Fitness is a big part of life in Hawaii. Almost every weekend there is always some kind of race that local athletes and those wishing to drop a few pounds can attend. So having an event on a day known for overindulging in tasty foods such as turkey, stuffing and pecan pie should surprise no one.
The Wobble Gobble, hosted by the Big Island Running Company, has been a traditional start to Thanksgiving Day for many Big Island residents. The 11th edition of the annual event, which took place at the Walua Road trailhead, drew a crowd, with over 300 runners competing in three separate races — a 1-mile run, a 3.5-mile run and a 6.4-mile run.
“We usually get a lot of families out here that want to start their holiday off with a little exercise before eating in the afternoon,” said race director Melissa Braswell. “Most people do the 3.5-mile race and the 1-mile race is pretty popular. Very few people do the full thing.”
The 3.5-mile race was a very heated battle with two high school rivals — Kealakehe’s Ziggy Bartholomy and Konawaena’s Cody Ranfranz — racing stride for stride to the finish line.
Bartholomy edged out Ranfranz in the BIIF championship last year while Ranfranz gained some revenge in the friendly rivalry at the state meet. On Thursday, it would be Bartholomy who got the edge, defeating Ranfranz by one second with a time of 19 minutes and 54 second, which set a new course record. Laura Ankrum finished 13th overall and claimed the top female spot with a time of 27:36.
In the 6.4-mile race, Abalberto Malago took off from the field, finishing in 40:21. Monica Kincaid was the first female to cross the finish line, placing eighth overall in 50:12.
Thunder Frost was all alone as he took the victory in the 1-mile run, crossing in a time of 5:29. Riley Blader was the first female and eighth overall, finishing in 7:19.
The Wobble Gobble was a free event but runners were encouraged to bring two cans of food for donation to the Hawaii Food Bank.