WAIMEA — For three miles, Sgt. First Class Phillip Kamakea carried the flag of Charlie Troop 299 Calvary Regiment with the Hawaii Army National Guard.
He held it high, waved it in response to cheers from spectators and gripped it tightly with pride as he covered the 5k of the 41st Captain Cook Caper Run on Saturday.
“It was hard on the hands,” the Lawai man said after finishing at the Waimea Plantation Cottages. “The hands get numb.”
But that didn’t slow Kamakea, who brought the flag with him to support both the Waimea Town Celebration and the National Guard.
His daughters, Crystal and Chloe, are freshmen at Waimea High School and in the JROTC program, which the fun run benefited.
“Since I gotta be out here at 5 in the morning, I figure I gotta do it, too,” he said.
Kamakea was one of about 180 runners and walkers in the annual event that included a 10k, 5k and 2k. Most were in the 5k, said Maj. Victor Aguilar, race organizer.
Participation was up about 30 over last year, and the weather — cool and cloudy and no wind — was close to perfect for race that saw medals go to top finishers.
“It’s been nice to us,” he said.
The Captain Cook Caper Run, as usual, attracted a mixed field of young and old, fast and slow, families and individuals, but all with the same goal: to enjoy the morning on the Westside.
Bill Davis, who works for Hartung Brothers, flashed a big smile as he finished to a round of cheers from fellow employees.
He said he doesn’t run too often, but had a good time in his first fun run. It actually went better than expected.
“It was great. I gotta lose this weight and do another one,” he said.
Five-year-old Adrian Henkel of Eleele finished the 2k, then jumped in and joined his father as he ran the final stretch of the 5k.
“He just wanted to finished with his dad,” said Kailana Soto, who was the first female finisher in the 2k and earned a plaque.
She said the family has participated in the Captain Cook run the past three years.
“I love it that the community can get together and just enjoy ourselves,” she said.
Mathea Allansmith of Koloa was the day’s final finisher, completing the 10k in an hour and 50 minutes.
“Last, but not least,” the 87-year-old said happily.
It was her 11th time in the Caper Run, one of her favorite races.
There was a little drama when organizers, concerned Allansmith hadn’t finished earlier, called her daughter in Massachusetts, the emergency contact listed by
Allansmith.
She wasn’t far away and received an escort for a short stretch near the finish from Lt. Rod Green with the Kauai Police Department, which made Allansmith chuckle as she later posed with Green for a picture.
“I would say hello and he would say hello,” she said.
She shook her head over the excitement.
“I felt just fine,” Allan-
smith said. “I can do a full marathon. I can do them all at my pace, but I finish.”
That’s really good. 200 showed up. Waimea was happy. Congrats!