Pros: 1. Course had mile markers and six passes at aid…read morestations that had water and Gatorade 2. Orange cones throughout course but only one to distinguish between the three distances 3. One stretch along diamond head that showed the beach, one inland 4. Aid station volunteers were helpful 5. Times race with early enough time before it got hot and humid (5:30 start) for half 6. Plenty of police to guide the route and stop cars and even an escort at the head 7. A tiny metal turtle luck charm 8. Orange slices and pocari sweat at the finish 9. Big cheers at the sprint finish! Cons: 1. Mostly through residential streets so not much to see in terms of scenery. Quite a boring course. A trail half here would be awesome. 3. No snacks at aid stations 4. Quiet race. No music at the start at the park and minimal support throughout race but quite zen so it's fine 5. Thin race shirt worse quality than 3 dollar swap meet. Just super thin cotton with white print. No thought into design. 6. Basic print medal usually reserved for low end races that cost 35 bucks in Cali. The medals looking at from 10 years ago looked best with an actual flower shape and well designed. It'd have been much better to do one thing well, like a good medal, than to do many of the other things poorly, crap shirt, crap medal, crap stations, crap mc. 7. There really wasn't an expo as only one local run shop showed up, the run lab and some old swag from previous races for sale. I'd much prefer a trail race through the mountains inland with views at the top. This one needed a much better course. This one had 400 feet of vert but a really flat vibe

This run course is nice bc it's Hawaii. The event is very unprofessional. Their site states that…read morefamily/friends can track the runners but there was no such tracking device on the runners and nobody knew until I asked around. Event lady stopped the music to find out if aid station workers showed up. As finishers arrived, nobody knew if they were 5mi, 15k or half marathon finishers. We were all confused. Maybe they should have different bib colors? Or even some commentating? The lady had no music, barely said anything to acknowledge the finishers and after finishers, the park was underwhelming. People got Gatorade or water and then went home. It was so silent, no music or much going on.. Also, that event lady said very little for like 40 min and then emphasized that only racers eat the snacks and throw your trash in the trash cans. That was it. I think she's raking in the money at over 100 dollars per racer at about 1,000 running it, it's a racket. Unorganized and yellow shirts about being mean and now I know why. She does three of these events. You'd think by now she would have it dialed in.

