Something new is brewing on Alii Drive — an event certain to deliver a soul-enriching start to the day with a jolt of endorphins and finishing off on a caffeinated high.
The inaugural 100 Percent Pure Kona Coffee Half Marathon will wrap up the week long Kona Coffee Cultural Festivities by featuring a 13.1-mile race along Kona’s pristine coastline on Saturday.
Expansive oceanfront views, gentle rolling hills, and lush green vegetation are just a few of the perks runners will enjoy along with the exquisite taste of Kona’s famous coffee bean. What more could a runner want?
“We as a community needed our own race in Kona,” said Jon Kunitake, owner of Kunitake Farms and one of the title sponsors of the race. “And I thought that if we could do it during the coffee festival, it would bring more attention to our coffee farms and our coffee industry in Kona.”
Kunitake, one of the most well-known endurance runners in the state, began his career as a professional jockey before returning to Kona at the age of 40. At that time he struggled to build back up his family’s coffee mill in Holualoa, but said growing up poor and during the war instilled hard work ethics and perseverance — qualities that helped to make him successful.
He eventually expanded his business, processed his own coffee into the popular Kunitake Farms 100 percent Kona Coffee, and found a new passion for his boundless energy — running. Yet little did he know, his love for coffee and running would intertwine over the next three decades.
As the founder and former ambassador of the Kona Marathon and Family Fun Run events for twenty years, Kunitake tapped into his deep connections within the Kona community to help organize a new half marathon, beginning with a search for a race director.
“We first started talking about it a year and half ago,” said Big Island Running Company’s Melissa Braswell, who is the race director of the event. “Jon approached us and said we need to get a good race going in Kona. Last year didn’t work out as I was pregnant and had other things going on so we decided to get it going for this year.”
Braswell said timing of the event was key to connect it to the rich coffee culture Kona is known for while offering a quality event to help those preparing for December’s Honolulu Marathon. The month of November provided the perfect opportunity for both.
“This time of the year is the coffee festival,” Braswell said. “Coffee brings a lot of people here and we also have a lot of active people here so it just made sense. And from a running standpoint, it’s also a month out from the Honolulu Marathon. So people can run the half as part of their training and even people who are not doing the marathon can participate in a race back on Alii Drive.”
Braswell said once the planning phase was finalized, they announced their event in September and was astounded with the positive feedback from the community.
“A lot of the local running community misses having a longer run on Alii Drive,” she said. “Honestly, right now I might have just one person that’s signed up who’s not from the Big Island. That told me that there was a lot of interest from the community of wanting to have a race in town. Also a lot of volunteers have contacted us saying that they miss having an activity on Alii Drive. So now that there’s something back, they want to support us.”
In addition to Kunitake Farms and Big Island Running Company, Braswell said sponsorship from BioAstin and Club Rehab helped to cover costly race expenses to keep entry fees at a minimum.
“I wanted it something that everyone gets excited about,” she said. “I want it to be on the calendar as quality event while keeping the cost down. We got a lot of good donations and we are making our own tech singlet which saves a lot, and we are a non-profit. So if we decide to grow it down the road then that would be great.”
Saturday’s 13.1-mile footrace will begin at 6:30 a.m., starting and finishing in front of Coconut Grove Marketplace. Racers will head south before encountering the most challenging part of the course — Keauhou’s rolling hills — that includes running into the famous “Pit,” also known as the End of the World before heading back.
Southbound lanes will be closed to traffic with four aid stations strategically spaced approximately 1.5 miles apart so that runners will be able to utilize it twice over the out-and-back layout of the course.
The men’s field is stacked featuring a Big Island all-star running list. The most talked about showdown will be between Volcano’s Billy Barnett and Kona’s David Wild. Both are consistently fast and can easily hold a sub-six minute pace for the entirety of the race and who also have never raced each other until now.
A few others that may surprise are Kailua-Kona’s Patrick Stover, Volcano’s Lyman Perry, and James Resor. Jason Braswell — a 2 hour 42 minute marathoner — will not be racing due to parental duties for his nine-month old daughter, Emily.
On the women’s side, Kealakehe Waverider Club advisor, Kristin Old, along with Sarah Sermons, and Mercedes DeCarli are the favorites. Yet with race registration still available today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Big Island Running Company’s Alii Drive store location, one can never be too sure of who will show up.
With a brand new experience for participants, Braswell and Kunitake hope to have at least 100 runners for the first year and plans to offer a unique race singlet and finisher’s medal that won’t be revealed until race day.
“My wish is to bring awareness for the coffee industry that has gotten so expensive but also help people understand the importance of keeping fit through running,” Kunitake said. “And I know this race will definitely grow. When you put on a quality event people will come.”
For more information contact Melissa Braswell at melissa@bigislandrunning.com.
