“Old school” pretty much summed up Sunday’s fifth annual 10/20/30K running events hosted by the Queen Kaahumanu Triathlon Club.
While most races come with a parade of amenities aimed at luring participants into signing up for an event, Sunday’s race was completely void of shiny finisher medals, dry-fit race T-shirts, prize giveaways, or any other random kitsch.
Running — in its purest form — came down to the simplicity of each athlete pushing the other against the clock.
In its fifth year, race director Daniel Hodel has his running events down to a science. Held each November — typically a month out from the Honolulu Marathon — the varying distances are designed to help athletes achieve their marathon goals for the December event in Oahu.
Accurately marked courses along Alii Drive provide athletes the perfect opportunity to practice proper pacing and nutrition within a semi-competitive race environment. Plus, you just can’t beat having the luxury of much needed support along the way with the most cheerful aid stations all powered by members of our community.
Konawaena’s newest Triathlon Club, Melissa Braswell, Cory Foulk and Christine DeCarli, all stationed themselves like mini oasis spots along the steamy route – helping to quench thirsts with ice cold drinks amid Kona’s notorious heat.
And the best part? Yes, you guessed it — all of it was free!
Warm, sunny skies and light trades greeted athletes for what would later result in some blazing fast run times.
Bolting out to the front of the mass start was Konawaena Triathlon coach, David Wild, and 15-year old Cody Ranfranz. The duo was closely followed by a chase pack made up of professional triathlete Bree Wee, Sal Salmi, James Resor, Jon Jokiel and Hodel.
Within a few miles into the 20K race — or 12.4-miles — Wee quickly caught up to Wild, and both began pushing a blistering 6:24 pace per mile to see who could get back to the finish line first.
After a few surges by each to take the lead, Wild shifted into a final gear to cross the finish first in a new race record of 1 hour, 19 minutes and 22 seconds. Wee followed hot on his heels to take second overall and first for the wahine in 1:19:25. Wee’s time also became a new women’s race record for the 20K event.
Kailua-Kona’s Resor was third overall in a great time of 1:23:28, Salmi followed in fourth at 1:29:19, with the race director himself rounding out the top five in a solid time of 1:30:36.
In the longer 30K event and despite rising temperatures on Alii Drive, Jokiel, who has over 30 years of competitive running under his belt, practiced his smooth strides and consistent pacing over the 18.6-mile distance in hopes it will translate into a fast marathon finish come next month.
Yet at mile 14, my son Cole urged me to up the pace of the baby jogger and we eventually took the lead — rolling our way across the finish line in first at 2:13:14. Jokiel followed a few minutes back in 2:17:22, with Cliff Hanger in 3:47, and Laura Rogers in 4:12:32.
Koa Kea easily cruised in for the win in the 10K event with his time of 46:49. Kona’s Harry “The Hammer” Yoshida was next in 53:48, Katie Rice in third at 55:33, with Janet Higa-Miller and Gerd Weber finishing together in 1:06:41.
Though Sunday’s event didn’t come with the hype and hoopla of most road races, it sure brought a lot of smiles and appreciation to Hodel and his wife, Kunzang Yuthok, for putting on a darn great race in our little K-town.