The Hapalua – Hawaii’s Half Marathon

This race is by far my favorite Hawai’i half marathon race! I ran this event 3xs now, and it has grown so much over the past couple years (participation and the organization itself). There are so many great features about this event that makes it special and unique. One of the features of this half marathon include The Hapalua Chase. In the Hapalua Chase, the best local runners from Hawaii get a head start on some of the best professionals runners in the world. The pros will chase down the local guys and girls to the finish line to claim the grand prize. It’s just an exciting feature that the Hapalua included and it’s fun cheering on Team Hawai’i when you see them running back. And of course you gotta cheer for the pros when they’re inching in on Team Hawai’i lol.
Another great feature to this race are the fundraising teams. Anyone can form a team, pick a cause and raise money for it. Every team member that contributes to the minimum donation will receive a discounted price to their Hapalua registration fee. It’s just a great way to give back to the community while promoting health and an active lifestyle.
After you register, the organization will send out an email notifying you on the expo info. The expo is usually at the Convention Center and as the event gets more popular every year, the bigger the room they’re in. It’s a smooth transition from picking up your packet and number, along with a great participation of other venders that attend the expo. Being apart of this race, you also get a dri-​fit race shirt and reusable bag!
The race course is great! Start line is in front of the Duke Kahanamoku statue on Kalakaua. You run along the Ala Moana Blvd and head into downtown area where you loop around and head back into Waikiki, up Monsarrat, around Diamond Head and finish at Kapiolani Park. Everything from the course markers, to the volunteers at the water aid stations, and to the police officers directing traffic were so well-​organized.
At the finish line, you receive your medal and then enter into finishers’ town where you can get your shave ice, malasadas, banana, and refreshments, along with other tents that offer free massages and some other free stuff.
If you’re looking for a half marathon to run, then look no more. The Hawaii Hapalua race is a great event to be apart of :)

Since I have done and enjoyed the Honolulu Marathon in the past, I decided that for my very first half marathon event there would be none better than the Hapalua. Organized by the same people who bring the Honolulu Marathon each December, the Hapalua shares a lot of the same characteristics as its big brother. Packet pickup location, portions of the course and the finish line will feel very similar to those who have done the Honolulu Marathon.
Logistically, the event was very well organized. Everything from registration, packet pickup, parking, shuttle service before and after the race, and aid stations all felt very efficient. Almost all the information you need to know is laid out for you on the well organized and easy to read website. The only thing I had to do a little digging for was if and how I could have someone else pick up my packet since I wouldn’t be flying into Honolulu until after the last pickup time. I think it was on their Facebook page where I read that you can have someone else pick up your packet as long as that person has a copy of your drivers license and confirmation. That information should be located more appropriately on the race website.
This year, 2015, there were roughly 6000 participants, more than any of the previous three years. However, not nearly as much as the twenty-​something thousand for the Honolulu Marathon. Because of that the course seemed less congested after the first mile or two, which I greatly appreciated.
Aid stations were plentiful. In my opinion there were more than needed but, better more than less. I forced myself to utilize each one even if I felt I didn’t need it and there was always enough water and Gatorade for everyone. Naturally, there was some congestion going through but, the tables were spread out quite a bit to minimize this. One of the first things I noticed was that the Gatorade was not watered down at all, which was a pleasant surprise since that was one of my biggest gripes when I did the Honolulu Marathon in 2013.
If my memory serves me right, one of the stations also had gels. I think it was around mile 8, though I could be wrong. Side note, I never used gels before so when I took it during the race I immediately felt nauseous. So I recommend incorporating it in your training to get you body used to it or just skip it all together.
I would say the course was not difficult but not easy. Again, this was my first half marathon so I do not have anything to compare it to so that’s just my opinion. The first 8 miles were pretty flat and easy. But at around mile nine you encounter a beast one mile incline that is Monsarrat. Probably the toughest part of the race, at least for me. After that, though, it’s pretty much all downhill except for one more, much smaller, incline. I really liked the last half mile because it is a flat, wide, straight shot to the finish, where spectators line both sides and cheer you on. As you approach the finish line an announcer calls out your name on a loud speaker. It makes you feel like a superstar, if only for an instant. That was a nice little touch to the ending of a 13.1 mile trek.

