I have participated in the Maui Marathon and Half Marathon on and off since 2002, so I was interested to see how the race with go with it's new race directors this year. I was originally signed up for the full marathon, but wound up having to switch to the half marathon when a series of injuries held me back from completing the necessary marathon training.

The packet pickup and expo went relatively smoothly, I was able to park at the nearby Whaler's Village shopping center which is only a short walk away from the expo located at the Westin Resort. The vendors were very friendly and easy going, and there were a number of running gear options at reasonable prices, I purchased a shirt, a visor and some gels for the race.

Picking up the race packet was easy, there were no lines midday on Saturday, and I had no issues transferring my entry from the full marathon to the half marathon. There was a central list of entries outside the packet area, so you could quickly find your bib number. In the expo area, there was a video showing the marathon course mile by mile with drone footage to give an idea of the course. Unfortunately there was limited information on the half marathon, and new 10K, and 5K course. It would have been helpful to have a poster or map in the packet. I was familiar with the half marathon, but I could see someone competing for the first time might need more information. I was happy that the expo validated my parking so it was free, otherwise the Whaler's Village charges $3 per half hour.

I got to the half marathon start at about 5:15am, to allow for time to warmup. The race organizers recommended parking at the Lahaina civic center and taking a shuttle to the start, but I wanted easy access to my car so I could change after the race so I ended up parking at Whaler's Village. When I got to the start, I found out that the race would be starting about 15-20 minutes late because the shuttles were running late bringing runners to the start area. This change to the start time would make for a hotter race, which was not ideal, especially for the slower runners.

The start area of the half marathon was not excessively crowded, so it was easy to get to the front line with the faster runners. A local celebrity sung the national anthem and Hawai'i Pono'i, and then the race director gave a brief talk and countdown for the start.

I paced the half marathon with my brother, who was hoping to come in under 1:50. The aid stations were great, the volunteers were helpful in letting us know if they were handing out water or gatorade in the cups. Because the half marathon course is out and back on the final miles of the marathon course, there were plenty of aid stations available. They even had iced sponges available. Much of the race is on Front Street in Lahaina, which was entirely closed from traffic which made running easy and we could focus on the ocean scenery and historic town.

At the turnaround point, the wind kicked up to 30-40 mph blowing dust into our eyes and making some of the running through a headwind. There was a wide lane for the returning half marathoners, so we did not have to navigate the runners still heading toward the turnaround. The full marathoners started to pass us at this stage, and although we tried to move to the left, I could see that they needed to go around some of the half runners in this area.

From mile 10-13, the sun came out and the temperature started to rise. I encouraged my brother to hold his pace and we ended up finishing in about 1:53.

At the finish line, the announcers would read each finishers name as they came in, and the volunteers congratulated the runners with the finisher medal. Refreshments included water, fruit, bagels and a free Shaka Pop popsicle, which was awesome on a hot day. There were plenty of port-o-potties, and a medical tent a short distance from the finish to help with any issues. The local running club, VIRR, and other tour companies had hospitality tents along the finish chute so everyone could continue cheering the runners as they come in. The traffic to leave the finish area was congested, but I appreciated that the race blocked off the lanes to make the finish safe for runners.

I signed up for the Cinderella Trail Run Half Marathon when I found out I would be in Oakland for a business trip, and I really did not know what to expect since I had never been in the Bay area. The race website info was helpful, with detailed trail maps and elevation profiles.

Race day morning I was able to find the event fairly easily, and I picked up my race number with my friend Peter who had decided last minute to run the 5 mile race. I was shocked by how cold it was at the start (45 degrees in May?) but luckily I had packed enough gear to be comfortable at the start. The volunteers were friendly and helpful, and the registration process was simple. The race director gave some easy directions for the course - follow the pink and yellow ribbons, and avoid the blue to stay on the right trail. The start was low key, and the 150+ runners funneled onto the trail in an organized stream.

The first few miles were relatively easy and smooth climbing, with a spectacular vista of San Francisco in the distance on one ridge. As we wound deeper into the forest, the trail became steeper and more challenging, with very technical climbs and descents. The other runners were easy going and helpful as we took turns trying to find the correct path at the forks in the trail. Luckily the ribbon colors were easy to follow and I never missed a turn. At about 40 minutes in, my calves started to seize up on the steep climbs, and I walked some of the hardest sections, striding out on the rolling gradual sections. I kept the runners ahead of me in sight, as we scrambled over and under trees and across small creeks.As the sun came out, the temperature warmed and I peeled off my extra layers to stay cool.

At about mile seven, as we descended a rocky treacherous section a runner ahead of me slid onto his backside but quickly got up to yell- "I'm fine!" We kept going, and the trail opened up to a level dirt road section that led to the next aid station, which was very well stocked with water, Clif hydration, snacks and fruit. I took a few cups and charged back up the trail, steeling myself for the 1000' climb over the next few miles. I was amazed to find out the woman pacing with me was running the 50K!

It turned out that the climb was tough but not impossible, with some flatter sections as we ascended the ridge and with just a couple of miles to go I really opened up my stride and charged to the finish. This section was the "Cinderella Trail", and I could see that you could easily lose a shoe here if that was where the name got started. My legs were weak by the time I crossed the finish line, but the feeling of completing my first trail half marathon on such a hard course was incredible! All of the finishers received a Cinderella Trail medal with 2017 on the ribbon, and age group awards for the top three finishers. I shared some war stories from the race with my fellow finishers, enjoying the beer, chips and watermelon provided by the race organizers. The sun was now warm and we were all happy. And I couldn't believe the marathoners and 50K runners were running the course twice!

