Runners and walkers from all over the world taking on the Kaua‘i Marathon and Half Marathon awoke before the dawn to break a sweat in the Po‘ipu annual race Sunday. Of course, there were plenty of local participants as well,
Runners and walkers from all over the world taking on the Kaua‘i Marathon and Half Marathon awoke before the dawn to break a sweat in the Po‘ipu annual race Sunday.
Of course, there were plenty of local participants as well, including cross-training paddlers and Kaua‘i leaders alike, including Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr.
The first 11 miles followed a coastline and inland course, which made its way to the Tree Tunnel and onward to ‘Oma‘o, Lawa‘i and Kalaheo, before making the way back to the finish line at the beachfront Sheraton Kaua‘i Resort in Po‘ipu.
The race was the second of its kind, marking the continuation of a new annual tradition for the island.
As participants crossed the finish line into the lawn activities and massage tables and high-stacked plates of food, ‘ukulele talent Kyle Furusho could be heard playing fun and lighthearted music, including the theme to Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers.
Kapaia Stream also was on hand with a little funk later in the day as families greeted participants and congratulated them.
Runners like Robin Stearns, of San Francisco, and Andy Kadavy, of Nebraska, both boasted not only good times (1:25 and 2:15, respectively), but about the fact that they together raised $6,500 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in an effort to donate financial support toward medical research.
Runner Marisa Larson, of Fruita, Colo., said she spent a mere two weeks training, having had finished a marathon in the Grand Valley race in Grand Junction, Colo., earlier this year. For runner Justin Wilcox, another Colorado visitor from Denver, the Kaua‘i Marathon made for the fourth race of the summer.
Lina Vanfossen, of Kapa‘a, said she is using the race as a way to keep up her training for the Honolulu Marathon, for which she’s also been preparing with the help of Stacey’s Bootcamp, which occurs at Lydgate Beach Park.
Those wanting to get a jump start on training for next year’s Kaua‘i marathon should mark their calendars for Sept. 4, 2011.
To learn more, go to http://www.thekauaimarathon.com/register/.
