PO‘IPU — Wilcox Health, presenter of the Wilcox Health Sports and Fitness Expo, said they had their physical therapists available, Friday to help Kaua‘i Marathon athletes and other Expo attendees with some of their health and movement concerns at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa.
The Expo is one of the several community events surrounding the Kaua‘i Marathon that returns in-person to Po‘ipu with a record-high 2,200 athletes registered for the big race that starts at 6 a.m., Sunday.
“We’ve been running since the inaugural event 12 runs ago,” said Leesha Kawamura who picked up race packets for herself and several friends who could not attend the Expo that is piggy-backed to race packet pickup and late registration for those who missed the online deadline. “The Kaua‘i Marathon gives us special commemorative plaques for those who started with the first marathon. Even during the COVID-19 shutdown, we did the virtual event and kept running. We just completed the 100-mile Challenge, another event that surrounds the Kaua‘i Marathon.”
The Kaua‘i Marathon Champion Tyler McCandless, setting a record for the full marathon in 2013, and a record for the Half Marathon, in 2018, was a special guest of the Expo, taking time to speak with runners and athletes who will be running, Sunday.
“I’m trying to pick up everything I can from him,” said Dr. Travis Parker who ran the first Kaua‘i Marathon and set a course record. “I haven’t run consistently, maybe up to six of the marathons so I need to pick his brain and learn as much as I can.”
McCandless, back in person for the 2022 Kaua‘i Marathon and leading another Kaua‘i Marathon community event, a free and open to the public 3-mile run, Saturday, said he is registered to do the 13-mile Half Marathon, Sunday, running the course in an estimated hour and five minutes.
Other community events surrounding the Kaua‘i Marathon race that starts at 6 a.m., Sunday include carbo parties at Brennecke’s, a Keiki Fun Run, Saturday with late registrations being accepted from 8 a.m. at the far end of the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i, and the McCandless-led 3-mile run.
On race day, traffic movement will be impacted by the 2,200-plus runners and walkers on the Kaua‘i Marathon route.
Visit thekauaimarathon.com for a full list of traffic advisories, including changes to The Kaua‘i Bus schedule, road partial and full closures, and the race course maps.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