You can't beat a good 10km / 5km foot race that's close to home. After all, it's one of those…read moregrassroots running distances that is the gateway to - if you so desire - the half marathon and the marathon. It makes me smile. I discovered Sharon's Bike / Run about 7 years ago, while researching running events on runningintheusa.com website. I searched all distances for Hawaii and came across this event. It starts and ends at the Kapiolani Community College parking lot, so it was close to home for me. No driving necessary. I actually walked it to the start line on the years I signed up, which was a good mile or so. Most Sundays, I would do a long run elsewhere, but to have a short distance race to motivate me to get out the door is a bonus. Not to mention that it's a local race that promotes physical fitness and running as a social thing that makes running and racing fun. For the most part though, the races themselves are small but fun and intimate. Since i am used to the marathon distance, I usually choose the 10km distance, but you're free to choose whichever distance you desire! The run course itself runs from Kapiolani Community College parking lot and runs into diamond head crater. From there, u turn back out to diamond head road and east on Kahala Avenue towards Kahala mall. You stop at one point and return back towards kapiolani community college. That's the 10km route. I imagine that the 5km route u-turns around triangle park. Sharon's Run/Walk/Bike features a cycling event too. While the run itself is fun and addicting, they have 50 mile or 100km cycling events too for the cyclist. I have seen numerous cyclists on race morning and it was pretty cool. For the most part though, the intimate affair of these kinds of events showcase the needs of awareness. Proceeds from the Sharon's Ride/Walk/Ride for epilepsy goes to the local chapters for epilepsy research. It's pretty much a fundraiser but keeps people active with fun athletic events that keeps people active. Sharon's Ride/Walk/Cycle for Epilepsy is named for Sharon Rosenfield, a nurse and a teacher who was tragically killed in 1993 during a cross country bike ride. She was passionate about epilepsy and was an advocate of helmet safety. Honolulu's event is a part of a series of events throughout the year at different locations on the US mainland. Each year, Sharon's Ride/Walk/Run in Honolulu is on the last Sunday in January. As mentioned before, the start and finish line is at Kapiolani Community College. Race morning starts around 4am when cars start coming to fill parking stalls. Race usually starts around 6am or 7am. Prices are usually around $35-$50, depending on when you sign up for this event. I don't know how much the cycling event is, but I am just referring to the 5K or 10K events. Registration for these events are pretty much online, so they accept major credit cards. If you are starting to build and endurance fitness program and interested in running or walking, this event can surely help you see word this running thing can take you. 5 km can be the gateway to longer events and maybe you can do your first half marathon or marathon in a year from then. Who knows! Sky is the limit, as they say. The course is Walmart and the choirs volunteers were very much friendly and well supported anybody that was out there each year that they held the event. I myself love these intimate event just because it help me plan what I am going to do for a workout, instead of just doing my own thing and not being able to associate myself with racing here at Sharon's Walk run bike. If you are in the Honolulu area near the end of July, feel free to come over to this running events or cycling, if you prefer. I myself enjoyed doing the 10 km race every time I sign up for it. The course is self is mostly asphalt roads and they close the roads to traffic on a Sunday morning. Since this is Hawaii, you probably will need to wear sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun. Best bet is to train accordingly and have a good time on race day. It was fun and I plan on doing it again. Recommended if you love to run and do in your age group. Even then, do this race just because you love to run anyway and compete anyway. It's all good! 5.0 stars for the overall experience and ambiance. 5.0 stars for the friendly volunteers and the race location. Run more! Support local! A

As published in the May 2014 print issue of Hawaii Sport Magazine:…read morehttp://issuu.com/hawaiisportmag/docs/hawaii_sport_may_2014_online "Sharon's Ride/Run" was started in 1996 by Dr. William Rosenfeld and Dr. Susan Lippman in St. Louis, Missouri. The event is a memorial to Sharon Rosenfeld, who was killed during a cross country bicycle ride in 1993. Sharon was a nurse and teacher, who cared deeply about epilepsy and epilepsy patients. Today, Sharon's Run/Ride is held across the nation in efforts to raise awareness for Epilepsy and to raise funds for the Epilepsy Foundation. You may choose to walk 1 mile, run 5K/10K, ride 35km/75km/100km. Various distances makes this event fun and friendly to participants of all levels. There was even a Keiki (kids) bike safety course. I chose to run the 10K. The 10K course started at the walking path to the entrance to Diamond Head Crater across from Kapiolani Community College. The race route started along the walking path and went up to where the parking of Diamond Head Crater started, then came back down, followed along Kahala Avenue towards Waialae Country Club, left on Kealaolu Street for about a mile, then back down Kealaolu Street, back down Kahala Avenue, a right at Diamond Head Road and then to Kapiolani Community College where the finish line awaited. With the exception of the hill up towards Diamond Head Crater parking, the rest of the route was very flat. The event was held on an extremely nice and sunny day in late January. This was a casual, fun run (or ride, for some) with many generous volunteers setting up and at aid stations. I hope to participate in this event again in the future.

One moment can change everything…read more.. I can't agree more being a cancer survivor that no else know yourself then you and along with research it does save lives. The Susan G Komen not only have these events to raise money for research but to provide support and resources as I wasn't sure what to do or begin with my issues though thankfully I was absolutely blessed to have my answers. I haven't lost but known some that had battled breast cancer so it all falls very close to my heart. I'm still dealing with the death of my very dearest friend to cancer so this type of event is very therapeutical as I wrote her name at the "We Remember" tent and wished she was here with me as pink is her absolute favorite color. I'm just delighted to have this event moving forward this year as nothing makes things better than positivity and there was so much of that going on here with awareness that we desperately need after a long absence. Cancer sucks so please stay informed and donate! Thank you!

