Honolulu Marathon

This is my 290th marathon/ultra finish. I would give this truly international event 6s across the board if possible. Course: Generally flat with gradual inclines/declines and one small hill, but where I'm from, this was little more than a speed bump. Beautiful course, beautiful scenery, beautiful vegetation, beautiful people. This is paradise. The start and finish are an easy walk from the hotels at Waikiki. The fireworks display was outstanding. Organization: Absolutely top-notch. Packet pickup was a breeze. Plenty of very friendly race volunteers, before, during, and after the event. Plenty of port-a-potties. Aid stations were very very well stocked. TRAFFIC CONTROL AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS THE BEST I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. Officers were not only pleasant and friendly, but downright encouraging. A most pleasant change from some events I have run. The only downside was the start. The marathon and 10k did start together, and as previous comments stated, this did cause problems. Walkers, strollers, young children, the uninitiated, and those who cheated on their seeding time seemed to be scattered throughout the first three color zones at the start. At approximately the 2-mile mark, I almost ran over a young boy (8-9 yrs old) who stopped right in front of me. I trust the race directors have become aware of this. Spectators: Spectators turned out in droves. In places along the route that was conducive to spectators, they appeared in legion. Encouraging, cheering, and providing aid of their own, these people are absolutely beautiful. They made this an amazing community event. All in all, not even the issues at the start could detract from this truly international and inclusive (no time limit) event in this idyllic land. Aloha and Mahalo.

From reading comments from past participants I was prepared to dislike this race. Maybe things are better, or maybe my expectations were low, but I have no complaints about this race and generally had a great experience in spite running my PW. The start area was well organized and an easy walk from Waikiki with ample port o potties. The finish line area was literally a quarter mile from most Waikiki hotels and had a great atmosphere. The race was challenging due to the heat and humidity but the 5:00 AM start helped, and it is Hawaii after all. There are two major hills at Diamond Head, otherwise most of the race is flat. I liked that the water stations in the beginning of the race stretched out over a city block, so runners need not hurry to get to the first volunteers or go thirsty. The expo was well done and had enough vendors to make it interesting, but not over whelming. The medal is among my favorites and the shirt is very nice too. There is an excellent brewery district in Honolulu including 5 brewers within easy walking distance of each other. Our favorites were Aloha Brewing and Lokahi Brewing Company.

Expo: - Pros: easy to get to, lots of swag to buy. - Cons: 50% fewer shirt options for women Race - Pros: It's Hawaii. Medal was great this year. Shutters were great. - Cons: Very long walk to start line from Drop off and Port-a-potties. No Gel of any kind on course as advertised. Some 'Einstein' decided it was a good idea to start the 10K runners mixed in with the Marathon Runners. So for the first 10K we were tripping over Stollers, double strollers, small children... all starting at the front of the race and not the back. Water Stations were rather a joke as you had to fill your own on several occasions. And as every year, many people cheating by cutting the course short. BUT THE WORST was the course was 26.49+ miles long... way over the typical 'extra:. Not just my GPS but numerous others when comparing notes after the race.