that doesn’t have a ton of supplies on the island so if you can, try to take an extra back up day off for travel. I also decided after that mess I won’t be going to Hawaii anytime soon as there are plenty of beachy races in the Caribbean to do instead. I would still definitely recommend this race and if it wasn’t a 13 hour trip (or 33 hour trip if your flight gets delayed and you need to reschedule it) I would definitely do it again. I am also happy to have 49 states done and am all set to finish in Oregon at the Eugene Half in the Spring!
Hilly but not terrible
When I went to pick up my bib, I got asked “you’re running the full?? Do you know what you’re getting yourself into??” Which it made this race sound worse … MORE
When I went to pick up my bib, I got asked “you’re running the full?? Do you know what you’re getting yourself into??” Which it made this race sound worse than it really was. Yes it had hills, but I’ve ran other hilly races in the past so this has been my best race to date. I PR’ed on a difficult course. So I’m extremely happy about that.
Weather was excellent, clouds in the beginning, nice cool breeze. It started getting hot in the last mile. Clear skies and the sun began beating you down.
The locals and volunteers were amazing!!! Plenty of water stops, many locals had fresh oranges and watermelons do help cool off. Others had hoses and sprayed runners (it felt amazing!!). The community really comes out to cheer everyone on and that felt really good. Not many “small” races have that level of encouragement on course.
Really liked the medal for their 15th year. Race shirt was ok, design could’ve been better BUT the fabric had a cooling effect so it felt great running in it. Lots of things for sale, not much free goodies for runners, and that’s ok too.
I’m glad I did this race. Kauai is such a special and lovely island to visit! If you’re thinking about it, do it! It’s worth it.
Hills, humidity. Dehydrated at mile 20.
It was unbearably hot, humid and so many steep hills made it too tough to finish. I got to mile 20and fainted after getting water. The medical crewswere on it. … MORE
It was unbearably hot, humid and so many steep hills made it too tough to finish. I got to mile 20and fainted after getting water. The medical crewswere on it. Pump IVs in me and got my blood pressure back up.
I would strongly advise to train like crazy. i apparently did not. This was my 9th marathon.
Tough incline and humidity, but worth it
Great destination race. Got a major discount for the awesome Grand Hyatt resort through the race website, and this was a good home base for the weekend. The expo and … MORE
Great destination race. Got a major discount for the awesome Grand Hyatt resort through the race website, and this was a good home base for the weekend. The expo and shuttles meet there, and there was a scheduled shakeout run from there on Saturday — this was a pleasant surprise, and I met a lot of nice people from all over. The expo was really good, with a lot of points of interest that made me want to browse for a while. I was surprised to see a pro runner and a social media influencer meeting-and-greeting as part of the festivities. Medal was nice, T-shirt was just okay. The race was well organized, with a clearly marked (and safe) course and great volunteers. No pacers, though. They had an awards ceremony with nice mementos for all of the age group winners. Just be prepared for heat, humidity, and hills, and adjust your goals appropriately. Most of the elevation is a gradual incline, but there is a steep grade at 5.6 miles. After 7.6 miles, you’re (mostly) downhill and can fly. Top notch event!
Beautiful race
Very nice race in the garden island. I enjoyed running through the tree tunnel and lots of crowd support. I could have used more water stations but they were every … MORE
Very nice race in the garden island. I enjoyed running through the tree tunnel and lots of crowd support. I could have used more water stations but they were every 2 miles and well stocked. It was hot and humid. Pretty hilly course but so beautiful here. Everyone is so nice. Very enjoyable trip.
Tropical Paradise!
Such a beautiful course with wonderful Hawaiian culture along the way! It’s not a difficult course but it does have a slow build to like 7. Make it there and … MORE
Such a beautiful course with wonderful Hawaiian culture along the way! It’s not a difficult course but it does have a slow build to like 7. Make it there and it’s easy sailing to the finish line! Everyone who ran this race was so amazing, even making a few friends along the way.
We stayed in Poipu, making it easy to get to the expo and the start line. The finish is a little longer of a walk but your body needs the shake out anyway.
The spectators were wonderful providing snacks and even beer along the way. I highly recommend this race!
The race to do in Hawaii
From start to finish this was phenomenal. Communication was great, location was breathtaking, tons of support on the course, and great after party. The course was hilly but just so … MORE
From start to finish this was phenomenal. Communication was great, location was breathtaking, tons of support on the course, and great after party. The course was hilly but just so beautiful. This is one I would do again and again. So glad this was where I finished my 50 state journey!
A beautiful challenge in paradise
This course has 3000 ft of climb. But the scenery is so beautiful that you don't worry about it. 2nd year in a row that it rained, but again, it … MORE
This course has 3000 ft of climb. But the scenery is so beautiful that you don’t worry about it. 2nd year in a row that it rained, but again, it is warm, and with the right socks, no worries. The best part for me is tbe Hula Dancers at the aid stations. It really gives positive energy to watch the grace of the dancers. The Medal is really nice as well!
Paradise....
Great views the whole race. Nice rolling hills and a good downhill portion after mile 7. Found myself looking around more than most runs as there is a lot to … MORE
Great views the whole race. Nice rolling hills and a good downhill portion after mile 7. Found myself looking around more than most runs as there is a lot to see. Great race to do for sure.