That was phenomenal ladies! One and a half hours of Zumba marathon with four great instructors from…read morecoast to coast. The music was fun, the moves were easy to catch on #Mahalo for supporting breast cancer awareness!

Yelp 365 Challenge #122/365…read more After the Great Aloha Run, I had the insane idea to sign up for another run...the 15th Annual Ford Island Bridge Run, which is only 6.2 miles. I figure I would train on the days that I don't attend TRX classes by running around my neighborhood. However, there are times when plans don't go according to your agenda especially for me. And I have that type of personality where it grates on my nerves and it will gnaw at me for days afterwards. For instance, the past three weeks-I haven't been up to par in health. In fact, my coughing is still here but not as bad as before. I've only returned to TRX classes last Thursday. So, for me to expect to do my best on race day...I was setting myself up to having too much of high expectations. Nevertheless, I still got up early plus I was using my running clothes--so all I had to do was put on my contacts, brush my hair, and brush my teeth. Drove to the stadium but the gates weren't open yet, so I drove to SackNSave to pick up bananas and water. Parked in the Aloha Stadium overflow parking lot and ate a banana (I should have ate more as well as whole wheat bread but I didn't). Drank some water and by 6:15, I decided to walk across to Richardson Field and waited with the rest of the runners/walkers to be instructed to line up at the start line. I stretched... Observed... Took pics of my shoes and surroundings... Waved hi to a few co-workers and silently prayed while reminding myself to pace myself. 7:00AM (It begins) Ran slowly on the bridge....first HILL (I HATE HILLS) Off the bridge and rounded the corner to the first mile marker and noticing in the far distance...the runners that were ELITE RUNNERS passing the four / five mile MARKER. And this is what happened... I allowed discouragement to set in...(bad thing for me to do) By the three mile marker...my stomach started burning because I burned up that LITTLE APPLE BANANA, which I had to slow my run down to where I decided to walk for my body to adjust. However, I was allowing myself to notice other people especially walkers pass by me. So, I started jogging really slow. This is when the sun came out from the clouds and blast me with its rays (good thing I had a bottle water). Another thing that slowed me down, (my fault!) was the fact that I was taking in all the historic building surroundings as well as making a note to go to Pacific Aviation to check out the planes! The water stations were at perfect intervals but it was luke warm water. However, thank you to the volunteers who were quickly handing out waters and cheering us on. As we rounded the last circle before heading back to the bridge, I noticed that some cars were impatient and attempting to drive in the midst of runners (boo!) Finally, the bridge loomed ahead and at first I was jog/walking behind other walkers before realizing that I am able to run around them. There were the camera people waiting to take pictures but um...NO, I was actually becoming grouchy because I swear...I hate hills. I had to run the hills on the bridge...then I had to run up the hill to round the corner to get to Richardson Field. I was not a happy person because I allowed discouragement to get the better of me. I was that irritated at everything, that I decided to sprint it just to get it over and done with. The finishing time on the clock was 1:43:36, however, official time was 1:43:00 (I made it under two hours, thank God). But, like a petulant child after accomplishing something, I just headed to the table that was offering water and gatorade. I grabbed my bottles and watched the awards ceremony. Megan Clark (my trainer) at SOHI Fitness placed THIRD for OVERALL WOMEN in this event. How cool is that? Plus, the trophies were koa wood (I think). There was some entertainment afterwards but I didn't stay. I chose to pick up my grandson and rest for the remainder of the day. Overall experience, it was a good run. It would have been a BETTER RUN if I did the following: 1) Eat a little more before the race 2) Understand that because I was just getting over being sick...my timing will be all right 3) Don't look ahead to see the elite runners and get discouraged because after all, I am running for me and no one else... 4) To remember to take my inhaler before stepping out of the car 5) TO HAVE FUN Will I do this one again next year? I think so.

