Maui Marathon - Race Reviews

The course starts near the Sugar Mill by Kahului and finishes near Whalers Village in Kaanapali. If you're traveling to this race from the mainland you'll benefit from the early bus shuttle (last one at 3:30 AM) and start time (5 AM). The main downsides of this race are the course and amenities. The course would be much more scenic if it hugged the coast the entire time and ran from Wailea to Kaanapali. In terms of amenities, there were no energy gels or food along the course.

The Maui marathon promised beautiful scenery which it didn't disappoint in this regard. On September 18th 2016 it was incredibly hot, hotter than I was expecting, so all you could think about whilst running was how to keep hydrated and cool and certainly not looking at the scenery. Starting at 5am is great as the weather was cool and it was dark and perfect for running so if you can get through the hills, which start around 15km mark,and make it through the first 21kms before the sun comes up your doing well. Once the sun comes over the mountain range be prepared for intense heat, sunburn and feelings of wanting to give up. Many runners were forced to walk and there was definitely no shame in walking in parts of the race. Since the small field of runners were very spread out along the course there was a lot of lonely sections and with the ocean on one side and the traffic on the major road coming towards you on the other side it was tough in parts. Overall the organisation was good, including the 3.15am bus transport to the start, aid stations along the course and massages at the end of the race was well done. The finishers medals were great and I won my age category so I received a different medal which made it all worth it. This was a slow marathon in regards to times, and only about 400 plus runners ran it so it doesn't have that big marathon experience like New York but its a great place for a holiday and the swim in the beautiful warm Maui ocean was well earned and much appreciated at the end of completing this event.

Hot (was told it hit 90 degrees) and humid with little in the way of trade winds combined with the hills to make it a tough marathon. The start was at 5AM to help with the heat but few had any idea it would be so completely dark. Early on, a couple of people dropped things but could not find them and runners ran into them in the blackness. One woman ran into a cone, which was not reflective due to lack of light, tripped and stumbled into the oncoming vehicle traffic. Take a tip from some of the other runs that start in the dark at remote locations with no streetlights or lighted commercial activities, to put on the website if it is recommended to carry a light and runners wear white or reflective clothing etc. It was early so I did not expect many spectators but until the last sections of the race the water stops were dead as well. They were well staffed but just so quiet they were not even saying who had water vs. powerade. Some runners were not aware the start was a few minutes walk from the staging area. A number of runners doing last minute potty runs came out to find everyone gone, but where. They were sorted out, but moments of panic unnecessarily. It was well warned to be careful of the heat-believe it. Many pushed the first half which was cooler and had most of the hills, but were hammered when the sun came out even as the course was flat in the later half. The course was OK but did not have a Maui feel to it. Mostly along highway even with the ocean in view just did not do it when I was thinking tropical gardens, waterfalls and beaches. Loved bright orange/peachy tee shirt which spoke Hawaii to me. The 20 aid stations were real nice so no need to carry your own liquids and almost all had water and powerade. Stop with the little shot- size cups that were at a number of stations. Promote hydrating in such a hot race with regular full cups. Did not get the idea behind the wristband to get into the brew party. I had to wear this thing for two days and during the race so you get one beer and a mini slice of pizza. Besides the runners had bibs with beer and pizza tear offs on them, so what was the purpose and cost of the wristband for when the bib can get you in? Liked the small smoothie and chocolate milk at the end, but there was little other food. The parking for this was terrible. The start area was in the upscale hotel area where to park for the day was up to $40. You also had to park twice for packet pickup as well as the race day. The sponsor hotel should have arranged something like the giant gravel parking lot that was empty near the golf course but was signed for permit only or get towed. All these upscale hotels benefit from the event, I would think to let participants park for the morning would be appropriate. Logistics for the buses were really great, as were start, finish and awards ceremony.

This was my first ever marathon, and it was an unseasonably warm 93 with no trade winds, so the run had a heat index of about 100 degrees. While the island is beautiful, there was insufficient description of the run on the website (which is quite basic). The first 8 miles were relatively easy, at my pace or better. The next 4 miles were killer both in the elevation climb and the heat. This left little oomph left for the next 14 miles, but I was able to warrior on and finish in under the 8 hours needed. As a slow runner, I wish there had been more support for the later aid stations in keeping them stacked with ice, and at the finish line where the massage crew had already packed up and left. The run appeared to be fairly well organized, in a beautiful location, lots of Japanese runners as well as US entries, and worth the trip.

