Make the Honolulu Marathon Your Next Destination Race
Loved the new race posters for this year’s Honolulu Marathon located at the race packet pickup location, the Honolulu Convention Center.
It’s a new year, and if you’re like me that means it is time to figure out the 2022 race calendar. Woohoo!
What races am I going to run? Should I try a new distance? And probably the most fun question of all. What destination race should I do this year?
Since that is my favorite question to figure out each year, I thought I would share a destination race recommendation for all my mainland and international friends. My recommendation is....the Honolulu Marathon in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
While this is a hometown race for us Hawaiʻi folks, all my friends across the ocean can be sure that this race is definitely worth traveling for. I ran the race last month (3rd time running), and I still have that happy, post-race buzz.
Check out my top 6 reasons why I believe the Honolulu Marathon makes a great destination race.
Why does this make a great destination race?
Beautiful location! If you are traveling in for this race, come early or stay after the race to visit the island. If you looking for the good deals, coming early will probably be your best bet since flights to Hawaiʻi are generally cheaper in early December (they tend to go up dramatically after Dec 15). And I know you don’t want to come to Hawaiʻi alone, so grab your fav person or people and start planning your trip.
Ideal timeframe. In 2022, the marathon will be on Dec 11th, so if you start planning now you have lots of time to save up some spending money, get time off of work, and most importantly...time to train! Not to mention if you are live somewhere cold, December is a good time to escape to our shorts and tshirt weather.
All-level runner friendly marathon – There are no qualifications or cut-off times for the Honolulu Marathon, and the finish line stays open until the last person crosses. First time running a marathon? No worries....we have all levels of runners from the sub 3 hour speedsters to the local Auntie who enjoys walking the course each year.
Fun crowds line the course – At the beginning of the course, many of the school bands crank out fun Christmas tunes, and the locals line most of the course to cheer you on. Be sure to keep an eye out for Batman and your new favorite friends on the Diamond Head hill asking if you want a beer.
Fast, fairly flat course – I just checked my Garmin and I recorded only 774 feet of elevation gain for the entire course. That’s essentially for the same hill that you do twice. If you’re looking to PR for a road marathon in a warm, humid climate, I think this is your best bet!
Two other distances available – Looking for a shorter distance for your friend, family, or loved one to run? The good news is that the Honolulu Marathon weekend features three different races. You already know about the marathon so the other distances are…
The Kalakaua Merrie Mile is on Saturday (day before the marathon) and caters to everyone from the very fast (the current record is 3 min, 54 sec) to the moms and tots laughing their way down the road in their matching tshirts. It’s a fun event open to everyone.
Need something a little longer? The Sunday Start to Park 10k is a great option because you start with all the marathoners and run the same route through downtown and Waikiki until it ends at the Kapiolani Park. This past year, I saw several 10k runners wave goodbye to the marathoner they were running with and then gleefully make a mad dash for the 10k finish line. None of them looked sad to end their race 20 miles earlier than their friends.
Post marathon, changed out of my sweaty running clothes and into my new marathon finisher shirt
Other Details
COVID protocol in place. Because of COVID, the Honolulu Marathon did not send out any race packets early, and everyone had to pick up their own packet with ID and vaccination card ready to show. While we cannot yet know what the protocol (if any) will be for this year, I would plan for at least these precautions.
Race packet pickup is at the Honolulu Convention Center. Runners must pick up their race packets on the Friday or Saturday before the race (10-5 p.m. both days usually), so if you are arriving right before the race make sure you get here early enough to pick up your race packet which includes your number. Check the marathon website for more info about the Convention Center location because depending on where you are staying in Waikiki it may be a couple mile walk.
There usually is a Race Expo at packet pickup. This year the Expo was not as big due to COVID precautions and only featured race branded gear, but my friend and I still found cool Honolulu Marathon tech shirts to buy. Usually, the Expo features several vendors and I always plan extra time to check everything out. Items sell out quickly, so hit the Expo the first day on Friday for the largest selection.
Parking is expensive at the Honolulu Convention Center. This was my first year parking there and I was salty to have to pay the $12 fee, even as a local. This year I will go back to parking at the Ala Moana Center, and then just walk over. Note: that is not an official parking option, so park at your own risk. Other options include: Uber/Lyft drop off, parking at a public lot, metered parking near the venue.
Race start is at 5 a.m. and nearby streets start closing to vehicles at 1 a.m. Plan your race drop off accordingly. This year, I parked near the finish line and chose to walk the 2.5 miles to the start. Usually there is bus drop off at the start line for racers, but since they did not want to put lots of folks close together due to COVID, there was no bus option this past year.
After writing this I thought about putting together a list of cons, but I really could only think of one legit con. In non-COVID years, the Honolulu Marathon is usually the 3rd largest marathon in the nation with 30,000+ runners. While this means the marathon is well-organized with an exciting race buzz on the course, it can also feel crowded at times when running through a few more narrow streets.
I don’t hear many negative comments about the crowded streets so I don’t think it is a problem for many, but as someone who felt it the first two times I did the marathon I think it is worth mentioning in case any potential runners feel strongly about crowds.
If the crowd con doesn’t scare you away and you are ready to sign up, just hang onto your running shoes for a little bit longer. The 2022 Honolulu Marathon registration is not open yet, but I will update this article when it is.
Let me know in the comments below or send me a message if you have run the Honolulu Marathon before and what you thought about it! I would love to hear from you.
Okay, til next time.....
Go out and find your own adventure!
Nicole