What a fun event! Parking was a bit of a headache so next year I'd go a little earlier. Weather…read morelooked dreary but ended up being just perfect; a little sunny then overcast. The run takes you through all the historical buildings; by the bowfin, behind the air museum and down and around the runway back up and through the renovated living quarters. Everyone was so lighthearted and friendly which made the run really fun. The best thing, though, were the snacks at the end of the run. After making the tredge back up&over the bridge, meadow gold trucks were waiting to pass out popsicles, milk, yogurt &cottage cheese. What a treat. I'd definitely do this run again.

Such an amazing event, 2023 Hawaii Pacific Health Great Aloha Run (GAR) 39th Anniversary of the 8.2…read morerun from Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium. The race started in 1985 and hopefully this isn't the last of the Great Aloha Run. The community loves this event and looks forward to it every year. Thank you to Carol Kai for coordinating this race for so many years and raising so much money for local charities in Hawaii. All the best in the next chapter of your life. The run couldn't be a success without the many sponsors and 1000s of volunteers. Big thank you to Watanbe Floral for handing out flowers to all runners, for the motivating band music from 25th infantry, Nanakuli HS, Kalaheo HS, Farrington HS, Puuhale Elementary School, UH Marching Band, and Kalaheo HS. Thank you again to Carol Kai and all the volunteers that made this great event happen.

Never say never…read more.. One year (many moons ago), I signed up with my Jaycee (Junior Chamber of Commerce) friends for The Great Aloha Run. The starting point was Aloha Tower and the end point was Aloha Stadium. We walked the 8.15 mile course and - I thought that I was going to die... I asked my friends to carry me to the Finish Line... LOL! I told myself that I would never do this race again because it was so painful... Even though it's for a good cause. Many organizations benefit from the Carole Kai Charities - which was founded in 1985. This year - 2022 - was different. I knew that Aloha Stadium was going to be demolished at year's end and that The Great Aloha Run would not be the same. This time, the race would be virtual and participants would be allowed to drive through Aloha Stadium and cross the Finish Line with their vehicles. Wow! Sign me up! My friend, Jessica P., in Las Vegas agreed to join me - virtually! Cool, eh? Thanks, sissy! Anyway, we paid online and received our "In Training" shirt in the mail. We're supposed to get our Finishers' shirt and medal in this manner, too. We were to log our miles online and be entered in a drawing for super great prizes like airfare for four people on Alaska Airlines! We signed up for a drive-through time. I chose 1:45pm which was the latest time. I wanted to take my time and not have a lot of cars behind or in front of me at Aloha Stadium. It turned out great! My sister from Colorado rode in my car with me. It was fun because she used to be a disc jockey and she knows a lot of media people. She saw her friend at the KRTR booth and got a chance to catch up with him. My sister was a good support. When I felt nostalgic and teary, she pepped me up and helped me hold it together. I remembered all of the fantastic concerts (like Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, and Kalapana) and fun football games that I attended. Farewell to Aloha Stadium. See you again in 2023 as a brand new Entertainment Center with shops, restaurants, and living spaces! A hui hou! Thanks to the cheerleaders, Wahiawa Middle School Band, Hawaii Pacific Health, and other sponsors who volunteered to make this event such an organized and memorable experience!

Be careful when booking the pavilion. They will keep your deposit and claim you're breaking fire…read morecode, even while they are the ones manning the gates and handing out wristbands themselves. Bands does not indicate occupancy, it indicates attendance. Occupancy is where you are sitting or standing. Each area on the property the pavilions, the pool, and the deck has its own occupancy limit. In our case, most guests were in the pool or on the deck, not in the pavilion. The pavilion limit is 88, and well did not have everyone inside at once. Still, they said we were over capacity. But how did they determine we were at max capacity? Did the attendant count the total people occupying the space? I understand if we were at 89 guests in the pavilion we would be in violation but we were not. Staff should be familiar with their own fire codes and apply them correctly, not lump everyone together because each area has its own occupancy. What made this worse is that they themselves allowed outside guests to enter during the event and even let people drop off gifts, but then turned around and accused us of violating rules. Nothing was broken, no actual code was violated, and yet we were treated rudely and embarrassed in front of our guests. They should also know the total occupancy for the pool and pavilions combined. If their reasoning for not letting us book the other pavilion was that it required additional staffing, then technically, there should have been two attendants present already since there was an event and they were also allowing outside residents to come in. The rules need to be enforced fairly and with consistency. As it stands, it feels arbitrary and unprofessional. Will be in contact with the AHJ