I've run the half for the last 3 years and it's always been my best P.R. Tried the full this year, and was pleasantly surprised by great support. This year was super hot, and without trade winds this distance is a huge challenge. Remember that you are on an island, so this isn't a big city race, but it's very good for the location. Expo is minimal, shirts are historically hideous, but improved this year! Half marathon unfortunately is on all shirts ( no offense) and pops in white so is very confusing. Great race overall, but I'll stick with the half in the future.

From what I understand, the race was started earlier this year (5:00 AM) to limit exposure to the heat. Unfortunately, Maui was experiencing record heat over the race weekend! Despite a bit of a surreal start, with an accident at the line, the race was very smooth. There were plenty of aid stations and enthusiastic volunteers. By the time the sun rose in earnest, around 7:00 AM, the heat was oppressive. The course was beautiful, despite running along the highway. The views of the water and of the neighboring islands were incredible. The route through Lahaina was nice to not only have the entire road to ourselves (thus limited vehicle traffic) but also some shade. The finish into Kaanapali was also very pleasant with good fan support. Overall, it was a very good race. Maui is a great place to recover from a marathon. If you plan to participate, spend a good deal of your training in the heat and, if possible, the humidity. The best place to start would be on a treadmill in a steam room!

Bummed that the T-shirts said marathon and half marathon. No disrespect meant to the to halfers, but I ran twice as far and my own tshirt color/design would be nice - and not hard or expensive. One more screen costs nothing compared to my airfare. Good work from the New Jersey hubby of Susie who cheered up a storm for us. All the other volunteers were super - especially the one who offered to rub Vaseline on my inner thighs. Xoxo. Walking two or three blocks to get to the start line was odd, but it worked fine.

On vacation and decided to ran half vs doing training run. A lot of good things to say, including wonderful course and ample water stops. Few fans due to pre-dawn start. Suggestions for improvement include: Lose the tents in the starting area-start of half is in finish line area and large tents were set up. Get the tents out of the starting area or move the starting area. Second suggestion, hold traffic on main highway for 15 minutes to allow starting pack to spread out. A lot of runners were forced to run shoulder to shoulder in one lane while traffic whizzed by. Finally, limit race photographer from taking flash pictures during the early part of the race when sky it is still pitch black. Extremely annoying and blinding!

INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:14:52. The Maui Marathon was my twenty-sixth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: The fire dancer performing during the opening festivities provided a good clue how warm the race was going to be: it was already 72 degrees at the start, high humidity with light wind from the northeast. Starting at the Queen Kaahumanu Center, our pre-dawn course took us on a pair of Kahului neighborhood streets before turning onto the Kuihelani Highway, where we were given one lane of the four-lane divided highway that took us by the sugar cane fields. Before mile 7, we headed south on the Honoapiliani Highway as the sun began to rise. We felt the wind at our back as we had our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean and neighboring island Kahoolawe as we approached Maalaea, located at the southern end of the isthmus. We would stay on the side of this two-lane road to Lahaina for the next 15 miles, sharing it with the traffic going in both directions. Not really a problem, for by now we were spread out along the course. Up to this point we were on level ground, but that changed beginning at mile 8 when we encountered the Pali (Hawaiian for 'cliff') and started our ascent. We would climb approximately 100 feet over the next three or so miles. At around mile 12, we encountered the tunnel that would signal our descent back to sea level. It also meant we would no longer feel the benefit of the wind to cool us down, and with the sun in full force, it started to get a bit hot. Now traveling westward, we began to see surfers and paddle-boarders with neighboring island Lanai in the background, that is, when we were able to avoid the constant distraction of the traffic cruising by. Being on the leeward part of the island, it was fairly dry, with few trees around to give us cover. At mile 16, we briefly departed from the coast as we entered the village of Olowalu, with our course now heading northwest. The heat started to take its toll as our mile splits were getting longer and longer. At mile 22, we entered the aptly named Lahaina (Hawaiian for 'cruel sun'), detouring from Honoapiliani Highway on Front Street. The protection provided by the homes, retail and dining establishments from the wind made this the hottest part of the course. Leaving Lahaina, we returned back to Honoapiliani Highway at mile 24. Heading north, we could see neighboring island Molokai on our left as we headed to Kaanapali Parkway and Whalers Village, our final destination. Weather conditions at the finish: 84 degrees, moderate humidity, and 9 mph wind from the east. ORGANIZATION: The expo was small and efficientone could retrieve his bib and tee shirt in as little as five minutes and be on his way. No problem with the 3:30 a.m. school bus that took us from the Westin Maui Resort in Kaanapali to the start in Kahului. The only negative that could be found were the misplacement of mile markers 7 and 13 (both were very early) and the absence of mile marker 25 on the course. Very short post-race party, it lasted less than the advertised 90 minutes. FANS: Some Kahului residents turned out to see the runners early in the morning. Some of the cars along the Honoapiliani Highway honked and gave us the 'hang loose' sign. Also, there were some associated with the Japanese tour groups on hand to cheer us on every now and then. CONCLUSION: If you like a true point-to-point course, without detours, loops, or out-and-backs, then this is one of the very few marathons for you. The easygoing attitude and the warm weather of the area will likely prevent you from setting a personal best here, but you will have a whale of a time running in this well established event.

