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The Great Aloha Run The first annual Great Aloha Run took place in 1985 after its founders envisioned a running event that would link Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium. Over 10,000 runners and walkers took up the challenge that first year, helping to raise over $150,000. Since then the Great Aloha Run (GAR) has grown to over 30,000 participants, and gives more money to charities than any other sporting event in the nation. The GAR course is a 8.25 mile relatively flat route starting at Aloha Tower in downtown Honolulu, following Nimitz Highway, ending at the Aloha Stadium. The crowd of runners combined with the numerous aid stations and entertainers that line the course make the GAR feel more like a party than a running event. To find out more information about this great event, contact them at (808) 528-7388. Honolulu Marathon In 1995, the Honolulu Marathon was the largest marathon in the world (that year) with just over 27,000 finishers. Out of the five Hawaii marathons, Honolulu is by far the most popular. In 1995 almost 21,000 of its 34,000 entrants were from Japan. But don't let the large crowds turn you away. The Honolulu Marathon Association works very hard to make this one of the best organized marathons in the world. It draws an elite group of athletes and world-wide recognition. Run on the second Sunday in December, the Honolulu Marathon takes runners from the Aloha Tower Marketplace through downtown Honolulu, by Ala Moana Park, through world-famous Waikiki, around Kapiolani Park and Diamond Head, through Kahala to Hawaii Kai and back to Kapiolani Park. Are you tired yet? If not then you can enjoy the festivities that are available in the park after the run. The Honolulu Marathon Association offers a special entry rate of $2 to Hawaii residents (and local military personnel) which make this an irresistible run for most local runners. Contact the Honolulu Marathon Association at (808) 734-7200 for more information. Other Events You Don't Want to Miss Other than the large running events listed above, Hawaii hosts a number of smaller, equally well organized events. Some of the most popular of these are the Honolulu Hard Rock Cafe 10K with over 2,000 participants, and the Run for the Rain Forest 5K with over 1,000 participants. There are also some rather unique events. The Oahu Perimeter Relay takes 7-member relay teams along the 134 mile perimeter of the island. The Kolekole Pass Half-Marathon takes runners over a restricted military road that cuts over the beautiful Waianae mountains. Multisport Events The Big Island of Hawaii is home to the most popular triathlon in the world, the Gatorade Ironman Triathlon. Every October, a large number of elite triathletes gather at the Kailua-Kona Pier to begin a long day of racing. Over the course of many hours, these triathletes cover 2.4 miles in the water, 112 miles on a bicycle, and 26.2 miles on foot. Because of the popularity of this event, Hawaii is home to many triathletes, and therefore hosts many triathlons. While the Ironman-distance triathlons may be too grueling for most humans, there are triathlons in Hawaii that are more manageable. The most popular of these is the Outrigger Hotels Tinman Triathlon that takes place on Oahu in July. This event is geared toward the first-time triathlete (approximately 35% of the 1000 participants in 1996 were first-timers), and has a great reputation as a safe and well run event. It consists of a 800 meter ocean swim, a 40 kilometer bike ride, and a 10 kilometer run. For more information on the Outrigger Hotels Tinman Triathlon, contact Tinman Unlimited at (808) 732-7311. Island Triathlon & Bike, a local retail store, is a great source of information on upcoming multisport events. Call their Honolulu location at (808) 732-7227. JTL Timing Systems has a web site that contains a thorough schedule of events as well as results from previous events. |
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| © Neal Jamison, 1998 All rights reserved. |
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| Last Updated: 22 September 1998 | Page design by: Makoa Communications |