Poor communication. Last minute info/followup…read more Long story short. Called last year to give info for a party. Took my number down but never called back so I called back and also went in person. Was told will get called back next day for more info, but I didn't so I called back and was disappointed after a week looking as things were going positive, but I was wrong. Don't get me wrong associates were nice, but how things were handled or organized was messy.

2025 is in the Record Books. Pouring rain. Flooded streets. Great vibes from spectators cheering us…read moreon and having great homemade signs along the way. Finished the 10K in 2:03:59 official time. Not bad. Great merchandising and marketing. I'm planning to return next year. This time I think I have family running with me.

Just ran the Honolulu marathon with some friends. We traveled far for this race and it was the most…read moredisorganized marathon we ran so far. From the expo which doesn't do justice to the size of the race, to the organizers NOT planning for rain at the end of the race, and telling runners to move as quickly as possible after running 26.2 miles. Are you all ok? Runners need to stop and rest for a bit, drink water, get some food and then they can leave. This was an absolutely mess in the rain and the most unkind people kicking out of tents with nowhere to go except the rain. This marathon has NO views either, just run around city and neighborhoods which was disappointing. We were expecting to have as many views as possible and run by the ocean. Regardless of what the reviews say, we wont recommend it until organizers think of the runners and not themselves

Yelp 365 Challenge #237/365…read more Since 2011, I've been on a quest to be healthy. From joining up with SOHI Fitness and then reluctantly training on my own, I've actually done 4 runs since then. The Great Aloha. Ford Island Bridge Run. The Color Run. And now I can say...The Spartan Sprint! Aroo! Aroo! What an experience. I knew there would be obstacles. I knew there would be mud. I knew I had to hydrate myself from reading their website blogs especially because from most of their reviews, it's uphills, downhills, over and under the obstacles or shimmy up the obstacles. My experience: Parked my truck. The walk to the site was about a mile and a half. Got my bib and racing chip. Bag check-in: $5.00 with your name and bib number attached (thank goodness). Note: Very organized-thank you! Start line. Stretch. Jump. Leg lunges 1st obstacle: climb 4 foot wall 2nd obstacle: under the wall. Go through water...it's ok 3rd obstacle: climb over 5 foot wall Going through creek/stream. I'm thinking bacteria. I'm thinking of that survival show, Naked and Afraid. Note: I chose not to run and decided to just pace myself because I knew majority of the race was uphill. 4th obstacle: Climb up a netting to get to the path. Run (or walk) 5th obstacle: Slide down into the mud. Climb over and crawl under the barb wire. Note: If you have a hydration pack-I would recommend you leave it with the volunteers as you finish this obstacle 6th obstacle: (around the bend) 6 foot wall. Tried-didn't make it because I cramped. My first set of 30 burpees Tried running up the hill but got seized in cramps...BOTH LEGS and I'm thinking "Oh hell no...I ate all those bananas, wheat bread and Gatorade to be brought down by cramps?!" One girl stopped and massaged my right calf (thank goodness I shaved my legs that morning!) While I'm resting, the group asked if I wanted them to call anyone? NO. I wanted that medal. I shared with the girl to go because I didn't want to hold her up. She reluctantly went but I told her I'd be fine and will just rest for a bit. I drank from my hydration pack that had 4 tabs of the Nuun electrolytes. I got up and walked up. And up. And up. Around the bend for a water station. 7th obstacle: Climb over a seven foot wall. There were young adults so willing to help me over. Yay! No burpees. Run (or walk like me) 8th obstacle: 8 foot wall. Again, young adult and participants going their SECOND time around helped me. YAY! No burpees! Walk down and up. 9th obstacle. Tire pull. (Easiest one) 10th obstacle: Cinder block pull (One block for girls, two for the guys) *easy* 11th obstacle: Monkey bars. Tried it once and fell. 30 burpees. Boooo 12th obstacle: Sandbags. Huff. Huff. Pant. Rest. Huff. Huff. 13th obstacle: Atlantis lift? Carrying a block from one end to the other with 5 burpees. 14th obstacle: Climbing across a wall without falling off. 15th obstacle: Crawl under barb wire in a mud pit (BLECH) 16th Obstacle: Rope Climb. Yeah-I have no upper body strength. 30 burpees. Slide down and run around the bend. 17th obstacle. Slide into mud. Climb a slanted wall with a rope and climb down. Let's just say that I didn't make it and fell onto my back on the side with a cut on my arm. The volunteer told me as I climbed out of the water, "You tried-run on!" I didn't hesitate-I ran. That's right, I wasn't going to say, No, I'll do the 30 burpees" Jump over the fire. Go through the great and wonderful gladiators. Seeing my husband cheering me on was one of the best things to see with the guy holding my medal. Grabbed my finishers shirt (they ran out of headbands) and washed off. Trekked back a mile and half to my truck and knocked out when I got home. Tips for Spartan Races: 1) Train for it especially if you're going for timing. Check out Spartan website for their WOD 2) Hydrate well-don't be stupid and think its ok, it won't be when you cramp up. Read the Spartan blogs-great tips 3) Use shoes that are good for hiking or trail running. I used my Vibrams Sprydion and I love them! 4) Use clothes that have dry-wick NOT cotton. 5) Expect the unexpected and have fun!!! Boom-I did it. If I can, you can too.

