POIPU — Jeff Sacchini, founder of The Kauai Marathon 16 years ago, said on Friday that giving out the checks to Kauai nonprofit groups is the best part of the marathon.
Represented by Jeff and Liz Sacchini, and Robin Jumper of Tyza Consulting, The Kauai Marathon presented $30,000 in charitable awards to three organizations — the Kauai Lifeguard Association, Hale ‘Opio, and Malama Huleia — on Friday at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa.
Each of the nonprofit organizations received awards of $10,000.
“This is the best part of hosting The Kauai Marathon,” Jeff Sacchini said. “We also award student scholarships to local youth.”
Since the marathons were first run in 2009, The Kauai Marathon has awarded $250,000 in charitable gifts and an additional $50,000 in scholarship awards.
The 2024 Kauai Half Marathon attracted more than 1,586 participants. CJ Albertson of Fresno, California, claimed the first-to-finish honors on a 13-mile run that stopped the clock at 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 53 seconds — just six ticks ahead of Tyler McCandless of Fort Collins, Colorado.
The 2024 Kauai Marathon featured more than 330 runners on the 26-mile course that snaked through the communities of Lawai and Kalaheo before returning to the Poipu finish.
Saki Shimada, who earned entry into the Kauai Marathon by winning the Iwaki City Sunshine Marathon, earned the first-to-finish honor after stopping the clocks on a time of 3 hours, five minutes, and 52 seconds, nearly six minutes ahead of fellow Japanese runner Seiya Waragai of Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Japan who finished the 26-mile course at 3:11:14.
The 2025 Kauai Marathon and 2025 Kauai Half Marathon will be run on Aug. 31, 2025. Registration and information are available at www.thekauaimarathon.com.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
