This was one of the most enjoyable races I've run recently. We were lucky in that skies were overcast the first half of the race - the heat and humidity were still a factor (dew point = 70 at the start) but it'd be much worse if the sun were out the whole time. Smart runners who pace themselves accordingly won't have any problems; the rest of us suffered some the last few miles.

The race organizers did a great job - mile markers were pretty accurate according to my GPS; aid stations were plentiful, and lots of them had ice and most of them offered it without prompting; and individual results were available immediately after the finish.

If you're looking for crowd support, do another race. But some of us like the peace and quiet, and enjoy those long conversations with ourselves, so it wasn't a factor for me.

The scenery was awesome, especially the first and last 6 miles, even if you'd spent a few days in paradise beforehand and gotten used to running through botanical gardens and postcard landscapes. The middle half of the race was - by comparison - like running on the moon, but still interesting for us mainlanders.

The course had enough turns and gentle hills to avoid monotony. If you're conditioned to high heat and humidity, you could run pretty fast here; the rest of us should plan on adding at least 10 minutes to our usual time.

Thanks to Mr. Kunitake for supporting this race, and providing inspiration for those of who hope to run into our 70s and beyond.

I'd highly recommend this race to anyone who's considering a tropical marathon.

I'd run this thing again in a heartbeat, if I could. But I'll finish the campaign first. With 24 down, I can see the crest of the challenge dead-ahead.

We get the opportunity to tread where ironmen have trod. The course has a tradition to it, was in excellent condition, and the weather cooperated with a low overcast, no real winds, and hospitable temps. It all added up to be a great day to run in Hawaii.

I also had the rare privilege of enjoying my daughter's company from gun to finish. Her tour of duty in Hawaii has concluded, but not before we shared these moments.

Okay, let me focus now. This course can be mentally taxing, as there aren't throngs of spectators throughout. If that is important, do Honolulu. But this is the perfect course to get "zoned" and really hammer out a good effort. There are gently undulating grades, as it stays relatively near the coastline. No gut crunchers. Over-dress during training for a month beforehand (non-Hawaii residents) and the climate shouldn't be much of a deterrent.

Fluid stops were plentiful, were well staffed and stocked, and the water was iced. Get a cup of ice under your hat and you're good for another mile.

The only negative thing I'll mention can be said about any 'thon where you don't have enough traffic control at the intersections. As Shelley and I turned off Palani onto Ali'i for the home stretch, cars pulled out into the runner's lane twice. You find doofuses everywhere.

The finish line announcer was multilingual, possessed a radio/TV quality voice, and was as enthusiastic as any I have ever heard. Special thanks to Mr. Jon Kunitake for his generosity in support of this event, and also for having run a heck of a marathon.

I will cherish this one till my last day.

Great course - mostly flat, some hills, but otherwise okay. Weather was overcast, but still hot and humid.

This should not be a tough race, but the heat makes it tougher than you might think. The people do an excellent job with the race, the aid stations, and control of the course. And the finish line is wonderful with a great announcer. The only bad think about the course is that you are out there in the sun without any shade for a long time, but hey, you are running in Hawai'i.

What I liked...
-It's Hawai'i!!!!!!
-5:30 a.m. starting time.
-Plenty of aid/water stations.
-Plenty of recovery food & drinks.
-Same course that the Ironman is run on.
-Finisher's medal and shirt.
-Outrigger Hotel accommodations.
-The sunset the night before.
-Friendly people.
-It's Hawai'i!!!!!!!!

What I didn't care for...
-Cost of transportation between airport and hotel ($35 each way).
-Bikes and cars on the course.
-The odor at mile 13.

If you can, stay at the Outrigger the night before the race. Train in the heat and be sure to drink often and early.

All in all, it was an excellent experience - one I will always remember.

Great race, well-organized, wonderfully friendly and supportive people, awe-inspiring course, but DO NOT TRY TO PR! Enjoy the ambience, not the challenge...