My wife and I did the Hawaii Spartan Sprint at Kualoa Ranch along with almost 5000 other people. We…read morearrived at the ranch around 8 a.m. and walked 1.5 miles to get to the staging area and starting line. The surrounding was lush and green with the awsome mountain range as our backdrop. If you've seen Jurassic Park, Kualoa Ranch is where they shot the scene with Dr. Grant and the two kids running from the pack of ostrich like dinosaurs then hiding behind a big fallen tree. Registration tents, packet pick up tents, bag drop, etc. were well organized. Our wave was at 9:45 a.m. so we watched a few waves start there sprint to get a feel for our start. We coudn't wait. There were 15 obstacles and the course is about 3.5 - 4 miles in distance. There were walls of different heights, a river we had to walk through, up and down the side of the mountain, two mud crawl while avoiding barb wires, mud walk, forested trail (single file only), monkey bars, semi truck tire carry and pull back, cement cylinder carry walk and back, pulling cement blocks tied to heavy chain up an around a hill, sandbag carry up and around a hill, dry river bed run, a wooden wall with little wood blocks for grip so you can get across, a ramp with ropes you can use to get up and over, climbing over a stone wall and then a wooden fence over a barbed wire fence, the rope climb starting with your body half submerged in mud and muck, jumping over fire and then the gladiators before the finish line. I probably forgot a couple of obstacles. The terrain and the difficulty of the obstacles made this the most fun race my wife and I have done up to date. We did the Tahoe Mudder back on July '13 with friends and even though the Mudder is 10+ miles up and down Northstar Ski resort, the Spartan Sprint at Kualoa Ranch is a lot more fun. (helpful hint: We run marathons so it came in handy as a lot of people started to loose stamina as soon as they had to run up hills. We just jogged past them as they were winded). Also Spartan has a course for children that is safe and looks fun. We've already signed up for the Super Spartan in Las Vegas, April 2014. Looking forward to more fun with our friends Adam, Peter, Yoshi, Chris, Joe T.