“I can’t even speak Hawaiian, but if you go there and listen to a Hawaiian song, you get captured because it’s so beautiful, like the melody is just gorgeous and you know Bob Marley is on the radio every single day. It’s very reggae-influenced down there. Basically, you haven’t been to paradise if you haven’t been to Hawaii.” — Bruno Mars
Running through this paradise is a dream come true for many of us. Here’s a few ways you can live that dream:
1) Hibiscus Half Marathon • Honolulu, HI
This Labor Day weekend race starts next to one of Oahu’s most stunning places: Diamond Head crater, which was created by a volcanic eruption some 300,000 years ago. You’ll see the Pacific Ocean for much of the course, which also unfolds through Kapiolani Park and past the Honolulu Zoo.
Late May • Complete race info »
2) Kona Half Marathon • Waikoloa, HI
Runners make their way along the roads through the gorgeous Waikoloa Beach Resort along the Kohala Coast on the northwestern end of the Big Island at this early summer race, which follows a loop route entirely within the resort.
Late June • Complete race info »
3) Rain Forest Runs Half Marathon • Volcano, HI
Another spectacular race set for the summertime on the Big Island, the Volcano Rain Forest Runs follow the trails through the rain forests above the village of Volcano that lies near the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and feature an elevation change of roughly 650 ft.
Late August • Complete race info »
4) The Kauai Half Marathon • Poipu, HI
With its pristine sand beaches, lush jungle-like rain forests and massive green cloud-covered mountains, whose waterfalls bring the heavy rains that collect on the peaks cascading down to the beaches below — offers one of the most beautiful places anywhere on earth for a running event.
Early September • Complete race info >>
5) Maui Half Marathon • Kaanapali, HI
Here on Maui’s western coast, wind-swept coastal roads offer stunningly beautiful views of the brilliant blue water along the Auau Channel, tree-lined coastal roads and the feel of old Hawaii as runners make their way through the historic whaling village of Lahaina.
Late September • Complete race info >>
6) Old Koloa Sugar Mill Run • Koloa, HI
This old historic town along the southern shore of Kauai, the oldest of the Hawaiian islands, shows off the scenic countryside, beachfront resorts and tree-lined roads that have kept tourists coming here since the first sugar mill opened back in the 1830s.
Mid November • Complete race info >>
7) The Hapalua – Hawaii’s Half Marathon • Honolulu, HI
At this spring race you’ll run around Diamond Head Crater State Monument, a 475-acre park that circles what is perhaps Honolulu’s most famous site. Called a tuff volcano for the rock it is made of, Diamond Head erupted some 300,000 years ago, leaving the crater we know today, which is now filled with hiking trails and some of Hawaii’s most spectacular views.
Mid April • Complete race info »
8) Big Island International Half Marathon • Hilo, HI
This race’s middle stretch — which features a downhill that drops about 200 feet in elevation — takes runners along what is known as “the coast of Old Hawaii,” and features the famous scenery for which these islands are so well known, including runs across old bridges, past beautiful waterfalls and across lava beaches.
Mid March • Complete race info »
9) Run & Walk for the Whales Half Marathon • Wailea, HI
An annual late winter race that’s held as part of the Maui Whale Festival, this event also serves as a fundraiser for the Pacific Whale Foundation, which supports research on humpback whales in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific, and educates for school children on marine life and conservation programs for whales around the world.
Late January • Complete race info »
10) Maui Oceanfront Half Marathon • Lahaina, HI
Runners get the chance here to run along the oceanside highways of the windswept western coast of Maui. Fast and mostly flat throughout, with a few rolling hills along the 6.5-mile out-and-back course that those running the half cover twice, the half marathon is run at sea level, with views of whales and surfers on the waves out in the ocean just off the coast of Maui.
Mid January • Complete race info »
