Just ran the 2012 Xterra Trail World Championship on Sunday, 12/2/2012. Had I known that this trail…read morerace was as amazing and scenic, as well as hardcore, I would have probably said no. Then again, with my extensive marathon resume and my curiosity for adventure and just for something to do on a Sunday, I signed up for this race in mid October not knowing what to really expect. At least it was a half marathon I told myself. 13.1 miles of rugged terrain in the lush valleys of Kualoa Ranch on the island of Oahu, a place where I haven't ever been, except passing by on Kamehameha Hwy on the way north to Laie and Polynesian Cultural Center. It was the first time running this race and my first trail experience in Hawaii. After tackling a 50K trail in Colorado in September (Bear Chase 50K in Lakewood, CO), I kind of knew what I was getting into. Well, not so much after all, it seemed. Maybe I probably should have known better, but surprises were out there for us all on the course. I didn't want to pay $25 for the private shuttle that the race provided, which was basically a rented yellow school bus. They shuttled runners from Waikiki to the race start at the backside of Kualoa Ranch. I got here by city bus, which is really affordable if you just plan ahead. The Xterra World Championship boasts the 21K / Half Marathon as its marquee event, attracting some of the most finest trail runner elites from all parts of the country. They also have a 10K, 5K, and an adventure walk that attracts anyone and everyone to Kualoa Ranch for an epic Sunday. Race registration hovers from $40-$55, so if you want the challenge, might as well register early. I held out and had to pony up for the later fee. It's bittersweet that I have signed up for this race, since the course was just as brutal as the majestic scenery that was the Koolau Mountains that surrounded Kualoa Ranch. It was great that I can notch another half marathon to my list of races, but at the cost of having virtually no trail experience whatsoever and my body and legs are telling me so. The course was basically mostly uphill and the first mile ascended like a bat out of hell and it didn't really flatten out till those grassy downhills at mile 2. There were some reprieve in the course where it kinda did flatten to moderate downhill, which was miles 5-7, but that was it. We climbed back up at mile 8 and snaked through the back of Kualoa Ranch. The biggest surprise was the massive hill at mile 10 and the rugged tippy toe über crazy down hill that you could not even really run, due to it being so crazy you may fall and roll off into the ravine. This part scared me, but I managed to get down one way or another and those ropes helped a lot! It helps also that Xterra allows everyone in, not just elites, so I could have help on the course, if I needed it. The last. 2.5 miles snaked around miles 3-5 of the course and it was a soft downhill to the finish line. Never in my life that I experienced something so powerful and epic that I would consider something like that next year. Maybe maybe not. Thanks to Xterra for keeping the finish line open for the last finisher. Met new friends and 2 yelpers that morning too. It was awesome to see Yelper Zar N. running the 10K and meeting Yelper Chris P. from Kapolei. Big thanks to Chris P. and her husband whom gave me a ride back to UH from Kualoa Ranch that afternoon. I thought of DNF when I came across that tiptoe section of mile 10-ish and I just wanted to cry. Knowing that I paid money for this made me realize that I can do this if I just break it all down and take each step one step at a time. The finish time didn't matter that day. What mattered was that I completed the course and survived. Run more! B+

Not a runner at all, but saw that they offered the option to walk the 5k or even just take an…read moreadventure tour, I signed up the hubs and daughter just so we could check out the trails that aren't open to the public. Big props to the race organizers for making everything so easy, from picking up the packet in Waikiki to finding parking on the day of the race! My daughter wasn't happy about waking up so early to get to Kualoa Ranch, but once we got on the trail with the magnificent landscape and cool movie set locations, she was smiling from ear to ear. The Boneyard, with huge skeletons of a triceratops and ape skull, will definitely cut into your race times because you'll want to stop to take pictures! The 5k trail can be a little demanding on the uphill sections but those are few and far between - you'll have enough time to catch your breath and enjoy the scenery. I saw several racers with babies on their backs and little ones in tow, so you can definitely do this with kids. Highly recommend this race - great activity if you've got guests on island at the time!

It was raining and it was muddy! It was exactly what I signed up for. The course this year was…read moreabout 3.6 miles long. The first mile was brutal and the muddiest. I couldn't exactly run through the mud because my shoes would sink so far down. It was a great workout! They have obstacle courses throughout-- like a big slide, over and unders, monkey bar things, tire obstacles, and climbing on the beach. The combination of people that go are super awesome. You have military people, groups dressed up, families, and those people who like to just scream randomly! They gave oranges and bananas at the end for all race finishers. MONSTER gave out some drinks for free too. I usually don't drink that, but the zero sugar ones tasted pretty good. It was great to see the yelp family there too. Yelp had a booth that took your picture at the end! If you plan on doing this-- wear your bathing suit underneath. Wear knee high socks (if you don't wear pants) and I recommend bringing a towel, change of clothes with you and flip flops. You have the option to hose off all the mud/dirt at the end. Oh and I borrowed duct tape from some nice strangers. (Thank you to them!) The website and information packet say don't use duct tape on your shoes, but it's necessary if you want to keep your shoes from sticking in the mud. Overall it's a fun run! I only ran parts of it, yet managed to finish in the top 25 for the women's division. So if I can do it-- you can too!