The 2017 Hapalua half was my second time running this race, and I must say that this event is extremely well organized, with a great group of runners from Hawaii, the mainland, Japan and really all around the world. Despite the 7,000+ runners competing, it maintains a quaint feel, all of the volunteers and organizers are very friendly and helpful, the aloha spirit is still alive!

I arrived in Honolulu on Saturday morning, and headed to the Hawaii Convention Center for the packet pickup. The convention center has parking for $10 in the garage, but I lucked out at and found a street parking spot nearby. The expo was easy to get to from a series of escalators from the lobby. Outside the expo ballroom, Hawaiian musicians played soft music and young hula dancers were performing. They had several Hapalua backdrops set up in the outside area, which were great for taking race Bibb photos. Athlete profile banners were also on display for the local Hawaii athletes and world class elite athletes competing in the "Chase" where start times are ranked by potential finishing time, with the overall top 10 winners taking home cash prizes.

Picking up my race number was very easy, and I spent about 30 minutes checking out the race logo items and product booths. Several running shoe stores had shoes on sale, and I was able to pick up a pair of Brooks Ravenna for a great price.

The race start was the next day at the Duke Kahaunmoku statue in Waikiki. I got there at about 5:15am, to allow time for a warmup and the chance to see the Chase athlete starts, which ran from 5:40 am to 5:50 am. My only complaint about the start was that there was no system to allow the faster runners access to the start line, I pushed forward as far as I could but was still about 30' back. A half marathon has plenty of distance to make up the time, but it would be great to have a dedicated corral for runners planning to run under 1:40.

After the national anthem, the overall field started at 6:00am, with the morning sun just starting to lighten the sky. I started at a stready 7:00 pace for the first few miles, with the plan to speed up slightly to my goal pace after the first 5k. The organizers provided race timers and timing mats at 5k, 10k, 15k, plus mile markers and kilometer markers so it was always very clear where you were at in the race. The entire roadway was shut down, which was awesome not to have to worry about traffic. The course also looped back after four miles, so all of the runners get to see the leaders go by, which is very inspiring.

After running back through Waikiki, the race course heads up a 150' climb from miles 9 to 10, which is very challenging segment at that point in the race. The last three miles wrap around Diamond Head crater, in a rolling downhill. The final half mile is a straightaway along Kapiolani Park, ending with a massive chute with photographers and spectators cheering you on.

I finished in 1:34, a little longer than my goal time, but a full four minutes faster than the year before so I was happy! The finish volunteers presented me the finisher medal, a unique spinner medal in gold with glitter accents. Post race snacks included bananas, malasadas, shave ice, cold pressed pineapple juice, and ice cream sandwiches. A huge LCD screen replayed the finish line video with a 15 minute lag so runners could see their finish- that was a fun feature. I enjoyed the band at the finish line, and shared my race experience with my friends that had also finished the Hapalua.

This year is my second time running the Maui 5k, and it is a well organized event with a large field of runners and their families, since it supports Maui schools. The organizers have a packet pickup the day before which makes the race morning easier. When my wife and I arrived, there was some light rain at the registration area, but it stopped by the time everyone was directed to the start line.

I did about a half mile warmup and some strides at the start, talking with some of my friends also running the race. The course was well marked and separated from traffic with lines of cones.

The start was a low key, with a quick set and go from the race director. It was a little congested the first 400m as we descended toward Maalaea Harbor, but eventually the runners settled into the pace and there was plenty of room. The first mile was mostly downhill and level, and as we turned up from the Harbor to the Honoapiilani Highway we began a gradual climb for the next mile and a half. There was a aid station at about the two mile mark before the turnaround with cold water and enthusiastic volunteers.

After turning around back to the start, you get to see most of the runners following, which is encouraging as they cheer you on. The lane is well divided with a line of cones, and it is a steady downhill back to the finish across from Carl's Jr. The volunteers at the finish were helpful to direct you toward the line, and there was a large clock to see your finishing time.

After the race, there were bananas and water, plus a Zumba class and pounding music to keep everyone entertained as the finishers came in. For the younger runners, age group awards were offered for every two years, and the adult age groups were five year increments. The age group prizes were a customized "Maui 5k" water bottle with your ranking printed. A number of door prizes were given away at the finish, it was a fun event with several hundred finishers. Timing and results were not chip timed, but an overall printout was available very shortly after the race was finished.

This was my first Oceanfront Marathon race, I had heard about it since it started but never had a chance to participate until this year. I ended up getting to the start line in Lahaina a little later than I expected, so I needed to park about 1/2 mile away and jog to the start. The start area was well organized, with a blessing and the national anthem before the 1/2 marathon start. I was further back than I expected since I got there late, but once the gun went off I was able to weave closer to the front of the pack.

I found I was able to pace with a few other 1/2 marathon runners at about 7:30 pace, and as the sun rose we started to see the full marathon and 15k runners coming towards us from the opposite direction. The coned shoulder was a little narrow for the amount of runners, it would have been much better to have about 10'-12' in width vs. the 6' width that was coned next to traffic. The aid stations were very friendly and helpful, I liked that the cups were smaller and easier to drink.

The scenery along the ocean was nice, but the running lane felt very narrow to be next to traffic moving that fast. I was a little surprised there was so much traffic early in the morning on a Sunday. Maybe with an earlier start time the half marathon could avoid the traffic?

The finish line and post race refreshments were the best part! There was a water wall to cool off, ice cold water, bananas, pastries, pineapple. Also, a podium to take finisher photos with the beach in the background. I got a great post-race massage from the massage students at the finish. Also, there were Maui Oceanfront Medallions for all of the age group winners- I got 13th overall and 2nd in my age group.