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 road racing.
The Kauai Marathon and Half Marathon begin in Poipu, the world-class resort community at the sunny southern end of the island, with routes sharing the first 11 miles. The courses follow the contour of the scenic coastline, offering magnificent views of the island’s picturesque beaches, rugged volcanic peaks, and green tropical rain forests. As dawn breaks, runners experience lush green vistas as they approach the shade of the century-old Tunnel of Trees before winding through misty Omao where the half marathoners enter Kukui’ula Resort offering spectacular ocean views for the last few miles. The full marathon heads out to Lawai before climbing to reveal stunning ocean views at the top of Kalaheo. The remaining miles are a gradual descent until runners receive a rousing island welcome upon their return to Poipu Beach. The courses are USATF certified.
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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!!!