PO‘IPU — Late registration for the 14th Kaua‘i Marathon and Half Marathon was still being accepted on Friday during the Sports and Fitness Expo presented by Wilcox Health at Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa.
“We have a bunch of Wilcox Health people participating in this year’s event,” said Faith Campbell, the Wilcox marketing director, who was helping with the expo where late comers could still squeeze in. “The Kaua‘i Marathon Keiki Run on Saturday is sold out with more than 200 keiki signed up.”
Campbell said she personally will be doing the Half Marathon walk-run.
“I missed the first year,” said Dorrie Michioka, a helper with the Wilcox Health station on Friday. “But I’ve done the marathon every year since then. On even-numbered years, I do the full marathon. On odd-numbered years, I do the half marathon. This year is odd, so I’m doing the half marathon.”
Lisa Ledesma of the Kaua‘i Divas and Dudes group, is one of the participants who completed all 13 Kaua‘i Marathon events, showing off a commemorative ceramic platter to celebrate the milestone.
Some of the VIP runners expected for the 2023 The Kaua‘i Marathon include former marathon champion and “ultra runner from Delaware” Michael Wardian. Tyler McCandless, a previous marathon champion and spokesperson for the Kaua‘i Marathon Youth Running Program, is also expected to be present.
With the relaxing of COVID-19 travel restrictions, Shinya Ohashi, the male winner of the Iwaki Sunshine Marathon, and a 2018 Kaua‘i Marathon champion, will be joined by Mirai Honma, the female winner of the Iwaki Syunshine Marathon.
This year’s Kaua‘i Marathon and Half Marathon launches at 6 a.m. on Sunday in front of Po‘ipu Shopping Village. During the first 11 miles that traverses Maluhia Road to the Kaumuali‘i Highway and down Omao Road, both marathoners and half marathoners run together past aid stations manned by local volunteers.
At the bottom of Omao Road, the half marathons veer off to the western bypass road back to Po‘ipu. The full marathon runners turn right on Koloa Road and continue through Lawa‘i and Kalaheo before returning to the Po‘ipu finish line near the Koloa Landing Resort.
Full detailed traffic advisories, including the closure of Maluhia Road from 6 to 8 a.m., on Sunday, can be found on the Kaua‘i Marathon website at thekauaimarathon.com.