Ok, so you're on the mainland thinking about running Kona and you want to ignore the PR advice. You've run a few marathons before, you think you understand your physiology and limits. You look at the course map and see it's nicely rolling with a net downhill finish. You live in a warm climate, so training mid-day in May and June should give you a feel for what the potential demands of finishing a marathon as temps climb might be like. The race starts, the sun isn't up, the weather is great, the pace feels comfortable, so you go for it. DON'T BE FOOLED! The downhill section before the turnaround (at a 3:25 pace) comes just as temps begin to climb so you are lulled into a false sense of what you can do. Youve been climbing a slow grade for a few miles and the switch from up to down feels so good you just let it roll down to the turnaround. The climb back up to the course high point is a killer (and I train in the hills north of Atlanta) not because of the grade but because of the rapidly climbing temperatures. By mile 20 I was toast and reduced to a walk/run sequence. To top it off, I mistook fatigue for dehydration, guzzled water like a fiend at every opportunity and pushed myself to the edge of hyponatremia. At mile 25, cognitive dissonance set in and I wisely chose to let someone else decide whether I should attempt to finish. Its my only DNF in seven marathons and countless other half-marathons. So humbling, and such a great way to learn about yourself&..

Wonderful race, wonderful location, let yourself enjoy for what it is, not what you want it to be.

The Kona Marathon is a tough, inspirational race in a fantastic place! The course follows much of the Ironman Triathlon World Championship course and it's The Big Island, so you gotta love it! The organization, water stops, and traffic control are very good. The weather is H-O-T - it's Hawaii in June after all - but we packed our Endurolyte capsules, hat, sunscreen and glasses, and we enjoyed it.

We ran this race as part of the American Stroke Association program and I loved the community of runners in this event. Mr. Kunitake, owner of UCC Coffee, also runs the race, even though this man is in his eighties - talk about inspiration... imagine having a conversation with him in the middle of the lava fields and seeing the joy in his face. When asked how many marathons he has run he smiles and says, "Oh, too many to remember." At the finish we were met by an elderly lady who kissed my sweaty cheek and thanked me for coming as she hung a beautiful shell necklace and medal around my neck. This marathon is one of my favorites.

this course is tough - mentally and physically. the early start affords several miles before the sun comes up - but when it does come up - woah nellie! miles and miles of highway stretches - long steady inclines and no shade. i missed my projected finish time by more than 30 minutes... the sun just wore me down and sucked the life out of me. i finished strong, but kept going over things in my head - what went wrong? i never hit the wall so hard in previous marathons - yet at mile 13 i was crashing fast!!! it's hard to prepare for the heat when you train through most of the mainland winter months... maybe i didn't eat enough carbs? didn't rest enough? maybe i shouldn't have hiked 6 miles over lava to see the volcano two days before? ;) who knows. support was good (i did not run w/TTES but the ttes supporters still cheered for me. yay!)... and there were more than enough water stops. i just can't imagine running the same course after swimming 4 miles and biking 112! the hawaii ironmen are true athletes!!!!

Always a wonderful race! The out-and-back course has great psychological breaks in it, not to mention cheering opportunities for all runners. Kona has a stark beauty, plenty of rewards along the way. TTES provides folks who cheer and support everyone - mahalo for that. Great t-shirts, even better awards - excellent coffee mugs. What would I change? Awards go two deep, extremely disappointing to those of us in third place.

This was a great experience and a tough course. I ran in memory of my mother who suffered from multiple strokes and ultimately a brain hemorrhagic stroke. At the 13 mile marker, I hit a wall and remembered Mum and all that she endured for nearly 2 years. She got me through it... and I completed the marathon! I am not the same. I was very healthy before the marathon. It took a toll on my body, I gained 50 pounds since then and have had health issues which I didn't have before! There is a reason why a select group of athletes do marathons, their bodies can handle it. If you venture the task, then train, train, train and consume those fluids, the course includes 3 miles out on lava field with no aid stations. Thanks to the locals for coming out and giving us ice, water and the support! The Kona community was wonderful and I'll return again to be on the side lines and cheer those who choose this course. PS... for the full marathon finishers, you'd think we'd get a # of Hawaii coffee... we can dream!