Honolulu Marathon 2022

Honolulu Marathon 2022, map centered on Honolulu

Information about Honolulu Marathon 2022

Running event name: Honolulu Marathon 2022

Date and Time: Sunday, December 11, 2022

City: Honolulu

Address: Ala Moana Boulevard

c/o:

State: Hawaii

Country: United States

Latitude and longitude: 21.289607 -157.843571

About the event:
It may be a surprise that a marathon on a small, tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is among the ten largest marathon races in the world. But with its 25,000 annual runners the Honolulu Marathon really is up there with the big ones such as Boston, New York, Chicago and London.The first Honolulu Marathon appeared in 1973 with 151 finishers, and already in this inaugural race, the dream was to be on par with the famous Boston Marathon one day. Especially runners from Japan contribute to the field making it large enough to compete with Boston and making up more than 60 percent of the total.

The Honolulu runners will end their marathon in Kapiolani Park near the volcanic crater, Diamond Head. Kapiolani Park was the state’s first public park and it remains one of the most frequented recreational areas in the city. On race day the park is transformed to a joyful festival with an award ceremony, post-race malasadas (a Portuguese donut) and nearly 50,000 spectators celebrating the tired but euphoric finishers.The course is relatively flat with a large part of it following the magnificent Pacific coastline.

A climb occurs at Diamond Head, which runners pass twice along the way. The highest point is 38m above sea level. The early 5am start with fireworks is spectacular and cool. There is no time limit and the last finisher usually comes in long after most runners have had time to cool down in the pacific ocean and ordered a well deserved Mai-Tai.

The traditional Sports Expo lasts three days attracting thousands of visitors and vendors. Friday before race day a concert/luau with Hawaiian music, dance show and the mandatory carbo-loading dinner are held to get everybody in the mood for Sunday’s run.

For those not up to a full 42.2km, there is a 10km option which starts at the same time as the marathon.

The Kalakaua Merrie Mile is a one mile race in Waikiki on the day before the marathon.

The Honolulu Marathon starts on Ala Moana Boulevard, which in Hawaiian means “path by the ocean.” This phrase is an appropriate description for the entire race course. At the Starting Line is Ala Moana Beach Park, a local recreation area encompassing over 100 acres of park, beaches, swimming and surfing spots.

The second mile of the course runs through downtown along Honolulu Harbor and the historic Aloha Tower, a ten- story clock tower which was the tallest building in Hawaii when it was erected in 1926. Runners turn right into Chinatown and proceed through Downtown Honolulu on South King Street. This historic stretch of the course passes Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil; the gilded statue of King Kamehameha; Kawaiahao Church, built with coral blocks from nearby reefs; Honolulu Hale, city hall; and Mission Houses Museum.

The race forks right onto Kapiolani Boulevard through urban Honolulu and in the fourth mile turns right down Piikoi Street. The course returns to Ala Moana Boulevard, this time passing Ala Moana Center, a huge, open-air mall with more than 250 stores. The bridge spanning the Ala Wai Canal marks the entrance to Waikiki. The Ala Wai Canal is a favorite training area for outrigger canoe paddlers and the Ala Wai Harbor hosts international yachting competitions.

Mile five races through the concrete jungle of Waikiki high-rise hotels and condominiums, by the Hilton Hawaiian Village and the U.S. Army’s Fort DeRussy. The course turns right onto Kalakaua Avenue lined with shops offering everything from tacky souvenirs and t-shirts to high- priced designer merchandise. Just past the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, Waikiki’s oldest hotel built in 1901, is a spectacular ocean view: world-famous Waikiki Beach. Tourists, beach boys, sunbathers, and surfers flock to this stretch of white sand, often crowding around the statue of Duke Kahanamoku, a renowned surfer and Olympic gold medalist.

Near the sixth mile, the course forks to the left onto Monsarrat Avenue, around the Honolulu Zoo and past the Waikiki Shell. Runners turn right onto Paki Avenue which threads around Kapiolani Park, Hawaii’s first public park. As the course nears Diamond Head, an extinct volcanic crater 760-feet high, there are some short, uphill grades and breathtaking views of Oahu’s east coastline. The route circles the crater to the left on Diamond Head Road, then turns right onto 18th Avenue.

The race turns right onto Kilauea Avenue in the tenth mile, passing through residential and commercial areas of Kahala then merges into Kalanianaole Highway. The coastal route continues for four miles through the bedroom communities of Waialae Iki, Aina Haina, and Niu Valley. This suburban area of Honolulu is comprised of hillside communities with side roads that curve steeply up the mountains. The expensive homes, often perched precariously on cliffs, provide panoramic views of the ocean far below.

In the sixteenth mile, runners turn left onto Hawaii Kai Drive into a valley community

Other notes:

Virtual Race? No

Trail? No

Cross country event? No

Multi-stage event? No

Initiatives for children and families: No information

How to apply and entry fee:

Award Description:

Dressing rooms:

Aid stations:

Website: www.honolulumarathon.org

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Flier: Not available

Final ranking: Not available