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May 6, 2024

Maui Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Maui Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.3

Organization 3.9

Spectators 3.2

Number of comments: 95 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 10 > ]

A. D. from Erie, PA (9/22/2010) "Run in paradise!" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first time to Maui and the scenery was breathtaking. There was no problem getting a bus to the start line (although they do get you there incredibly early!). There was a fire-dancer at the start who got everyone pumped up. The volunteers during this race were unmatched. They were so friendly and helpful! The race starts early (05:30) but that helps eliminate time spent in the baking hot sun. There are very few spectators but I still gave them a 5 because, few as they were, they were wonderfully supportive. Nice medal and finisher's shirt. The heat makes it a tough marathon but it's well worth it.
G. T. from Chicago, IL (11/10/2009) "A tough first time" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Maui Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon. Things I really liked: The fire dancer start; the large number of Japanese runners; the amazingly friendly people (Spirit of Aloha); and the first half of the run (even through the hilly terrain). Things I didn't like: The cooling breeze ends once you get to the second half; the sun was more intense than you can imagine (and I wish I'd known there was sunscreen at the water stops); there were not enough water stops; the entire second half was on the left shoulder of the road, leaving my tendons in pain due to the slope (this could have been alleviated by closing the road to one lane for portions to break it up); my time was an hour slower than expected for reasons beyond the race director's control, but when I got to the end, they had run out of medals and only had XL t-shirts left; they gave out really, really cheap plastic leis; and I have a HALF marathon bib as a souvenir because they didn't have enough race numbers either. I also expected a lot more course entertainment as advertised! This was a tough first marathon, and I can't explain how disappointing it was to get to the end and be told that my medal would be mailed to me. However, this marathon is fixable, and the Hawaiians and Hawaii are amazing and unforgettable. I would definitely recommend it.
E. W. from Phoenix, AZ (10/4/2009) "Scenic, but hot/sunny, and questionable planning" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Maui Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I came in from the mainland for this race. I have to unfortunately agree with the largely negative comments below. Other areas for improvement: 1. Start earlier - the sun towards the end of the race was truly brutal, and since the buses get runners to the start so early, we might as well start then. 2. Chip timing. 3. Tech shirt instead of cotton. 4. Have sports drink earlier in the race. If early stops had them, it wasn't advertised. They didn't offer it until about mile 9. 5. Later buses - these may have existed, but I was told at the expo to be on bus no later than 3:30, which means that I got to the staging area at about 4:10 with a lot of time to kill. 6. Earlier post race party - not all are staying in Kaanapali. We were in Kihei and were not willing to stay until the late afternoon, as we had to check out. 7. Have salt on the course and at the end. I've never cramped up so bad. 8. Colder water on the course. Usually it was lukewarm or warmer. 9. More Hawaiian - how about hula dancers, or tiki torches along part of the dark section? Positives: 1. Nice medal. 2. Cold sponges and people hosing you down were nice touches. 3. Good communication at staging area. Fire dancer was good. 4. There's a good supply of porta-potties at the start. 5. The spirit of the limited crowd support and volunteers was good. 6. Course well laid out and scenic - I had no problems with any traffic or footing issues. In general, I was disappointed. I'd run again in Maui - especially since the heat/humidity/sun kicked my butt this time. However, I would wait and see if a South Maui race gets re-established and go that direction next time.
J. T. from Edison, NJ (9/28/2009) "What happened this year?" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 6+ Maui Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was my sixth in a row - and I will most likely skip it next year. The race organization took several steps back after improving last year a bit. The lack of chip timers was a surprise after having them for two years. The race updates made a lot of noise about having bands/entertainment at every water stop. I am certain there were fewer than ever before (I did not see the hula dancers at all this year - just the Japanese drummers). The finish line refreshment/recoup area was horrible. A few years ago they had smoothies from Starbucks and Jamba Juice. This year it was fruit and water only. Why are the sponsors listed on the website? I have not seen them here for several years. There were no hula medal greeters this year. The T-shirt situation, as described below, was bad. The medal was nice. When I started running this six years ago, it was such a fun, local, cool race. You do not need much - but the race has really been on a downward trend over the past three years, since the new director took over.
S. H. from Austin, TX (9/28/2009) "One of the most scenic USA courses" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Maui Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Given the constraints of running a road marathon on the small island of Maui, much less a point-to-point race, this is a great course. The race is on the only highway to Lahaina/West Maui so realistically there is no chance of closing the road for a couple thousand runners for six hours. If you don't like traffic, then you need to run a trail marathon. About 90% of the course is very scenic. Sunrise over the Haleakala was amazing and the ocean is visible over 75% of the course. Even though it is run on the highway, there are only a few intersections that must be crossed since the left-hand side of the course is the ocean. The hills are nicely spaced early in the race. The last half is nearly flat. Heat can be a problem late in the race since there is very little shade. Registration was a bit disorganized; they didn't have enough marathon number bibs and were using half-athon bibs for some marathoners. The post-race feast featured a band, pizza and beer. No complaints. Marathoners received dedicated shirts and medals with no reference to the half-athon or 5K races. No problems with the bus to the well organized/supported start area.
