This was the first marathon for both my husband and myself. We'd trained vigorously for 4+ months. The course was okay, but with only 50 people running the marathon, it felt like a training run - we couldn't see anyone ahead of us or behind us. No spectators at all, really. I'm glad we took our own water and gels because the aid stations were sparse.

There was a massive thunder and lightning storm (rare for Hawaii) that started at mile 6. At one point we ran through at least 12' of water on the road. We were totally soaked for the rest of the race. The course was boring - out on the highway, then an out and back down a tiny road that had horrible short, steep hills. We'd training to run 4:00 or better than ended up at 4:20.

At the time, we lived on Oahu, so traveling wasn't an issue. But I would say don't waste your money on coming from the mainland (or anywhere farther than the islands). You'll be disappointed.

If you're looking for the crowd support of, say, the NYC Marathon, then this is not your race. It's a very small race, mostly with local people. It has the feel of a 5K, just longer. It's on a very hilly course with lots of ups and downs. Weather-wise, be prepared for anything. This year it poured so badly that the streets flooded and they had to close the course mid-race, so many people didn't get to finish. The post-race party was just a gathering of tables in the corner of a local sports bar. Not sure it's worth it to travel to Hawaii for this race, but it's worth doing if you're already in the area.