Had a great time. Super muddy due to all the rain. Great workout even though I couldn't run the…read morewhole thing...not sure if anyone actually can with all the water and the wait to go through some of the obstacles. Male sure you bring a towel, a change of clothes and some flip flops for the end.

For years, I have told my friends and coworkers about how amazing the Hapalua is, so when one of my…read morecolleagues asked if I wanted to participate with her, I knew I would regret it if I didn't go! Since we were just planning to walk, I set up an 8-week training regiment to prepare for the day and jumped on a plane with her a couple days before the race! Packet pickup was pretty easy, although it was moved from the Convention Center to the Blaisdell, which meant paid parking was needed. Some of the vendors were incredibly pushy this year, but everything else went smoothly. The Hapalua's partnership with the Outrigger Hotels made it easy to be close to the starting line. The morning of the race, we walked to our section in the back and waited with anticipation for the signal to begin. Although intense storms were expected, we lucked out and barely even faced a drizzle during mile 9. There were plenty of hydration and medical stops along the way, and many people came out to cheer on the racers from Waikiki to Kaka'ako. Everyone was so kind, supportive, and joyful--just like I remembered from my previous Hapalua races. Of course, everyone looks forward to the snacks at the end, especially those fresh malasadas. (It's amazing how motivating those beautiful sugar crystals are when your legs are screaming at you!) We happily enjoyed our treats as we walked back to the hotel with our medals. I don't know the next time I'll be able to participate in the Hapalua, but I'll gladly give up my precious vacation days the next time I'm invited to go!

Race organizers do not communicate well and do not respond or call back to your inquiries. This…read morecomment is not on the race itself or the experience. The course has always been fun.

JBPHH Half Marathon is an annual half marathon that runs throughout Hickam Airfield and Pearl…read moreHarbor Naval Shipyard. Race day for the 2017 run was Saturday, August 19. Links pertaining to the half marathon and how to sign up are listed below. Registration was $30 if registering early (includes t-shirt), $40 was the next tier, and $45 was if registering on race day. Entry was limited to the first 800 participants. Base access was required. Packet pick up was the Friday and Saturday a week before the run at Hickam Fitness Center. My packet included a reusable bag, t-shirt, bib, mylap tracker (shoelace type), towel, Gatorade energy gel pack, pamphlets, and a map. JBPHH Half Marathon was advertised as a flat and fast run, inviting runners, walkers, and strollers to participate. Awards were given to the top 3 finishers in each category: active duty male, active duty female, youth (17 and younger), men and women (18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60+), overall men & women and men & women stroller. Run started at Earhart Track (Hickam Airfield) at 5:00AM, and free parking was available across from Earhart Track near Memorial Movie Theatre. The overall course was flat and nicely covered by overhanging trees. The route was interesting since I've never ventured to those parts of Hickam Airfield and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. There were ~10 water stations throughout the course, and at the turn around point (~mile 6.5) there was a station offering water, Gatorade, Gatorade energy gel packs, and orange slices. At the end of the course, volunteers provided waters, Gatorades, bananas, and oranges to participants. There were even massage stations available. This half marathon provided medals to finishing participants... a pleasant surprise since I wasn't expecting one at all! The few issues I had with this run were.. - mile markers were not available throughout run - I SWEAR this run was more than 13.1 miles.... (Fitbit tracker tracked 15.18 miles???) - no photographers to take pictures of the participants.. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the JBPHH Half Marathon, and felt that the organization of both the packet pickup and event was decent. It was nice experiencing a smaller half marathon where I had a lot of room to run. Though for the price even when registering early, compared to other bigger half marathons JBPHH Half Marathon was a bit lacking..... Hopefully next time mile markers are available for participants to accurately track their progress. http://www.greatlifehawaii.com/events/fb5ef36e-6b17-4e7c-ac60-b9234e348530 http://www.active.com/honolulu-hi/running/distance-running-races/11th-annual-jbphh-half-marathon-2017?int=72-2-A1&clckmp=activecom_home_activityfeed_eventlisting http://www.timelinehawaii.com/Results/Hickam%20Overall%2017.htm

