Almost got run over twice by the Jeep with the Japanese camera crew in the middle of the course.... What is up with that????

Not only was the weather terrible, but respect for the runners was bad, too! The organizers seemed to focus on the all-mighty dollar, nickel and diming the massage stations at the end, offering only juice and a cookie at the finish, and herding everyone out of the finish. If you didn't speak Japanese, your bad experience got worse. Not worth the trip for me. Very overrated and the organizers should cater to and take care of ALL of their runners!

I'm surprised no one else as written on the 2007 race yet. Here goes:

This was my second marathon, and first HM. By comparison, my first marathon had 275 entrants with temps in the 40's. Having learned to respect the distance, this time around I learned to respect the distance AND the weather. As the Honolulu Marathon goes, these were "near perfect" conditions - quoting local post-race write ups. Temps at the 5 a.m. start were in the low 70's, winds were calm, and it was overcast through the first 3 and a half hours of the race. It was very humid, with heavy rain 15 minutes before and 25 minutes after the starting gun. It rained or drizzled periodically for a few more hours before the sun came out and drove temps higher.

The previous year descriptions on this website held true, and allowed me to manage expectations. My observations:

PRO:
- The expo was quiet on Thursday afternoon, probably because most of the travelers arrived later in the week.
- LOTS of porta-potties. I lined up 20 minutes before the starting gun and waited for one person.
- Starting line fireworks were very cool.
- After the typical starting line accordion, the crowd quickly spread out. I was pleasantly surprised with how much elbow room we had.
- Aid stations were GREAT. I was a mid-pack runner and there was always plenty of ice cold Gatorade (yes, Gatorade), ice cold water and ice cold sponges.
- Ice. Cold. Sponges. Repeat point, but worth it. They were AWESOME.
- Wonderful support. Japanese groups and local residents came out in large numbers - everyone was encouraging.
- Hey, it's Hawaii!

CON:
- Expo okay, but not what you would expect for a huge marathon.
- A new timing system was used this year, and there were problems. Apparently the rain shorted out some of the power feed, and when the system was rebooted, the time didn't sync. About 3,500 runners didn't get properly recorded times. BUT, the Race Director was very forthright in the newspaper. He didn't blame his contractor and just accepted responsibility. This is a big plus in my mind.
- The finisher's area was a SWAMP. It rained hard the entire week before the race, and I think the city and country should have anticipated the problem. As one of my neighbors put it: "Glad my shot card was up to date."
- Two cookies and a teeeeeny weeeeeny leeeeetle apple. 'Nuff said.

Mahalo to all the volunteers and to the city of Honolulu!

Everyone should try and do one marathon in their life time. This was my first one. I planned mine 3 years ago and said that before I reach 55 years of age, I will attempt one. I'm glad I did and feel rewarded for my efforts. It's a very humbling experience and I will definitely remember it for the rest of my life.

Most of the run is through a big city and suburbia, but we got a glimpse of paradise along the beach and around the turnaround. My principal gripe is regarding information about transportation from the finish back to hotels. I figured out that the bus fare was $2 and I had that in my pocket. Judging by the limping warriors on city streets, many others did not. My family found parking away from the zoo, about the same distance to our hotel. The apples, cookies and water were back again and seemed quite appropriate. The shirts have been upgraded to a technical or technical-like fabric. The international ambiance was great; I lost count of countries represented. I hope to be back again; it was a satisfying experience. Mahalo.

There is no way that such a major event for the City of Honolulu and the state of Hawaii would be canceled, regardless of a sudden rainstorm during the week. Forecast for race day was 40% chance of (continued) rain. As almost 30,000 of us stood in mass (my group took 10 minutes to reach the starting Line AFTER the canon announced the start up front), probability became 100% with buckets of drenching rain pouring upon us. The sun eventually did shine through the clouds... so the heat and humidity assured that my legs would cramp, just like the previous 14 Honolulu's I have completed. I haven't cramped in the Phoenix, Las Vegas, Portland or Eugene Marathons. I wonder why this time the medal had no attached ribbon like the 14 previous Honolulu finisher medals? So for the first time, nobody could wear their medals around the Finish grounds. The yellow common t-shirt with a boring design is nothing to write home about. I noticed less entertainment along the way (no dancing hula girls this time) and most of the signs and much of the cheering were in Japanese. Some of us local runners joke and call it our "Tokyo Marathon." We can't blame the organizers, but because of the rain, after crossing the finish, we had to walk through inches of gooey mud that ruined what was left of our running shoes. I know the Honolulu Zoo is close by and maybe that's why it smelled like a pigsty. But I suspect sewer runoff was the cause of the stench and the widespread mess. Yuck. More sawdust next time, organizers! On the positive side, the folks at the numerous aid stations were superb, especially the one in Waikiki with my volunteer daughter! I'd do it again because it's home, convenient, and brings back memories of the first Honolulu I ran in '77. The course has gotten pretty repetitive but sometimes it's nice that some things don't change.

Mahalo to all the friendly people of Hawaii - your support before, during, and after the race was incredible!

I enjoyed the race, but the registration fee is just too high for what you get: no goody bag freebies, no food on the course, apples/cookies only at the finish, and a non-performance tee-shirt.

The complete chaos at the starting line was partially due to the rain, but bigger signs, more lights, and more information in the pre-race instructions would make line-up go much better.

This was a wonderful international event with all of the participants from other countries, many from Japan. That said, realize that you have to fight the crowds continually during the race and there is very little chance of running a PR on this course.

The race itself was worth the trip; the scenery and spectator support were great.

After the finish line, huge expanses of tents for Japanese people only, with little of the same for non-Japanese. I found this very distasteful and discouraging after a difficult race.

This marathon was very challenging for me. Example, in the last 4 marathons, I have done an average of 3:41 and in this marathon I did 4:20. A lot of humidity and hills, people. I love Japanese runners, but because of the half marathon, there are too many people. I didn't like the shirt that you receive when you finish the race. Very ugly compared to other marathons, and it's not for running, as it's a normal t-shirt. I also didnt like the sports drink they give; it was terrible. At the end of the race I was dizzy and tired, and the organizers, instead of helping me to a medical tent, told me to keep moving. That bothered me a lot, but I was so tired that I couldn't complain. Difficult marathon, but I did it for my 50 states. Beautiful city; go with your loved one.

My only negative input is that there is NO control over the line-up. I over-estimated my time to line up in order not to slow anyone down.... Not in 2007, though; I will be lining up incorrectly in order to keep the pace going. I zig-zagged the course because so many people would STOP right in front of you to either rub their legs, adjust a shoe, take pictures, or whatever the reason. I think the organization needs more direction spoken in Japanese, since 67% of the runners/walkers are Japanese. The aid stations were well managed and offered plenty of help. And there were plenty of stations, too. No complaints about the AminoValue - easy to digest (I prefer it over Gatorade, actually). Even the apples and cookies were not an issue at the finish line. The expo was very well organized. The weather was perfect - no rain! Yes there was some heat and humidity, but nothing like in the summer months in Hawaii. The fans along the route were great! Overall, Honolulu did a great job and a huge "mahalo" to all of the volunteers!