LIHUE — Patrick Bruno has competed in all nine Kauai Marathons, and next Sunday will be number 10.
But there is one Kauai Marathon that keeps him from saying he’s officially completed them all — even though he did, albeit a day late.
“I was killing it,” he said of that second year he ran the full marathon in 2010.
At the 24-mile marker, his time was about 3 hours, 30 minutes. He was on pace to shatter the four-hour barrier.
And then, he wasn’t.
“I hit that proverbial wall kind of thing,” he said.
Bruno reached that point, no matter how much he tried to will his body to keep pushing toward the finish line, it wanted to stop.
He dropped out.
“I just couldn’t keep going,” he said.
But the Lihue man wasn’t at peace with it.
The next morning, at 5, he returned to that spot where he dropped out, and ran the last 2.2 miles. Twenty-four hours later, he finished that marathon as his daughter, Cinzia, cheered him on.
“It was good but it was a let-down,” he said. “You know how we kick ourselves so badly for that kind of stuff.”
Patrick Bruno does not let disappointments and setbacks keep him down.
He has since finished each marathon, and at 53 years old he vows to keep finishing them just as long as his legs will carry him the daunting distance.
“I’m just trying not to get old,” he said. “We only have so many good years left, so I just need to make sure to do what I can to stay as mobile and able to do things as I can.”
So, what about the celebration afterward? Surely, he must party after finishing those 26.2 miles?
No. That’s not Bruno’s style.
“I’m just thankful to be able to do it,” he said.
Bruno, 5-7 and a solid 150 pounds, does his best to stay fit for his wife of 26 years, Robin (they honeymooned on Kauai and had brunch at Coco Palms not long before Hurricane Iniki), who has Crohn’s disease because he wants to always be there for her.
He does it, too, to keep up with his daughter, 23 years old today, who is also a running and hiking partner who recently spent five months hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and next year plans to tackle the Continental Divide Trail.
Bruno, who teaches history at Kapaa High School and has been a teacher 20 years on Kauai, doesn’t find time to train like he once did. He runs a couple days a week, rides his bike and hikes.
“But it’s not as much dedicated to running,” he said.
Such dedication is needed to survive the Kauai Marathon, known as one of the toughest full marathons because of the many hills that await runners, and the heat and humidity that also awaits them later in the morning.
“It’s like hell’s kitchen,” he said. “The heat, the humidity, they get you. I don’t feel you can drink enough water.”
They get him, he added, because each year, he ends up puking at some point.
The up and downs through Lawai and Kalaheo are a battle, he said, but the people and the scenery keep him chugging onward.
“It’s really a nightmare as far as the difficulty,” he said, laughing. “It’s funny. When everybody else is turning toward Poipu, you take that turn up the hill to head for Lawai, and I think, ‘What am I doing?’”
What he’s doing is going the distance because as much as he hurts as the miles add up, it’s also good.
“A truly real positive thing is how you run into people you know,” he said.
He talks about the volunteers from nonprofits at the aid stations, the taiko drummers, and the residents who leave their homes and come out to watch and encourage.
“It’s a positive environment,” he said.
Toughness helps, and Bruno has demonstrated he’s a survivor.
Nearly 25 years ago, he was hit by a car while running on Oahu. His left leg carries the scars of that accident, which left him with a metal rod in his leg but couldn’t keep him down. Instead, he vowed to recover, get back in shape, and run the Honolulu Marathon in 1995.
He did.
While his best Kauai Marathon time is about 4 hours, 6 minutes, last year he finished in 5:20. On Sunday, he‘ll join about 2,000 others at the starting line, most running the half marathon, and simply hopes to cross that finish line and raise his arms in triumph.
He has learned some tricks over the years, and stashes some Gatorade and snacks around the course to help him stay fueled.
“If I’m anything under 6 it will be great,” he said. “I haven’t trained a whole heckuva lot. I know it’s going to be a struggle. Hopefully I’ll be able to persevere and do it.”
Bruno encourages his students to run, and tells them of the importance of being physical active, and explains “the Spiderman principal” — with great power comes great responsibility.
He believes those with good health should help and encourage those who face physical challenges.
“Do more for those who can’t,” he said.
Bruno has learned two sure things about the Kauai Marathon: It’s always painful, and it’s always positive.
And there is a third we also know: he’ll be back.
“We’re pretty fortunate to be able to do these things,” he said.
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Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.