What an awesome event with aid stations every 17 miles. I did the 100- mile ride, started at 6:15am…read morewith the crowd, stopped, eat, drink and went tot the bathroom at every station, and got back by 3:30pm. At the start, the ride was well organized. Riders lined up accordance to their speed. I lined up at section A which allows me to ride faster. When the started horn was blown, everyone inches forward in order, soon enough, we are on our way. The first aid station was at Sandi beach. Poi donuts were served, unfortunately, I missed it, and followed the police officer's direction to continue left, where the aid station was on the right. The police officers were very helpful in directing traffic, and gave us priority to go first without stopping at the lights. The aid stations also has bike repair and adjustment if you need air or raise your bike seats. When we arrived at the 100 mile turn around, there were Spam Musubis waiting for us, so delicious! On the way back there were also 3 stations to eat, drink and restrooms. Everything was well organized. Highly recommend!

Rode the Century Ride again. I rode it in 2015, 2019 and 2022…read more This was just as good as the first two rides. The HBL does a great job with this ride. They do a fantastic job with instructions at the start and have excellent signage at all of the turns. If you want an extremely scenic ride, I recommend this event. You have great views of the ocean and the tropical environment most of the way. I cycle a lot and highly recommend this event.

Yikes! Well this hike was scary because I ran into a wild boar...okay I didnt run into it but I saw…read moreit and heard it from a distance, and had to sprint out of there. It's on a ridge line and beautiful, so I suggest just going with a friend and being aware (not listening to loud music or having a ton of people with you). Other than the wild boar sighting, I would totally do it again, just next time I would be a little more cautious!

Pretty awesome hike! Challenging, great cardio and rewarding views. We didn't make it all the way,…read morebut we had a nice time on the first hour in. The staircase to access it is a bit slippery and overgrown, so just take it slow until it opens up just past the house. The stair climb is probably the hardest part! Be sure to access it from 1801 Manaiki Place, not the address listed on the main Yelp listing. After that, there were a few places that we had to climb but it wasn't too difficult or scary, but I think it would be sketchy if it were raining or wet. Definitely not a kid friendly hike or a good hike to bring older dogs who are too big to carry. The views are fantastic. The sounds of roosters crowing from both sides of kalihi valley lend it a rustic soundtrack, but you know you're still in the city bc you can hear the cars on likelike highway. The scent of eucalyptus was really fragrant and welcoming as he made our way through the forest. Overall, it was a nice place to go explore, and I'll definitely go back to try to hike farther.

Very fun thing to do in the middle of Waikiki while waiting for your dinner reservation. Would…read moretotally recommend stopping by. レストランの予約までの時間を潰したりするのにちょうどいいです。特に小さいお子さん連れの方にはお勧めかなと思います。

Birdie Time has a small (for now), shaded mini golf course on the top floor of International…read moreMarketplace. My three-year-old and I were cruising through the Marketplace when we stumbled onto this spot by a happy accident, which is exactly how mini golf should enter your life. Glad this could be Jack's first-ever round. Jack had a blast hockey-sticking the ball through pineapples, coconuts, tikis, drums, and a volcano. Ryan at the desk had genuine good-guy energy and took the time to explain what they're building toward. This is just the front lanai piece (mini golf first) while they work on the rest of the space. Apparently their Oregon location includes shuffleboard, golf simulators, and a full bar. For now, it's a fun hang with the little ones. We'll be back as more of the spot comes online.

I think this hike by far the hardest for me because the ridge was too narrow. It is very similar to…read moreWiliwili Nui Ridge but no ropes and steeper. Two of my family made it to the top and the other two including me didn't. And at this point I'm not sure if I will return to finish it. I did 90% of it but feels unaccomplished. Great view! You do have to guard shack at the entrance like Wiliwili Nui ridge and the guard will check for driver's ID and everyone has to sign the liability form. They only give out 10 passes at a time. Read all the information before you go. We came here on Christmas Day and there were only 6 parked cars. This park is well kept. It's probably because of the gated neighborhood that it is in called Hawaii Loa. As other hiker described "Boujee." But no public restrooms.

I've been on a hiking "kick" recently. I've never been on this hike, the views were worth it not to…read moremention its a great workout. Get a parking pass from the guard shack when you enter you will need an ID. There's about 10 available stalls...or in my case I got lucky and my aunty's house is right next to the park entrance. It took me about 3.5 hours total but I took pictures, took breaks to catch my breath and ate a spam musubi at the top. The first 45 min or so was relatively easy that last 45 min to the top was more of a workout similar to koko head crater but not as many stairs. I would recommend water, hiking shoes and sunscreen. Hiking pants optional. There's an area that you will walk through foliage but its not thorny type just made my legs itch a little. Gorgeous hike up and the views are worth it! Its not a crowded hike since its limited parking great views!