Honolulu Marathon

This is a large and fun race, and perfect if you plan to do only one marathon in your life (hint: that's what he all thought!). There's no time cutoff (most unusual for a city Marathon), so you could walk the whole way if you really had to. Nice expo, not huge but adequate. Nice running vibe. I enjoyed it, but it is not one of those immense expos that you get at the majors. Course starts at Ala Moana, just outside the shopping center. Start time is very early in the morning, still dark (the fireworks are a great touch!). Lots of portaloos at the start line. Finish line is in the park near the Honolulu zoo. It's held in winter time in Hawaii, though it's not "cold" of course and towards the end of the race you could almost say "warm". So those from cold locations might find the temperature challenging (but I would not call it hot). It's a huge race, one of the biggest in the world, and extremely popular with Japanese runners. Because there are so many rookie runners, anyone looking to pb should ensure they get placed in the very front corral at the start line. There's quite a large crush of runners if you get caught at the back of the field and this shaved some minutes off my time for sure. The bus transfers to the start line could be improved, huge lines and we feared we would miss the start. In the end we got an uber. The course is generally flat but you do have to run up the side of Diamond Head in both directions; the second time being at the 40km mark, so this was not enjoyable. First time runners will love it. PB hunters might find it hard compared to other events. I give it 4 stars and would enjoy running it again.

42.2 / 26.2 - Marathon

My first marathon and there's no better location than beautiful Honolulu! There's no time limit so you aim to do your very best. Couple of long hills towards the last stretch, wide asphalt roads, great aid stations and gorgeous weather with amazing scenery! The only downside is the waiting area before the race, there was massive bottle neck problem from one side to another if you need to hit the porto-potties.

This was my first marathon and I must say it was EPIC! The atmosphere was electrifying and the journey was truly awesome. The volunteers were fantastic, the crowds so alive, and views incredibly breathtaking. My only critique was that they had limited nutrition stations (I think 2) starting after mile 10 so it's important to bring your own nutrition. Other than that, they had cold sponges to help with the heat, vaseline for chafing, and other great resources. Would highly recommend and I look forward to racing again in the future!

The course was mostly flat/undulating but had 2 giant hills at the start around mile 7-8 and mile 24-25.

Amazing experience on the picturesque location in beautiful Hawaii. The whole event from registration till the very end was impeccably well organized. The memories of this run will live with me forever.

super Organisation schöner lauf mit wahnsinnig tollem Feuerwehr zum Start 🤙

Well organized and a ton of fun. The weather was perfect too!

It was my first full marathon experience. Traveled all the way from Stockholm, Sweden and spent a couple of days before the race exploring the island. The race, being my first, was a huge experience – amplified by the almost surreal scenery. I was lucky to do the run with a friend whom supplied comforting cheers and pads on the back when I the mental brick wall after 30 something kilometers. I'm planning to come back to the island and do it again and I recommend every Marathon runner to participate in Honolulu Marathon.