Congratulations on finishing our 15th edition of the annual full and half marathon! We had a sold-out event for the first time and anticipate that we will sell out even earlier for 2025.
The weather was hot and humid this year and we did our best to keep you all cool and hydrated. We had a record number of aid stations (both official and unofficial) as so many in the community took it upon themselves to bake cookies, cut fruit and provide beverages of all kinds and distribute them with a smile.
The day began very early at Poipu Shopping Village for our pre-race gathering. Our amazing sponsor, Kauai Coffee, was present as they brewed and served their wonderful, locally grown and roasted coffee. We offered yogurts, bananas and few baked goods for those that wanted a little something before burning all of those calories. We added and redesigned the location of our port-a- potties at Poipu Shopping Village this year and got rave reviews. We even added 11 directly at the starting line this year after we received feedback from last year that they were needed.
Our aid stations throughout the course were loaded with Powerade, water and plenty of ice. We were able to provide Gu again this year at 3 of the aid stations to help you get through the tough heat and humidity.
We hope you enjoyed the record turnout of spectators that came out and cheered you on from the start and finish lines, and from their front yards/driveways of their homes. They were out there early cheering loudly and enthusiastically as always. Many were handing out homemade goodies, candy, waters and fruit (and a few beers too). There were many folks spraying all of you with garden hoses to cool you off throughout the course. It’s always awesome to see so many local folks from the Kauai community embracing all of you- clapping and cheering for hours on end! That is what we call the aloha spirit!
It looked like you enjoyed the food and beverage at the start and finish lines. We offered Rice Crispy Treats, fig bars, chocolate milk, Coke and Diet Coke, bananas, chicken wraps and veggie wraps, as well as Hawaiian chips and plenty of ice-cold beer! The comments you provided us at the finish line about your experience were all so positive and uplifting. Thank you! All of our volunteers and staff work so hard on race day to provide you a world class experience that sets us apart from other events!
We want to congratulate each of you for participating and finishing a very challenging race in tough temperatures and humidity. You conquered the heat and humidity, and you overcame and crushed a significant elevation gain. Wear those medals proudly! Speaking of medals, they were our favorite design of the last 15 years. We hope you liked them as much as we did. And don’t forget, they serve as bottle openers too!
We had a milestone this year as a Guinness Book of World Records was set when the oldest female participant completed a half marathon at the age of 94 years young!!! Mathea Allansmith, from Poipu Beach, Kauai. She has participated in almost every one of our events and we could not be prouder of her accomplishment- what an inspiration!
Our expo rocked this year! We had so many amazing vendors showcasing their wonderful products and services, and they were all so appreciative of your support. Their feedback was very positive, and we thank you all for supporting them by buying large amounts of their products. Many of them informed us that they sold out and would definitely be back for next year. Our new logo’d designed merchandise also sold very well as evidenced by so many of you wearing them throughout the weekend while out exercising, shopping or dining!
As usual, planning has already begun in earnest for 2025, and we even have our first sign-ups starting to come through at a feverish pace. This event continues to grow in popularity because all of you spread the word about our event back in your local communities. Thank you all so much for this- word of mouth is the best advertising we have. We are still a relatively young event, as destination running events go, and we rely on you in spreading the word to your friends and family back home.
We do anticipate that we will again sell out, and possibly much earlier than this year. Our recommendation is to register earlier this year as we will cap the event at 2,400 participants. We have such limited hotel rooms, rental cars, and parking capacity on our island that too many runners prohibit us from providing the experience we have come to be known for.
We can’t wait to welcome many of you back for 2025! Please bring a friend or family member next year as we so appreciate you spreading the word around the country/world about our intimate event in paradise. And if there are any suggestions or feedback on how we can improve your overall experience, please feel free to email us, or reach out on social media. We thank you all for coming to Kauai and sharing your stories and experiences with us- our passion for producing this event continues to grow and we try to improve upon each year and make it the best ever!
Aloha,
Jeff and Liz Sacchini