I did the Full Warrior Challenge in the Maui Marathon. This means that you run a 10K 6:30am Sat, a 1 mile race 4pm on Sat & then run the full marathon 5:30am Sun. I went to the expo on Fri 12:15pm. It opened 12:00pm. I had ordered XS shirts & usually by the time I get to the expos they 'run out' of the XS shirts. So...when I went there early to get my XS shirts, & of course, they didn't have any XS (VERY frustrating!!!). The small shirts were HUGE (men's Small obviously!!!)!!! I'm not that tiny (like a lot of marathon runners) I'm 5'2 & 115lbs....I tried to find the race director for about 30 min without luck....I got 4 shirts, & I'm NOT able to wear ANY of them!! Also, The Warrior Challenge shirt didn't even explain what the challenge consisted of?!?!?! I think that the events should be listed on the shirt!! I won my age group in the 10K & the medal is HUGE!!! I also won a medal in the mile race & tried to get hold of someone so I could get it while in Maui (which I was there for 10 days)....but the only response I got was that they'd mail it to me (after reading another persons comment on here, I wonder if this will actually happen?!?!?). The marathon was run along the highway which was HOT with minimal shade...even though we were right next to the ocean. I trained in hot weather, but this was too much. I have run 34 marathons, & I started struggling at mile 9. Oh...well... I finished just over 4 hrs & was surprised when I couldn't find anything to eat at the finish line!! I was offered 2 cups of water & that was it!!! I tried to find some salty foods, but had no luck at all!! VERY frustrating!! Luckily my family was there... I spent a lot of money to go to this marathon & was VERY disappointed.....

Maui has to be one of the finest marathon destinations. I knew it would be hot so planned to carry water and don't forget your gels since they do not have gel on the course. The volunteers at the aid stations were very supportive and encouraged the runners. Interestly, facing the traffic on the highway helped keep me focused on the run during the last half of the marathon. This is not a spectator or entertainment rich marathon so go for all that Maui offers and check off Hawaii on the '50 States: shirt.

This race was well organized, well supported, and had a great after party. I really appreciated the fact that there was an aid station at least every mile for the last 10K, some even closer. The heat during those last 6-8 miles was definitely a factor, but the aid stations were well supplied with water, Gatorade, fruit( at some), and even otter pops at one of them. I would recommend this marathon for sure.

I have seen some of the recent comments and I am not sure what event these runners were at, but the maui marathon I just ran was great. Yes warm, but there were aid stations every 2 miles from start to finish with water and electrolyte drinks. They had fruit to eat prior and post race. They had live entertainment at the finish line, expo and luau. Race ran smooth. Chip timing was great and results were out quick. The expo had Hawaiian arts and crafts, but also had health and fitness items as well. A great destination race to go to.

