Honolulu Marathon Weekend: 10K

Honolulu is a tough place to run, unless you're used to heat and humidity

If you live in somewhere like Singapore this one would be fairly straightforward but coming from the mainland US in December it's tough. But then 'tough' is a challenge and challenges are good. The Honolulu Marathon weekend is made up of 4 events, a mile and 5k on Saturday and the 10k and the Marathon on Sunday. We tried out the 10k. We'll do the Marathon another time :)

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The Destination

Located on Oahu Island, Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii, with a population of around 350,000. Known for its long board surfing at Waikiki Beach, it offers world class shopping and dining and some of superb natural landscapes, including Diamond Head, that plays such an important role on this stunning Hapalua Half course. more on that later.

There is so much to see in Honolulu, even though many visitors find it hard to pull themselves away from magnetic Waikiki. The beaches are breathtaking and with surfing lessons on offer in multiple locations, this is a great place to have a go for the first time. Try snorkeling at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, or experience ocean kayaking at Kaneohe. If that's not your thing there are plenty of sightseeing opportunities. Don't miss Iolani Palace, home to Hawaii's last two monarchs and the only royal residence in the US. Over the road is the bronze King Kamehameha statue, created in honor of the monarch who unified the Hawaiian Islands. Another important statue and one you'll see on race morning is the Duke Kahanamoku statue in memory of the surfer who popularized the sport around the world.

West of Honolulu is Pearl Harbor, a sombre place, but an essential visit to understand its global significance. It's a National Historic Landmark that includes the USS Arizona Memorial, a battleship sunk in the 1941 attack. There's plenty to see outside of the main tourist areas, including areas like Kalihi, where you'll find markets serving poké, a very local delicacy; cubes of seasoned, raw fish served with pickled vegetables. There's also great food in Chinatown, where you can grab dim sum and barbecued ribs. At night, this is one of the cool places to experience Honolulu nightlife. However you want to celebrate after running the half, you'll be able to do it in Honolulu.

History

The first event was held in 1973. In 1995, the Honolulu Marathon enjoyed the distinction of being the world's largest marathon when it drew 34,434 entrants and had 27,022 finishers. ]

Unique to the Honolulu Marathon among American marathons is its popularity among runners from Japan and in recent years, the majority of entrants have been from Japan.

In 2008, 14,406 of the total 23,231 entries were from Japan, which made up nearly 62.0 percent of the field. The 2012 40th Honolulu Marathon was held on Sunday, December 9, 2012 and the field reached 30,898.

Race Organiser

The Honolulu Marathon Association, a not for profit organisation.

When?

Held annually in December

Distances

Marathon, 10k and 5k

Is there an Expo?

The Expo is held a couple of miles from the beaches of Waikiki and is pretty easy to get to. You need to head there to get your race number and you can also enter the events themselves, right up until the last day. The Expo is smaller than it was pre Covid, like most, but it will get bigger over time. One of the highlights (in the picture below) was a display of original shirts from down the years.

The expo

How many runners?

20,000 across all distances

Course

Race morning starts nice and early in Honolulu. The 10k and Marathon go off together at 5am! Setting the alarm for 3am isn't great, but this is one of the coolest places on the planet so you do what you have to do. It's a 30-40 minute walk to the start, which is held on the Ala Moana Boulevard, which in Hawaiian means “path by the ocean.” This phrase is an appropriate description for the entire race course. At the start line is Ala Moana Beach Park, a local recreation area encompassing over 100 acres of park, beaches, swimming and surfing spots. There didn't seem to be much in the way of organised corrals, even though we were allocated colours on our bibs that corresponded to a particular start area and it's all pretty relaxed, unlike most events of this size. After the usual motivational talks we had a real treat; those fireworks, wow! You don't get many events that start in the dark with a firework show like this. Very impressive.

It's one of those very early starts!

The second mile of the course runs through downtown along Honolulu Harbor and the historic Aloha Tower, a ten- story clock tower which was the tallest building in Hawaii when it was erected in 1926. Runners turn right into Chinatown and proceed through Downtown Honolulu on South King Street. This historic stretch of the course passes Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil; the gilded statue of King Kamehameha; Kawaiahao Church, built with coral blocks from nearby reefs; Honolulu Hale, city hall; and Mission Houses Museum. The race forks right onto Kapiolani Boulevard through urban Honolulu and in the fourth mile turns right down Piikoi Street. The course returns to Ala Moana Boulevard, this time passing Ala Moana Center, a huge, open-air mall with more than 250 stores. The bridge spanning the Ala Wai Canal marks the entrance to Waikiki. The Ala Wai Canal is a favorite training area for outrigger canoe paddlers and the Ala Wai Harbor hosts international yachting competitions. Mile five races through the concrete jungle of Waikiki high-rise hotels and condominiums, by the Hilton Hawaiian Village and the U.S. Army’s Fort DeRussy. The course turns right onto Kalakaua Avenue lined with shops offering everything from tacky souvenirs and t-shirts to high- priced designer merchandise. Just past the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, Waikiki’s oldest hotel built in 1901, is a spectacular ocean view: world-famous Waikiki Beach. Tourists, beach boys, sunbathers, and surfers flock to this stretch of white sand, often crowding around the statue of Duke Kahanamoku, a renowned surfer and Olympic gold medalist.

If you're running the 10k you run the whole time in the race in the dark, which is pretty unique. The 10k attracts a big crowd with many of them taking their time and enjoying a different side to Waikiki and a much different way of seeing it. There is absolutely no stress in the field with some runners taking over 3 hours to finish. Everyone is having a good time and enjoying the relaxed vibe that this part of the world specialises in! The 10k splits off from the Marathon at the end of Waikiki Drive and we headed to the finish at Kapiolani Park, whilst the marathon runners still had a very hot and sticky 32km to go. Having breakfast at 6am after having just run a 10k is a great feeling!

The Duke Kahanamoku statue

What's unique?

Running through Waikiki is a great experience and while other events do come through this part of the island, when combined with the uniqueness of the Japanese field it's pretty special.

Do charities benefit?

There are some official charities that you're encouraged to raise money for.

Our verdict

Honolulu is an amazing destination and a great place to travel for a running event. Staying in destinations like this and combining your running passion gives travel another angle. it's very expensive however so make sure you plan well in advance and look at other options to the big hotels in central Waikiki. Self catering is an option well worth looking at. Flights from the mainland are also creeping up in price but the earlier you book the better the deal you'll generally get.

How to register

Online via the event website. You can also enter the event at the expo up until Saturday.

RACE WEBSITE

https://www.honolulumarathon.org/