PO‘IPU — Familiar faces from Saturday’s Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation cross country race were among the sea of runners at Sunday’s Kaua‘i Marathon. Robert Pearson of Kalaheo was at the Waimea Invitational to watch his daughter run for Kaua‘i High School.
PO‘IPU — Familiar faces from Saturday’s Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation cross country race were among the sea of runners at Sunday’s Kaua‘i Marathon.
Robert Pearson of Kalaheo was at the Waimea Invitational to watch his daughter run for Kaua‘i High School. He took his turn on the course Sunday in the Half Marathon that was part of the first Kaua‘i Marathon.
Pearson, finishing fifth overall, was the first Kaua‘i finisher to complete the Half Marathon, stopping the clock at 1:24.45.1 for a 6.33/mile pace.
Pearson’s daughter, Christina, finished third overall and second for Kaua‘i High School at the Waimea Invitational on a 23:01.4 for the three-mile cross country course, Saturday.
James Bresette of Clinton, Ark., stopped the clock at 1:20:54.1 for a 6.11/mile pace to become the first finisher, running in the 45-48 age group.
Alan Ryan of Laupahoehoe was the first Hawai‘i finisher, crossing third overall at a 1:23:51.2 run (6.24/mile).
Lisa Polizzi of Vancouver, British Columbia, was the first female finisher in the half marathon, crossing 17th overall on a 1:32:16.6 run, or a 7.03/mile pace.
Cinzia Bruno, whose dad ran the Full Marathon, finished first in her age group on a 2:01:56.0 run, or a 9.18/mile pace.
Saturday, Bruno finished the three-mile cross country course at Waimea second overall and first for the Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders on a 22:58.80 course run, almost a minute back of Waimea senior Natasha Abadilla (22:03.00).
“That was almost like a practice for today’s race,” said Bruno, 14. “This was a fun race with lots of hills. I just charged ‘em. It was fast coming down Oma‘o, and the rain made it even more fun.”
More than 1,700 runners left the Kiahuna Shopping Village in the pre-dawn darkness as the Kaua‘i Marathon started with a pre-run sprinkle, an indication of the cloudy, showery conditions peppered with brisk winds.
Theresa Gonzales of Kalaheo was the first Kaua‘i wahine to finish the Half Marathon, crossing 25th overall on a 1:35:34.5 run, or 7.18/mile pace.
J.T. Service of San Francisco, Calif., dogged Bresette from the onset, and following just a brief confusion at the turnoff for the Full Marathon, continued to maintain his lead, crossing first overall on a 2:44:11.1 for the 26-mile course that wound through Lauoho and Waha Roads before looping around Kukuiolono Park via Pu‘u Road in Kalaheo.
Service set the pace for the Full Marathon at 6:16/mile and was followed closely by Jason Florimonte of Kaneohe, O‘ahu, finishing second overall at 2:59:53.8.
Travis Parker of Lawai, crossing 18th overall, was the first Kaua‘i finisher in the Full Marathon with a 3:35:11.7 run, or 8:13/mile pace.
Colleen Little of Portland, Ore., crossed fifth overall as the first female to finish the Full Marathon, making the run in 3:08:25.8, or a 7:11/mile pace.
Janet Snyder of Kilauea crossed the line 37th overall at 3:44:55.5, the first Kaua‘i female and first in her age group.
“This is a feel-good day,” said Randall Francisco, president of the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce. “I have some guests who are running in this event, and if you look around, there is nothing but goodness everywhere. This is only going to get bigger.”
Angela Vento, general manager of the Sheraton Kaua‘i agreed.
The finish line for the Kaua‘i Marathon was set up at the entrance to the Po‘ipu resort, and Vento said the hotel has been booked with between three to four hundred runners and their families.
Jeff Sachinni, one of the founders of the Kaua‘i Marathon, said Friday that close to 2,000 runners from nine different countries and 44 states were registered to participate in the first Kaua‘i Marathon.
He said, in a newsletter on the Kaua‘i Marathon Web site, the event took two years to plan and organize and was created to showcase the beauty of Kaua‘i, bring visitors to the island, and to contribute to local charities.
“The Leukemia & Lymphoma Societies’ TnT program raised more than $215,000 and brought in 125 participants,” Vento said. “We’ve also had the cheerleaders from Kaua‘i High School, and the Project Graduation program volunteers from both Kaua‘i and Kapa‘a High School.”
“This is such a good event for everyone,” Vento said. “We’re looking forward to doing it again next year on the Sunday of the Labor Day weekend.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