We saw the previous years comments and didn't think it could be that bad.. we were wrong. At the expo, very little merchandise- mostly tourist stuff - soaps etc. Chaos at the registration tables as you had to go through multiple lines to sign up and pay etc. Shirts - mediocre. The course only had stations every 2 miles for the first 12 miles or so and it was 'HOT'. They also did not have any Gu....only water and a sports drink. A couple stations had grapes or oranges. No music on the course, no hula girls or spectators. We ran on the highway ( not many other options there on Maui). So we had traffic beside us for the entire race. Not sure what people are saying about the scenery being beautiful. September is the hottest month there and driest so even though we had the ocean on our left for part of the race, we had traffic and dry barren hills on the right. And to top it off, all they had at the finish line to eat was bananas and apples and water. If you wanted anything else, you had to pay for it. If you want to do a marathon in Hawaii - do the Kauai- not Maui.

This was the fifth marathon I have ever run and by far the WORST. Do not waste your precious training time and effort on this race. This race was extremely disorganized. I placed second in my age group, which meant that I should have won an award (a whale plaque). It sounded awesome and I was so excited. I hung around afterward and finally found someone to talk to, but they said they did not have the awards ready to hand out and could not give them out until the evening award ceremony at 5 p.m. I was in no shape to stay for another 7 hours so I headed home and requested that the award be mailed to me. The award was never mailed and I have not received a reply to any correspondence sent to any of the addresses listed on the site. (I even offered to pick up the award from any address on Maui.) What a terrible way to be treated! I will never run this race again.

Having run the Maui Marathon 3 prior times, this year was only the 1/2 because I got married the day before. My wife-to-be was not thrilled at the prospect of a marathon the day after our wedding. Overall, the course is still the same and very enjoyable, and while some have complained about the lack of chip-timing, I didn't miss it. I don't think anyone is going to use Maui as a qualifier for Boston, given the heat, humidity and hills. Course support was great as always, and while crowds are thin, you have the scenery to distract you. Goody bag and sponsor treats were slimmed down from prior years, but I attribute that to the economy. The only thing that did annoy me was that they had no mile makers for the course. While many of us have GPS watches and the like, I like that mile marker to click off the mile in my head. So after 3 Maui Marathons and 1 Maui 1/2 Marathon, I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for something new. Set your expectations: you're not going to get a PR and enjoy the run....

The most awesome, superb, and perfect race! Where else will you run/walk in a postcard-picture world between austere mountains and incredible blue oceans? It far surpassed my imagination of racing. The course was smooth and rolling. Very hot race though. The search for shade proved futile. But I plan to be there again next year!

Course is beautiful, no question. Got very hot after sun came up halfway, my pace dropped from 8:30 to 9:30 in a hurry and I limped in at 4:02. I thought the organization was pretty good, though I might change a few details - for instance the shuttle bus to start line leaves at 3 a.m., so you end up standing around the start until 5:30. Could have used that extra hour sleep. I decided to do the Warrior Challenge, which added a 5K and 1-mile run on the day before the marathon. This was probably not a good way to spend the day before the race for me anyway - but I just can't say no to anything called "challenge," and the promise of a second medal and four t-shirts clinched it. This was my first time in Maui and I went with the family and had a lovely holiday built around the race weekend. I saw some people complaining about the organization, but remember that this is still a fairly small race, with about a thousand runners in the half and 750 or so in the marathon. I thought they did a very good job, all things considered.

This was my first and in retrospect it was not a good choice for a first marathon. But I signed up about 10 months in advance and it was a good excuse to go to Maui. Once the sun came up there was no escaping it while you were running down an asphalt highway. I trained very well and even tried to train in heat when possible but the sun was brutal this day, along with a 70-degree dew point. I was 30 minutes off my goal time, which I had adjusted up 10 minutes due to the heat. I vowed to never run a marathon again once I finished. However I entered my hometown marathon (Omaha Marathon) which was today and performed very well, much to my surprise (it was 50 degrees at the start). The volunteers were great and there was ample drinks at the aid stations, from my perspective. It is amazing that there is no chip timing. I have run many smaller events (halfs and 10-milers) that have had 200-400 runners and every single one had chip timing. The pasta dinner was good, although it costs $55 per person. I am glad that I ran and finished but will likely not return (at least for the marathon) unless I am sentenced to run it by a judge.

