calendar icon Apr 27, 2024

Marathon Details - Hawai'i Bird Conservation Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > HI > Hilo > Hawai'i Bird Conservation Marathon

Hawai'i Bird Conservation Marathon

location icon Hilo, HI USA    calendar icon  December 15, 2024    calendar icon http://www.hbcmarathon.com




Name: Bob Kennedy
Address: 18 Riverview Road, Durham, NH
Phone Number:  508-577-4105
Email: Email the organizers
 
 
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Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.5 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 5.0 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 2.5 
 
 
Number of comments: 4


 

D. G. from South San Francisco (12/20/2023)
"Great Organization, Fast Course, Would Run Again!" (about: 2023)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Hawai'i Bird Conservation Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


I chose this race for my 50 state journey based on the comments before me. All of the comments are spot on. The organization of this race was great. Packet pickup was easy to get to, shuttle pick up was exactly on-time, and water stations were sufficient. I stayed at the Naniloa hotel which was incredibly convenient as the shuttle pick-up was a 5-6 minute walk.

The course is really fast with most of it downhill. Near the end there was a decent incline that I had to power through. Personally, I hit a PR with this course and it was the first time I ran a sub four hour marathon which was a personal milestone for me. I gave a 3 star for spectators since it was a small race with only ~110 ish runners. The spectators that were there though gave me plenty of motivation.

Also, Hilo is a great place to visit. Good food, some nice places to grab a drink, and friendly people. Race is in December though so it might be raining so plan accordingly, helicopter tour got cancelled :(. Think you can spend a couple days here but I would recommend spending some time in Kona as well (def go see the Manta Rays at night!). 10/10 would run again!
 

J. B. from VT (12/16/2019)
"Enjoyed this small and simple race" (about: 2019)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Hawai'i Bird Conservation Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


This is a newer (3 years?) small race run from Volcano to Hilo. The previous comments were very accurate, and overall I would recommend this race. I will add some some pros and cons to the comments already made:

Pros:
1. Very good COMMUNICATION and ORGANIZATION from new race director Alan Ryan with well-timed and well-planned directions/instructions sent via email
2. GRADUAL DOWNHILL-- never a steep grade like some races that slam you down a giant hill and then expect you to do rollers for the second half of the race on weak quads
3. Very chill, LOW-KEY environment that just focuses on the run in a beautiful area

Cons:
1. Very chill, LOW-KEY environment. If you are looking for bands and cheerleaders, look elsewhere. Not really any spectators as I don't think the community has caught on yet
2. Run on a HIGHWAY that is not closed, so there are lots of cars flying by, esp the second half. Not dangerous, but not very serene.
3. B/c of #2, you must run on the shoulder (facing traffic), which is notably CAMBERed.
4. NO porta-potties along the way. Plenty of private spots to be found, but highly inconvenient to trip around in the brush during a road race.
5. It is HOT by the end and in the SUN, especially for those of us out there for 4hrs or more.
 

W. C. from Upstate New York (12/29/2018)
"Wonderful and" (about: 2018)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Hawai'i Bird Conservation Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 1


Don't be fooled by the elevation drop ... this marathon is fast but not easy! The director, Bob, is wonderful, and made for a great small-marathon experience with loads of personal touches. The 'medal' is my very favorite of the 39 other marathons I've done ... one that you'll actually wear around your neck as jewelry!
 

G. R. from North Carolina (12/26/2018)
"PR and BQ course" (about: 2018)

50+ previous marathons | 1 Hawai'i Bird Conservation Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 2


I can't believe no one has not reviewed this race, unless it was to keep it a secret from other runners! What a great race. The race is perfectly organized, everything is well planned and the course as advertised is one of the fastest in the US. Plenty of the age group winners reported PR's by 10 to 20 minutes in some cases. Others PR'd when their previous PR was 10 years or more ago. It's down hill and shaded for most of the run. The last several miles are out in the sun which can cause issues. The medals and age group awards are outstanding. The medal is a necklace with a charm for the marathon, one if you run sub 3 or sub 4 and one if you BQ. I'll save the age group awards as a surprise but well worth trying for one. Aid along the route was good, the crews did a great job of handing out water or gatorade by request. You could drop gear at the first two stops and it was there at the finish line. Prerace was inside near a fire with indoor rest rooms. Food after the event was limited but excellent! I can think of nothing that needs improvement.

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