Hawaii’s Half Marathon, from the people who bring you the Honolulu Marathon! This very well organized event and beautiful course is a must do for any runner. There is no time limit so you can run fast or slow!
The course starts in beautiful Waikiki in complete darkness at 6:00 am. You run to China Town, turn around, and then back to Waikiki before heading around breathtaking Diamond Head and ending at Kapiolani Park. The course itself was nice. Mostly flat, with one tough hill around mile 9 but after the beast known as Monsarrat, it was all downhill! The course was wide and I didn’t have to weave in and out of people like other races on Oahu so I was thankful for that.
Malasadas, other yummy goodies, and a medal modeled after a Hawaiian coin were handed out at the finish line.
I am now making this a yearly ritual because I loved it so much. Thank you to everybody who helped put this race together and all the volunteers that helped out. I can’t wait to be a part of this race year after year!

Hapalua… Thank you for all the support from everyone and it was great seeing some inspiring people before the race. Thank you for the good luck messages too.
A little after the second mile, some of the fastest runners were on their way back already and I was like wth. At mile 4, I started to cry thinking I couldn’t do this. By mile 8 I wanted to run across to the people on the other side who were almost done. And at mile 10 I wanted to give up because of the rain, wind, exhaustion, darn Monsarrat but I pushed my limits and didn’t finish as strong as I’d like but I did what I could.
This is my first half marathon. My goal of 3 hours was reasonable for 13.1 miles. I finished at 2:58:23. Would I do it again? Yes, I would. The scenery is beautiful to run and see. I want to live a healthy life and push myself to always to do better. I didn’t think I could be a runner and people even put me down and told me to give up, it’s not for me. But I persevered. I may not be the best but I did it and gave it my all. And now I’ll get off my soapbox. ^^*

Great race on a beautiful course through Downtown Honolulu, Waikiki and around Diamondhead with breath-​taking scenery (it’s on the route of the full Honolulu Marathon) — must do if you a runner and like the half marathon distance. Finished the last 2 and just signed up for 2015– see you on the race course =)

I tried this run for the first time on it’s third year on 04/​13/​2014. Ever since I got into running and doing the Honolulu Marathon, I figured I try out the Hapalua Half Marathon. I remember registering during an early bird special or something that was like 50 bucks. I said to myself man this better bee worth at least more than half of the fun that the Marathon provides that boy, in my opinion, it delivered. So this is organized by the same organizers as the Honolulu Marathon. Although it’s not as big (yet) as the Honolulu Marathon since it is really a relatively new race still breaching out, it’s still a great race and event. Prior to the race and event, they send you out an «In-​Training» t-​shirt which is pretty cool if you sign early enough. I was really using the shirt while training as well as on the day of the race! They don’t really have an Expo like they do for the Marathon but they still have vendors out and everything for when you do packet pick ups. I feel that the course really does provide and mimic half of the Honolulu Marathon. The race starts at 6AM. It is exactly half of a marathon which is 13.1 miles of fun. They do have courtesy shuttles to and from the event from Kapiolani Community College to Waikiki. The starting line is at the Duke Kahanamoku Statue on Kalakaua Ave. It’s pretty much a straight away down through Ala Moana Blvd. then wraps around downtown going back to Waikiki then the last thing is running around Diamond Head which is the most hardest and challenging part about the race. This year (2014) it was rainy on and off but overall it was ok running weather. Just like the marathon, they serve water and gatorade for your hydration needs. I didn’t see too many people with gimmicks or costumes on so it was a pretty normal running crows. I saw kids running this race. You can walk or run! When you finish, I feel that there are more incentives that they give here than they do at the Marathon. They hand out yummy bagels, malasadas, bananas, shave ice, moon shine cookies, etc. Just like the marathon, they have booths and vendors and entertainment to celebrate the festivities of the Hapalua. I would say the race and event is worth it. I look forward to doing this race more as well as hoping that it does get bigger.

This was one of the most well-​organized running events I’ve participated in in Hawaii.
For a relatively small race (about 4500 participants) in comparison to the Marathon and GAR, I was surprised at how much of the course roads they were able to get permitted to close, which made the running paths graciously wide and for the majority of the race, I felt un-​crowded and very comfortable! What a pleasant surprise!
For the most part, the route was easy and flat. The most difficult part of this race was heading up Monsarrat at mile 9 (unfortunately this year with headwinds blowing you in the face). No worries though because right after you tackle this long gradual hill you get the luxury of a slight downhill to prepare your legs for the last little climb and steep decline back to Kapiolani Park.
At the finish, you are given a medal, water, banana and of all things… a malasada. Healthy recovery food: P