First Full Marathon
I was very nervous, I've done the half marathon part of this course every year for the past 7years so I knew what to expect on the first half of … MORE
I was very nervous, I’ve done the half marathon part of this course every year for the past 7years so I knew what to expect on the first half of it. I reviewed the full course online and I knew it was going to be challenging. But as I split off from the half marathon runners and I began my journey into the full part of the course I felt great, and there were adequate hydration tents along the course with portapotties? Sorry idk how to spell that lol, also staff riding a moped up and down the course checking in on runners for cramping or hydration needs. There was entertainment along the course people dancing hula, drummers beating drums, music. There was also local people in the neighborhoods cheering and some of them set out sprinklers and sprayed runners with their garden hoses, they even had treats and drinks set out on tables! On one house the lady had fan like paddles in her hands and she began fanning me as I passed her home, she cheered for me and said “just around the corner it’ll open up and you’ll get some nice winds!” There were markers to mark the distance along the course which was really nice to see. It gave me that push to make it to the next marker lol. My training had paid off! My advice would be to train for this course because it has lots of hills. We got lucky with the weather that day. We were blessed with sprinkles of rain and some overcast, and wonderful Tradewinds. But it’s not always like that, we have some hot humid days. Make you feel like your running in hell. Do this race at least once in your life it’s worth it. Lucky I live here, I can do it again. I am proud of myself, I survived it.
Tough Marathon on an Amazing Island
The Kauai Marathon is well-organized, well-run, and a true incredible challenge due to the hilly course and humid Hawaii climate. One of the biggest pros to this marathon is that … MORE
The Kauai Marathon is well-organized, well-run, and a true incredible challenge due to the hilly course and humid Hawaii climate. One of the biggest pros to this marathon is that you have to travel to Kauai to run it…and that alone is an incredible experience where you will see scenery that is unlike anywhere else in the world. My wife, who has been all over most of the world, even commented she had never seen such natural beauty in all her travels.
I myself cannot stress how naturally wonderful of an island Kauai is. If you choose to run the Kauai marathon travel to the island several days ahead of time so 1) you can adjust to the time zone difference and jet lag / rooster crowing and 2) you can make plans to enjoy the natural wonder of this paradise. They call it the “garden island” and it lives up to that name.
It’s hard to sum up the whole experience in a few paragraphs, so I encourage you to read my full detailed race report at https://runningriddles.com/races/the-2019-kauai-marathon-in-hawaii/.
Hills, Hot, Humid
This is a difficult course, absolutely beautiful scenery throughout with hula dancers, drums, water stations, porta potties, locals cheering you on along the way with their garden hose sprinklers on … MORE
This is a difficult course, absolutely beautiful scenery throughout with hula dancers, drums, water stations, porta potties, locals cheering you on along the way with their garden hose sprinklers on to cool down runners as we pass by. There were local families giving out water bottles as you ran by their houses. The race is well organized, mile markers along the way. Unlike the Honolulu Hapalua Marathon, I didnt see any mile markers through the entire run. I relied on my tracker on my phone. Volunteers passing out cold towels by kukuiula bypass road. Finish the race down by the coastline near the Sheraton Resort. Definitely train for this if you choose to do the full Marathon. It’s a beast of a course. The half pales in comparison.
hilly, hot, humid and gorgeous
loved the ice at the water stops during a hot and humid race with hill after hill. The race staff and volunteers are topnotch and you can't find a more … MORE
loved the ice at the water stops during a hot and humid race with hill after hill. The race staff and volunteers are topnotch and you can’t find a more friendly or beautiful spot for a post-marathon vacation.
Hurricanes Hurt Performance!
The nearness of several hurricanes in the area really impacted the weather for race day. This is a tough course in the best conditions, and the 2015 version was far … MORE
The nearness of several hurricanes in the area really impacted the weather for race day. This is a tough course in the best conditions, and the 2015 version was far from “best conditions”. The combination of high humidity, higher temperatures, and no trade winds really sapped my strength. The redeeming quality, as always, is the aloha spirit along the course. Where else does an entire course shut down and the streets get filled with locals cheering on perfect strangers as though they were family members? Even the ‘remote’ portions had folks scattered around to cheer. This is one race that eats me alive, and I can’t wait to run it again!
Great First Marathon in HI
This is a very scenic course with tremendous hills and WONDERFUL aloha spirit. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who took to their front yards to cheer on … MORE
This is a very scenic course with tremendous hills and WONDERFUL aloha spirit. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who took to their front yards to cheer on strangers and offer them encouragement, food, and a spritz from their garden hose! Finishing with a quarter-mile dash along the coast is a great way to end a race. I will run this race again and again if my body will let me!
First Race
Decided I was going to sign up for a race since my last race was a 5k in JR High and I felt like pushing myself. I couldn't have asked … MORE
Decided I was going to sign up for a race since my last race was a 5k in JR High and I felt like pushing myself. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to run! Kauai is gorgeous, and the race was well organized. FYI, this race is not flat so don’t underestimate the difficulty but I would highly suggest this to anyone who can get out to Kauai…great place for a run-cation!!!