PO‘IPU — The Sports and Fitness Expo marked the start of the 4th Kaua‘i Marathon, Friday at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa in Po‘ipu. The expo offers participants in the marathon to pick up race information, race bags
PO‘IPU — The Sports and Fitness Expo marked the start of the 4th Kaua‘i Marathon, Friday at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa in Po‘ipu.
The expo offers participants in the marathon to pick up race information, race bags and finalize registration process ahead of the marathon which starts at 6 a.m., Sunday in front of the Po‘ipu Shopping Village. The expo runs until 2 p.m., Saturday at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i, opening with an untimed Morning Fun Run at 8 a.m. at the dirt road at the end of Po‘ipu Road.
Meynard Enriquez, MPT, owner and clinical director of Hawai‘i Sports and Balance Center, had some of the facility’s staff on hand at the expo.
“We’ll be helping at the finish line for the fourth year,” Enriquez said. “We have a station and our physical therapists will be there. Other marathons have medical stations, we have a station with physical therapists.”
In addition to helping runners during the packet pickups, Enriquez said they will be offering a talk about avoiding the four common running injuries, Saturday starting at 11 a.m. at the Garden Isle ballrooms I and II at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i.
The public is invited to the expo where marathon hosts Bart Yasso and Dean Karnazes will be available to talk about running and marathons as well as sign autographs for people.
The 4th Kaua‘i Marathon starts at 6 a.m., Sunday on Po‘ipu Road.
Runners in the half marathon and full marathon run together for the first 11 miles before half marathoners head for the ocean front finish line exiting Oma‘o. Full marathoners turn toward the towns of Lawai and Kalaheo before returning to Po‘ipu and the ocean front finish line.
Tyler McCandless, winner of the 2011 The Kaua‘i Marathon and the course record holder, was at the expo, ready to defend his title, Sunday.
“I’m feeling really good about this,” McCandless, who went on to win the Iwaki City Marathon in Japan, said. “There are two Kenyans here for this marathon, but we’ll see what happens on the road and make the necessary adjustments. I’m ready.”
Visit www.thekauaimarathon for more information as well as course maps and road closure information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