I have ran the Hapalua — Hawaii’s half marathon for 2x now: 2012 & 2013. They call it Hawaii’s première half marathon, even though there are other smaller half marathons on Oahu and the neighbor islands year round. Its nice to know that the people who brought you the annual Honolulu Marathon is also behind the reigns of the Hapalua Half marathon. According to the organizers, Hapalua means half in the Hawaiian language, so that’s fitting for a half marathon. The field for this half marathon is about 3,000 strong and continues to grow each year. While I won’t be running this one in 2014, due to finances and me trying to finish up my own quest to run 50 states marathons this year in 2014, I will definitely will try to run it every year thereafter, as something to do and to keep race ready all year round.
The Hapalua half marathon course starts at the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the heart of Waikiki and heads westbound into downtown Honolulu for a few miles. Then a sharp u turn back towards Waikiki. We pass Waikiki, up to Kapiolani Park and March up along Monsarrat Avenue. We weave along Diamond Head Road along Kapiolani Community College, and finish up at the Honolulu Marathon finish line at Kapiolani Park. In 2013, there was a torrential rainstorm that literally came down minutes before the gun went off. It was wild. There were many hoots and hollers that morning from all the runners, especially when most of everything was closed on a Sunday morning. Let’s just say everything was invigorating. The torrential downpour was a blessing. It was better than it being hotter than hell, that’s for sure. The aid stations were about every 1.5 miles, so that was pretty good. There wasn’t much of spectators along the route, but it kind of was expected.
It wasn’t your Chicago marathon or New York City kind of spectacle, but it is Hawaii’s own and its a pretty decent course. While its resembles part of the Honolulu marathon course in some aspects, the Hapalua half marathon continues to strive for excellence and «The Chase» proves that. The Hapalua half marathon offers «The Chase» which offers Hawaii’s elite marathoners to compete with international world class runners, by giving them a head start, and eventually chasing the international /​Kenyan superstars. In the end, its great running to be had and great to be watching them record great times, while you run your own personal best or whatever you have for the day. The fanfare that’s pumped for this race wasn’t a whole lot. The expo is held at the Hawaii Convention Center in a small meeting room, not like the Honolulu marathon, where you get the entire ground floor. The medal I received was a small coin, which resembles the Hawaiian currency way back in the day before the United States forcibly took over in the late 1800’s.
While I can’t say that I would wholeheartedly recommend this race, you are running in Hawaii and that’s awesome in itself. The Hapalua Half marathon has a great organization and hopeful that it’ll grow to the première event that I know it can become. Race day typically had been in mid March, but it moved to mid April in 2014. Not sure why it’s the case, but April running is pretty good too, although it can get humid and warm around then. To be sure, it would behoove you to come out and race this one. Generally Recommended if you want to run your first half, although it is hilly in the 2^nd half of the course.
Weather can be a little iffy, but that’s cool. Put on your running shoes and let’s get started!
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B

Out of all the half and full marathons I’ve done, the most exciting and unforgettable by far was the 2013 Hapalua.
Torrential rain drenched runners from the 6:00am start. As we waded through the water, people around me joked about how this was the swimming portion of a triathlon.
Part of the Hapalua is a unique event called The Chase. Team Hawaii, comprised of Hawaii’s best runners, are given a head start on the Chasers, who aim to catch up and pass them. The 2013 Chasers were elite Kenyan runners Jimmy Muindi, Nicholas Manza, and marathon world record holder (2:03:38) Patrick Makau. The first person to cross the finish line wins. I was excited and starstruck to be running the same course as these elite runners, and the course’s switchbacks conveniently allowed us to observe the exciting race.
The course itself consisted entirely of paved streets, with the first nine miles being mostly flat. Runners travel from Waikiki to Downtown Honolulu and back along the same route. Many of Honolulu’s most iconic landmarks are along this route including the Duke Kahanamoku Statue, Waikiki Beach, Ala Moana Beach, Ala Moana Shopping Center, Aloha Tower, Iolani Palace, King Kamehameha Statue, and Kapiolani Park.
Miles 10 and 11 are the hardest in the entire race as runners climb the challenging incline of Diamond Head, Oahu’s famous extinct volcano. Mile 12 finally takes runners downhill along what is probably the most scenic view of the entire race. The ocean and beautiful sunrise from the heights of Diamond Head made the uphill trek seem much more worth it.
From packet pick-​up, to the shuttle buses, to the aid stations, and finish line festival, everything about the Hapalua was well-​organized. Along with the finisher’s medal, there was an abundance of food at the finish line including shaved ice, fruits, energy bars, cookies, and malasadas.
There aren’t many half marathons in Hawaii, so whether you’re a local or tourist, don’t miss out on this flat and scenic race!