Lahaina Intermediate School teacher Nathan Kahaiali‘i is running his third Honolulu Marathon on Sunday.
After losing his home to the Lahaina wildfire in 2023, Kahaiali‘i, 33, has been running marathons to raise funds and awareness for Maui wildfire survivors — all with the same pair of running shoes.
The orange-yellow “gold pollen” Nikes hold special meaning, since they were what he grabbed last-minute upon evacuating his home in Wahikuli, not knowing that it and nearly the entire neighborhood would burn down in the fire.
“For me it represents the community of Lahaina,” Kahaiali‘i said. “I’ve written little messages on the shoe: Lahaina Strong and Malama Maui. It’s a way for me to symbolize the community running with me wearing the shoes. It’s to have the community being represented at these races that I do.”
Before the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire, he had just taken up marathon running.
Then he ran the Chicago Marathon in October 2023, followed by the Honolulu Marathon that December, the Tokyo Marathon in March and then the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 3.
It’s been a personal journey with a mission. At the New York marathon, Kahaiali‘i set a personal record of 3 hours, 48 minutes and 53 seconds.
He wore a red, long-sleeved shirt printed with “Lahaina Strong” to represent the community as he crossed five boroughs along the 26.2 mile-route from Staten Island to Central Park. He was part of “Team Inspire,” a group of 26 at the marathon who shared stories to show how running can change lives.
“It was really inspiring to hear people cheer for Maui and Lahaina as I was running,” he said, remembering people yelling out, “Go, Maui Strong” and “Go, Maui” along the way.
What stood out to him was the guy near the finish line — whom he didn’t personally know — yelling out his name and shouting “Maui no ka oi!” with double shakas. It was a moment that buoyed him.
On Sunday, Kahaiali‘i will be among about 34,100 runners registered so far for the 52nd annual Honolulu Marathon.
Honolulu Marathon Association President Jim Barahal said the number of registered runners is up this year, with more than 13,000 Hawaii residents.
There are many individual stories of resilience like Kahaiali‘i’s, he said, which are an inspiration.
“The marathon is about resilience and overcoming adversity,” Barahal said. “There are stories of people overcoming their own obstacles, such as health or, in the case of Maui, the fire.”
People often run in the memory of other people or loved ones they lost.
“There’s many, many thousands of great stories,” he said.
Kahaiali‘i says he’s hooked, plus marathons have taken on a new purpose, one of overcoming adversity and bringing attention to the survivors in Lahaina.
“It’s a way for me to continue to advocate for the Lahaina community and to raise funds as well,” he said.
He has a web page with links for direct donations to his cause, Lahaina Strong, as well as T-shirts, stickers and more donated to the nonprofit.
Though it may be more than a year since the wildfires, many, including his family, are still struggling to find permanent housing.
The devastating wildfires took at least 102 lives and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings, including historic Lahaina town.
Kahaiali‘i and his family are in housing in Kihei provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The commute to his job teaching health at Lahaina Intermediate is now 45 minutes, compared with about 15 minutes previously.
Recently, he and his brother went to visit the site of their burned-down home for the first time in months, and it was surreal to be in an empty neighborhood dotted with temporary mobile homes.
It will take a long time to rebuild and recover, even though there have been some glimpses of progress. While one family home has been rebuilt, there are still many others that have not.
And it will also take a long time to heal from the trauma.
“There’s a still long road ahead for a lot of families,” he said. “Me running a marathon is kind of a metaphor for Lahaina’s marathon for rebuilding and recovery as well. It’s not going to be a quick race, a quick finish, but something to consistently work at and not give up.”
Kahaiali‘i continues to teach and to let students know he’s there to talk if they need to.
He hopes to run the 26.2-mile Honolulu Marathon under four hours, as well, but also plans to have fun.
What’s next?
He’s hoping to win lottery entry to the London Marathon. He saves the special Nikes for race day and aspires to keep them in good enough shape to complete other major marathons such as Boston and Berlin.
