WAIKOLOA — For Lavaman weekend, the sunset serves as the starter pistol.
Nearly 200 runners of all ages and skill levels took on the Lavaman Sunset 5K on Friday, the annual signal that the famed Olympic distance triathlon is near.
The event, which was presented by Bike Works Beach &Sports, served as a fundraiser for the Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii (PATH) and Lavakids.
Kyler Castro took home top honors, zooming through the 5K in 19 minutes and 6 seconds. On the female side, it was Olivia Hopkins sprinting in first with a time of 21:49.
Both Castro and Hopkins are the epitome of the race, which mostly welcomes friends, family members and fans of people in the big show on Sunday, giving them just a taste of the spotlight.
Castro’s family has long helped on the timing side of things on Lavaman Waikoloa race day, one of the most stressful jobs out there.
“Usually I’m just here to work,” Castro said, who resides in Iowa. “It was a really cool run and a nice scenic route.”
For Hopkins — a 15-year-old from Victoria, British Columbia — she’ll transition into a support role on Sunday as her parents and brother take on the triathlon, which features a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run.
“It was nice to have something to compete in myself,” Hopkins said. “It was a little hot but a ton of fun. There’s some lava, and it was a little dusty, but it was flat so I was able to take off a bit.”
Rolling out the red carpet
Now in its 22nd year, Lavaman has expanded by leaps and bounds, from an event with less than 100 people to one that sells out quickly to more than 1,500 athletes annually.
Most of the aid stations are manned by local groups and charities, which in turn get a donation back from Lavaman. Additionally, the LavaKids Family Fun Runs — a monthly free event held in Kona — continues to expand, helping aid Big Island families in living an active, healthy lifestyle.
But new this year was Lavaman’s movie premier fundraiser at Waikoloa Luxury Cinemas, which benefited the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), Special Olympics, Kona Hospital Foundation and Hawaii Island Humane Society.
The movie on tap for audiences was “We Are Triathletes,” which follows six athletes from four countries training and preparing for the world’s largest long distance triathlon race — the Challenge Roth in Germany.
Bob Babbitt — who produced and is one of the stars in the film — was on hand for the premier not only because of the movie, but also to accept the check from Lavaman on behalf of CAF, which he co-founded.
The organization provides opportunities and support to people with physical challenges, so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. James Kimo Cuizon — who suffers from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease — is one of the CAF athletes who will be on the course at Lavaman.
CAF has been around 25 years, raising over $100 million and sending out 25,000 grants. It has allowed athletes with disabilities to pursue everything from triathlon, to wheelchair basketball and rugby to surfing and beep baseball.
“(Lavaman race director) Gerry Rott is so special,” Babbitt said. “She’s always looking to give back.”
Babbitt is an A-list celebrity on Ironman week in Kona, and rightly so. His contributions in the sport have made him a USA Triathlon and Ironman Hall of Famer, while also helping push the popularity of the daunting endurance event to new heights.
While still stopping for a fair share of photos with fans, things are a little lower key for Babbitt during Lavaman, which he will race in on Sunday.
“When you come here for Ironman, the amount of body fat on the island is like 3 percent,” Babbitt said. “To grow the sport of triathlon, you need a welcome mat, and Lavaman is ultimate welcome mat. Here, it’s not about winning anything. It’s about getting to the finish line and there’s a camaraderie formed around that between the athletes. There are a lot of first-time triathletes here, which is what I love.”
Even for Babbitt, who has been around the globe following triathlon, Lavaman Waikoloa is something special.
“All three parts of this race are legendary,” Babbitt said. “It’s beautiful swim in A-Bay that is like being in an aquarium. Then the bike ride is on Queen K, the most famous bike course on the planet, but you are avoiding Hawi and not having to climb forever. And then on the run you are traversing all over the place — on lava, grass and sand. All three aspects of this triathlon are epic.”