This would be my fourth year running Maui Marathon. It was good at first then, but it came to bad, worse, and worst. There's no timing chip, and no Gatorade and fruit at the aid station. At the finish line, they lack a selection of fruit, and there's just water to drink.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

I ran the half in 2008. This is a great run on an incredible island. It starts out early in the day, but given the heat and humidity under the sun, it's worth getting up at 3 a.m. Most people come from the west anyway, so the jet lag is actually a good thing from this point of view. The aid stations are great - those ice cold sponges were awesome. Very well organized, descent expo, nice medal. Would have preferred a "technical" shirt, but the cotton tee was still a nice touch. If you're considering running this and you've never been to Maui, use the race as your excuse. Maui a beautiful island and there's lots to do besides lie on the beach.

I agree with everything JT from Massachusetts said. The items that were within the control of the race director were handled extremely well. The weather is not within his/her control so you can't really criticize anyone for the heat. You are running a marathon in Maui in September. It is what it is. It was definitely hot though. It helped that the race had more water stations than any race I have ever seen and a lot of cold sponges. I loved the stretch of the race that went through Lahaina - those people turned out in droves. Other than that spectators were few and far between but I wasn't really expecting much in that regard. The post-race party was really fantastic - free beer and pizza and no one really cared if family members grabbed food and suds. You don't want to go into this race with high expectations for a great performance/time. Although I didn't find the hills all that difficult really, the heat more than made up for that. Just do this one for the experience or as a training run like I did and you will really enjoy yourself.

Ran the half this year, and finished before the heat got bad. Brought our trainer and he won it! Ran the full in 2005, and while Maui is the best, the heat got unbearable by the end. Volunteers and sponges were awesome!

Going into this marathon, I knew it would be hot and hilly, so I did not pursue a specific time goal, especially since heat combined with running is not a great combo for me. This marathon was going to be about the view and the experience. I finished the course 30 minutes later than my usual time, but finished with a huge smile on my face and with no injuries! The volunteers were awesome and I loved the sponges with ice. I thought it was the most organized marathon that I have run to date. Thank you to everyone who volunteered - you made a huge difference! I also appreciated the energy and enthusiasm of the MC - he was very entertaining! As for the finisher's t-shirt, I would have preferred a technical shirt. I loved the ones that were sold at expo with the map!

The bases were covered in the 2008 Maui Marathon. Pre-race packet pick up was efficient, bus logistics to the start went smoothly, race started on time, chip timing, more than enough water stations (with ice sponges), super friendly volunteers, an organized finishing area, a colorful and unique medal, adequate post-race food and a nice finisher's party. Many race's don't pull off all of these details... but Maui did. The heat/humidity is the heat/humidity; there's nothing race officials can do about that other than ensure a sufficient number of stations that are adequately supplied (which Maui did). Auto traffic is close to the runners during much of the course, and that's a bit of a negative, as runners need to keep a continuous eye on oncoming traffic. However, with the limited available road surface in Maui, I suspect roads can't be closed solely to runners. Tightly-spaced orange cones managed the situation for the most part. Overall, a nice race, and one that I would recommend to my fellow 50-staters looking for their Hawaii marathon.

First off, Kevin, thanks for chasing me down and returning my sunglasses! That probably would have made the four other hours I was on the course pretty rough. Second, the volunteers in the race were incredible - so many great young kids spending a perfectly good day in Maui handing water and sponges to a bunch of nuts. I decided there were no spectators because they were all volunteering. The course is along a highway, so there's really not a great place for spectators anyway. You can't beat the views of the ocean on your left and the mountains on the right. The tradewinds took the weekend off, so that made the heat a little more intense, but weather presents a different challenge in every marathon. The expo was a little weird; there's not much signage letting you know which way to go, or even folks pointing it out to you. I found it, so I guess they had enough. I was concerned after reading some of the 2007 comments about the new director, but it seems like they listened to some of the comments from the last year (ice sponges), so I hope they will continue to improve. If I could run it again tomorrow, I would!

This marathon was covered in VOG, and run at 91 degrees with almost no spectators. The volunteers were outstanding. For the price, we should have received a well thought-out technical t-shirt - not a simple cotton tee. I thought the finish area and expo were tiny.