A RUNNER'S COMMENTARY ON THE
BIG ISLAND INTERNATI0NAL MARATHON
2005
by Pygoya (a.k.a. Dr. Rodney Chang) for MarathonGuide.com
Pygoya 3/2005
After completing 14 Honolulu
Marathons as a local resident (1977-2004), I was ready for a change in view. At
59 years of age, I also made the new year's resolution to greet 60 'hitting the
ground running' -by doing a marathon a quarter instead of the usual average of 1
every other year.
I plan on the Eugene, Oregon and NYC runs this year to complete 4 within 12
months. Go legs!
The Big Island or 'Hilo' Marathon was a fantastic 'outer island' escapade for my
wife and me. The sponsoring hotel, Nani Loa, is located right on the beach of
Hilo Bay on the famous Banyan (Trees) Drive. Our upper floor suite had a
magnificent ocean view of the silvery bay. On the street level we skipped the
traditional carbo loading spaghetti dinner and went to Billy's Restaurant for
rib eye steak and mahimahi fish with all the trimmings. Inside we locals felt
like tourists, taking in the grass hut decor and lovely live Hawaiian music and
hula stage performances. Best of all, the steak was succulent and the fish so
fresh it melted in my mouth! I further 'carbo loaded' with the baked potato and
a generous slice of pie. I recommend this fine dining experience for runners.
Expect however to wait longer than you would in a big city on the move. Remember
you are in sleepy town Hilo where everybody seems laid back. On the road nobody
tailgated us in our rental car, and my wife is a slow and overly cautious
driver! Across the street I indulged in eggs, corn beef hash, hash browns and a
stack of banana pancakes drowned in coconut, mango and guava syrups, more serious 'carbo
loading' at 4 am in the pancake house that stayed open 24/7.
The run started in the dark at 6 A.M. out in the tiny town of Pepeekeo, 10 miles
north of Hilo. The weather was perfect (high 60s, no rain, slight breeze,
overcast to block the sun)- for the whole morning. The route through the rural
countryside of forest, creeks, waterfalls, small hamlets and crowing roosters
all made it worth the trip from noisy and congested Honolulu. Bringing along my
camera was foresight that materialized my inspired documentation of the route
for all online to see.
Check out http://www.lastplace.com/HiloMarathon05/index.htm - a photo-journey
for runners and spectators alike, all through the eyes of an artist. I'm known
as Pygoya the Webist at www.lastplace.com and as artist-runner I plan to photo
document other marathons that I run this year.
We reach Hilo itself at the 10 mile mark, then pass by Hilo town running along
the bay and into the airport. The scenery dramatically converts from running in
nature to airport and military with long stretches of nothing spectacular to
view. From the terminal it's entry into an industrial area, including awful
large storage domes of petroleum products and the fumes of varnish from a boat
repair shop! I am not complaining as this contrast with the earlier course route
made the former that more beautiful and memorable.
Then it's back onto the beach route out of Hilo going opposite the entry point
into town. There's a turnaround point at the 21 mile mark and the runners
backtrack on the same long Kalanianole Highway. Other than some open beach and
park scenes and nostalgic and charming residences, it's a long stretch whereby
the runner is focusing more on that 20+ point in a marathon than taking in the
view. The course ends just past the same Banyan Drive to the applause of a
faithful core of volunteers, tent aid stations, quicker fellow participants and
with the sighting of the proverbial 'Finish Line' banner. No hoopla of load
speaker radio music, commercial photographers clicking away, or blaring
announcements of runner id info like in Waikiki at the end of Honolulu
Marathons. I came in too late (5:43; I cramped out again) to get more than a
banana and bottled water but appreciate the well designed t-shirt (on my
marathon homepage, http://www.lastplace.com/HiloMarathon05/index.htm), nicer
than most Honolulu marathon shirts that I have in my collection.
The 'Course' would have gotten 5 stars if the last 2/3 was even close to the
beauty of the Hamakua coastline and forests over the first 10 miles, itself well
worth the cost to travel to Hawaii for this run. In fact, it's the perfect
sightseeing course route for those who do the 10 miler option offered. Run it
and get lost in God's country, unspoiled pristine tropical forest bountiful with
waterfalls and towering trees including palms. For the rest of the course I'd
rate it 2.5 stars.
As for 'Organization' I was impressed with aid stations every two miles and
roadside distance markers at every single mile! Even as the stretch of 26.2
miles is sparse in spectators, it's difficult to get lost with the distance
signs and an abundance of bright road cones to designate runner lanes. The
policemen at intersections in Hilo were dutiful and polite, always giving the
right of way to the runners.
'Spectators?' Most of them are only at the aid stations. Local schools should
consider offering students the opportunity to volunteer and participate in this
'international' event for 'community service credit' like they do in Honolulu.
But I really didn't mind this contrast to the Honolulu Marathon with its throngs
of runners as well as residential and organizational cheerleaders along the
whole route. For me I appreciated the SERENITY of participating in a SMALL race
without the noise, crowds, traffic, and promotional hype. It was as if the town
and rural agricultural hamlets went along with its own agenda (sleep in, church
services on a Sunday, fishing and surfers noted) and the runners in turn just
did they're own thing. Online it was just as laid back - I could not find
anything about the marathon the next day in either the Big Island newspaper or
the Honolulu newspapers. Maybe that's why it remains in Honolulu one of the best
kept outer island secrets, keeping the number of participants and
commercialization of the event minimal. No wonder 30,000 show up for the Honolulu
(doesn't hurt to have Japan Airlines as the major sponsor and grosses over 80 million dollars for the island's economy whereas the Big Island event probably
hardly realizes a profit from their now 8th annual marathon. Maybe that's a
reason I didn't get a finisher's medal because by the time I got to the Finish
Line, that had "run out." As one commentator wrote in
marathonguide.com, "How can this be with only 210 marathoners?"
Well, guess serves me right for coming in in the last third. Surprisingly Nali
Loa Hotel, the sponsoring accommodation for out-of-towners, would not allow
runners a shower after strict room noon checkout. Which means you have to
complete the marathon in 5 hours at 11 A.M. or stink on the plane if you plan to
leave that day. I was forced to take a cold shower next to the outdoor pool.
I still gave 'Spectators' 4 stars instead of the initial 2 I was planning on.
Why? Go to my photo-journal -http://www.lastplace.com/HiloMarathon05/marathonboy.htm
- and feel my experience of the boy on the route that made this marathon the lst
time I experienced the marathon through a child's eyes. For me this child,
waiving a flower at the passing runners and with his beaming eyes and smile, as
if attending a parade, was all the spectator I needed. I, as marathoner, will
always remember the wonder on the face of this small town boy over all these
strangers with numbers running pass his house nestled in old and forgotten sugar
plantation. For me, his persona equaled the majesty of all the tropical scenes
put together. I captured this moment for you as a runner through my photography.
I highly recommend this rural marathon as an alternative to the Honolulu
Marathon, now dominated by Japanese and Waikiki airline/tourism marketing and
more suited to those who enjoy running through a downtown and suburbia. For me
it was super to get off the beaten path.
Pygoya (a.k.a. Dr. Rodney Chang)
online-resident artist, March 22, 2005,
reprint
To the starting line at Pepekeeo community center
Personal physical and artistic post-run assessment