T. F. from Florida, US (9/26/2009) "So much potential..." (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Maui Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 We flew from the East Coast of the US for this marathon. To echo the previous comments, we were highly disappointed in the cotton t-shirt, lack of Gatorade and the poor organization of this race. There were roughly the same number of runners as in the past, yet they ran out of bibs and had us use previous years' bibs. The half-marathoners all had to check back in the morning of the race, which caused the half-marathon to start five minutes behind. There were no timing chips or devices. The course is nice and Maui is amazing. Too bad it was not better organized.
Brooke Banker from Rock Island, Illinois (9/26/2009) "Maui Marathon course beats all else!" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Maui Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 What a beautiful marathon course. This was my first marathon and the course was beautiful. I did not think that traffic was a problem at all and it was nice to have a flat, constant surface to run on. That being said, it did get pretty hot, and I'm sure that the blacktop didn't help with that; but they make no secret of the fact that it does get pretty warm during this race. I was disappointed that they did not have chip timing this year. I'm not sure what the reason was for that, but it obviously can effect your official time. Aid stations were where they had advertised that they would be, and the volunteers were great! There was not much to be had after the race itself, water and fruit, but the after-race party, which was held in the afternoon, was great. There was lots of free pizza and beer. My husband ran the half, and we took full advantage of the after party and thought that it was great. Overall, I would say that it was a little disorganized, but the course and the fact that you are running along the ocean in Maui trumps all else.
David Hurley from Roanoke, VA (9/25/2009) "A DREAM MARATHON? NO!" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Maui Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I really want to be positive because I realize that it takes a village to pull off a successful marathon. On the other hand, I also know that many of us flew for hours and spent a lot of cash to run the marathon. Maybe my expectations were too high. This reminded me a lot of the first Rock & Roll Marathon in San Diego; however, they learned from their errors the first year and now I understand it is now a great marathon. The Maui Marathon Committee has had 39 years to make improvements. Close to 20 bands? Sorry, but I must have missed 18 of them. Volunteers at the water stations were great! As we ran along the course, I felt like I had to cheer the young volunteers many of them just sitting and looking more tired than us. Of the 57 marathon shirts that I have collected, this one is near the bottom of the list. The pasta dinner/luau was okay. I will have to say that it was better than most. Having heard about the announcer calling names at the finish line, I was actually looking forward to that part of the race. Of course, it never happened since he announced the name of the lady in front of me at least 2 or 3 times. Since I was 20 seconds behind her, no recognition here. Is name, state, and time announcement asking too much? The expo was less than middle of the road. One of the most popular supplements, GU, was nowhere to be found. It has always been a big seller at all other expos. I was disappointed that at the finish line there were cups of water, a few cups of orange slices, and some apples. Runners need salty items and sugar. At least, I do. Therefore, I had to stand in line at the little store in the shopping area for what seemed like a long time to buy a soft drink. The runners who had not brought money were out of luck. The post marathon pasta dinner was the highlight of my weekend. The pasta was delicious and there were plenty of drinks. Of all the marathons that are in the state, I would be hesitant to recommend this one.
A. S. from Honolulu, HI (9/22/2009) "Disappointing" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Maui Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I ran this marathon two years ago, and it seems to have gone downhill since then. I still like the course but the aid stations are spaced far apart at times. If you are going to run this marathon, bring your own water bottle. Also, this year most of the aid stations only had water when I got to them. Thanks to the Team in Training and AIDS Foundation coaches and support crews for taking care of the slower runners when the aid stations weren't prepared. Finally, the finisher's shirts: two years ago, it was a nice technical shirt, and there were plenty of sizes left when I finished. This year they only had men's cotton t-shirts, which wouldn't be that bad except that by the time I finished (the same time as two years ago), there were only extra large shirts left! Most marathon runners, especially female runners, don't wear men's extra large t-shirts. This was my favorite Hawaii marathon until this year.
L. S. from Sunnyvale, CA USA (9/21/2009) "Running in the traffic at 91+ is not healthy" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Maui Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 The advertisement claims this is a "Maui Paradise Marathon." There is nothing even close to paradise. The course itself is beautiful, but it should start 5 a.m. or even 4:30. I don't mind electric cars or bikes, but the route should be CLOSED for cars running on gas. Little did I know that I'd be running on the shoulder of a road with heavy traffic. If I wanted to inhale burned gas, I could stay home and do it free. There was barely any O2 left in the tunnel - it was bumper to bumper, with cars revving their engines. After running San Diego and San Francisco, I was expecting environmentally-friendly event. I was disappointed. The expo was really sad. And, finally, for $100, all I got is cheap cotton t-shirt and barely any post-race food. I still want to thank the volunteers and the police officers. My suggestion is: Make this marathon GREEN and stop the traffic for 6 hours; leave the lanes only for bikes and walkers. It could be great event!

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