HANALEI — A few miles into the Haena to Hanalei 8 miler, Pierce Murphy was out front, but not quite alone. He still had some competition, although it needed two wheels to keep up. “Only the guy biking,” the 19-year-old
HANALEI — A few miles into the Haena to Hanalei 8 miler, Pierce Murphy was out front, but not quite alone.
He still had some competition, although it needed two wheels to keep up.
“Only the guy biking,” the 19-year-old said when asked if he had company early on in the Saturday morning road race.
For the third straight year, Murphy claimed first place, crossing the finish line in 43 minutes, 16 seconds, well ahead of Nic Clark in second in 47:30, and Joshua Herr, who took third in 48:33.
Murphy, a graduate of Island School, quickly charged away from the field of about 350 runners, who were treated to sunny blue skies and a bit of a breeze for the 33rd running of the annual race put on by the Hanalei Canoe Club.
The 5-8, 140 pounder pushed up the hills, including the dreaded Lumahai, then put it in cruise control on the downhills and flats to enjoy the view of the point-to-point course that follows Kuhio Highway before finishing at the Hanalei Pier.
“I like running it more than winning it,” he said.
The women’s field was led by an island visitor on vacation, Heather Miller.
The Sun Valley, Idaho woman didn’t even know about the race until Thursday. She signed up, then ran to victory in 56:22, outlasting Melissa Jamerino, who finished in 56:46.
The two waged a spirited battle after Miller reeled in Jamerino on the uphills.
“I just felt good, so I decided I was going to go for it and see what happened,” she said. “She got me on the downhills. Once I came down on the flat, I got back in my groove.”
Miller ran a half marathon last Saturday in Stanley, Idaho, where she took second.
“Today I was like, I really don’t want to get second again,” she said.
The 39-year-old is a track and cross country coach who runs 6-7 miles daily, along with yoga and strength conditioning.
It paid off Saturday for the 5-8, 118-pounder, who loved the course.
“You couldn’t beat the scenery,” she said.
About 700 runners and walkers, young and old, registered for either the 8 miler, a 5K or a kids one miler. The field was up from about 600 last year.
Finishers received shirts and a pancake breakfast.
The surge in entries was a little unexpected.
“We ordered almost 700 shirts, but we still ran out,” said Mary Mair, secretary of the Hanalei Bay Canoe Club, which provided more than 100 volunteers to keep runners and cars safely sharing the road.
“Everybody just stepped up and helped,” she said.
Runners enjoyed the day, too.
Edmon Battulayan of Kalaheo, a Haena to Hanalei veteran, covered the course in 58:14.
“I like it,” said Battulayan, wearing a blue “Kauai Divas Security” shirt. “The view, everything was excellent.”
Likewise for Jayleen Ikehara.
Born and raised on Kauai but now a Los Angeles resident, Ikehara returned to the island for graduation parties, to celebrate her daughter’s birthday, and run Haena to Hanalei for the first time.
She finished in about 1:20.
“I ran the whole course,” she said, smiling.
Then there was James Rocha of Koloa, a Crossfit guy who doesn’t like running but did anyway on Saturday to help celebrate a friend’s birthday.
“I can barely stand up right now,” he said after finishing in about 1:10. “I’m going to go lay in my tent for two hours.”
As for those hills early in the first four miles or so of the race, Rocha could live without them.
“It was horrible. Whoever liked it is not good in the head,” he said, laughing. “That one hill is pretty gnarly, Lumahai. It never stops.”
It didn’t slow Murphy, who’s home for a summer of training after a year of running at Colorado University, where he was awarded the Colorado University Sports Performer of the Year for outstanding freshman male athlete.
At CU, the son of Shawn and Doreen Murphy of Hanalei earned All-Pac-12 Second Team and all-region honors. He posted bests in the 5K (14:04) and 10 (29:36).
He plans to run upwards of 90 miles a week as he builds his base before returning to college later this summer.
“Right now, I’m mostly just surfing,” he said, smiling.
And running, of course, — at least enough to claim Haena to Hanalei yet one more time.
He won last year in 42:44, then followed by Herr in second, 45:48, and Clark in third.
And yes, it felt good to finish first again this year.
“I thought I would win, so it wasn’t a surprise,” he said.
Results of Haena to Hanalei 8 mile run/walk, 5k, 1 mile kids run
5K
1. Kaeo Kruse, 18:12
2. Travis Clark, 20:40
3. Eric Potter, 21:58
4. John Salter, 22:40
5. Michael Montgomery, 22:51
6. Janet Snyder, 23:18
7. Kevin Carel, 23:19
8. Kyle Mensch, 23:32
9. Jacob Herr, 23:32
10. Jonah Stokes, 23:34
8 mile race walk
1. Mark Goodman, 1:33:36
2. Yvette Lavigne, 1:34:06
3. Carole Wells, F60-69, 1:38:36
4. Lucas Anakalea, M09-10, 1:40:07
5. Elizabeth Jonas, F60-69, 1:40:50
6. Catherine Turley, F40-49, 1:40:52
7. Karen Samiano F40-49, 1:40:53
8. Amy Galante, F50-59, 1:41:56
9. Vera Vieira, F40-49 1:42:51
10. Mary Capwell, F60-69, 1:43:14
1 mile kids run
1. Sabrina Marvin, F13-14, 6:27
2. Kellen O’Rourke, M09-10, 6:45
3. Santana Anakalea, M09-10, 6:59
4. Spencer Summerhays, M09-10, 7:03
5. Jeremy Herr, M09-10, 7:14
6. Brendan Whiteaker, M11-14, 7:22
7. Nick Bloss, M11-14, 7:34
8. Tori Hennessy F11-14, 7:35
9. Kahlil Shockley, F11-14, 7:48
10. Javin Hennessy, M07-08, 7:58
11. Jesseka Brumbo, F09-10, 8:02
12. Wailana Marvin, F09-10, 8:03
13. Kaua Hermosura, F11-14, 8:13
14. Cash Harper, M09-10, 8:17
15, Bodhi Moomaw, M07-08, 8:19
16. Nathan Maczka, M07-08, 8:20
17. Kainoa Petitt, M09-10, 8:24
18. Benjamin Kimball, M02-06, 8:45
19. Kiwaa Hermosura, M09-10, 9:00
20. Koapaka Brumbo, M02-06, 9:05
21. Thomas Hamai, M07-08, 9:22
22. Lucas Summerhays, M02-06, 9:26
23. Meron Ross, F02-06, 9:26
24. Ahya Shockley, F09-10, 9:27
25. Ethan Whiteaker M09-10, 9:27
8 mile run
1. Pierce Murphy, 19, 43:16
2. Nic Clark, M30-39, 47:30
3. Joshua Herr, M15-19, 48:33
4. Derrick Ledesma, M30-39, 49:02
5. Basil Scott, M50-59, 50:07
6. David Stackhouse, M40-49, 50:59
7. Renato Desouza, M40-49, 51:13
8. Ryan Perez, M15-19, 51:30
9. Jordan Bartolazzi, M20-29, 51:59
10. Nathan Child, M15-19, 53:54
11. Broc Anakalea, M30-39, 54:26
12. William Summerhays, M40-49, 54:33
13. Carlos Garcia, M30-39, 55:05
14. Jimmy McDouald, M20-29, 55:51
15. Bill Buley, M50-59, 55:57
16. Andrew Herr, M15-19, 55:57
17. Heather Miller, F30-39, 56:22
18. Melissa, Jamerino F20-29, 56:46
19. Mike Kidder, M40-49, 57:17
20. Jacob Freeman, M30-39, 57:30
