The 100% Pure Kona Coffee Half Marathon and Marathon on Saturday did not disappoint, as a record number of 340 registrants signed up for the scenic course along Alii Drive that began under cool, crisp skies well before sunrise.
This year the 4th edition of the event featured a much-anticipated marathon race — a two-loop 26.2-mile course that started and finished at Coconut Grove Marketplace and included Keauhou’s challenging hills – which meant running into, and climbing out of, the infamous “Pit” also known as the End of the World — twice.
Kailua-Kona’s Patrick Stover made it look easy, winning the inaugural marathon race in a sizzling time of 2 hours, 49 minutes and 50 seconds. Jacob Fansler was second in 3:07:11, with Cy Carboni rounding out the men’s top three with his time of 3:23:06.
But the 31-year-old Konawaena cross-country assistant coach admitted it was far from easy, and the win left him feeling both ecstatic and emotional at the finish line.
“I expected it to be tough, I mean, two-loops on Alii Drive, are you kidding me? But that was my advantage, knowing how tough of a course it is, and the biggest thing that made it fast today was starting early,” he said. “It was really nice and cool until the last quarter of the race. I was able to keep a hard steady pace for awhile before my body started blowing up.”
Stover said he had planned to do the first 13.1-miles in a time of 1 hour and 30 minutes, but starting in darkness at 5:30 a.m. and having cooler temperatures to his advantage, that flew right out the window. He hit the halfway point in a blazing 1:21:00.
“I thought this is the time to take it, now, before it gets really hard so I wanted to do as much work and damage as I could before I start feeling bad,” he said. “I knew I had a big lead going into the second loop so I dialed it back into a much more conservative pace and just maintained my rhythm. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t pleasant and I really didn’t look good. My times slowed by a whole minute per mile. The last 5 miles was ugly.”
Yet, it was talking about his Konawaena cross-country team that had him in tears.
“Winning hasn’t quite soaked in yet,” said Stover, a Konawaena alumni and 2005 BIIF Cross-Country Champion. “I think the greatest feeling right now is me and coach David Wild both winning the marathon and half-marathon and were able to really be a good examples for our cross-country kids.
“I know what it’s like to grow up here. I know what it’s like to go through all these negative emotions after high school. The greatest benefactor for me was having running in my life. It’s nice to be able to show the kids that even if things aren’t so pleasant in life, the one thing to fall back on is having something you really enjoy, something to give you a positive outlook on life instead of a negative one. When times are tough, when times are easy, they will have something that fortifies them in life. For me, running saved me.”
In the women’s division, Bree Brown claimed the women’s title in a speedy time of 3:18:24. Louise Harris kept it close taking silver in 3:19:58, while Mele DeMille of Waikoloa hung onto bronze with her time of 3:31:35.
Like Stover, Brown struggled in the later stages of the marathon race but never failed to keep a smile on her face.
“It was a surprise win for sure — whenever there is Mele in the race you just never know,” said the 39-year-old fourth grade Kahakai Elementary School teacher. “She’s beaten me in the last two races we’ve done together. She took off really fast. I ran in third place for awhile but I just knew to be patient. I knew this is a really tough course and maybe she didn’t know it like I know it. I think my patience paid off because I really felt strong up until the end.”
Brown said she followed DeMille and Harris for the first six-miles before finally taking the lead just before entering the Pit. Yet, having run Alii Drive hundreds of times in her racing career, and having so many people she knew cheering out on the course, Brown felt that while it was physically challenging, mentally, it was easier.
“It felt like a parade on the first loop back, it was the most fun I’ve ever had,” she said. “And I was actually wishing it was hotter as I needed that equalizer not knowing how my leg would respond. I thought that would be my secret weapon today because I tend to do better in the heat. But it never got hot. So the factor for me was my lungs got tight. But Duke Becker came out with my inhaler and saved the day because I have really bad asthma.”
Half Marathon Race
The 13.1-mile competition also witnessed new winners on the podium with high school teachers, Kailua-Kona’s David Wild (1:17:36) and Puna’s Amy Young (1:29:08), nabbing the overall male and female titles.
Wild, who teaches math and coaches cross-country at Konawaena High School, said the win felt really good and holds a special place in his heart as this race was his first half marathon after moving to the Big Island.
“My first win, it feels really good,” Wild said. “I did it in 2015 and then I missed one year, but to take the win after three tries feels really awesome.”
Wild led wire-to-wire and said his goal was to try and break 1:17:00 because he had never done that before. While he just missed it by 37 seconds, his sub-goal was to PR and he felt happy to accomplish that by almost two minutes.
When asked what attributed to his faster running and triathlon times this year, like a true teacher, Wild ran down his checklist: wearing the appropriate attire, being inspired by his student athletes, switching to a vegan diet, and wearing a watch.
“I honestly think wearing my swim briefs made me faster – and highly recommended – but you also need to shave your legs,” he chuckled. “Also working really hard with my cross-country team this year. They have been improving all year and blowing me away with all of their successes and inspiring me.
“And honestly, going plant based with my diet this year. I’ve been vegan for four months and I swear I’m recovering faster, feeling lighter. I also wore a watch this year. I tried experimenting not wearing a watch last year and it didn’t seem to help me. I wear a watch primarily for pacing. I’m not focused on heart rate anymore because it’s so frustrating when it doesn’t work.”
Wild said he also drew inspiration to run faster from his friends and racing rivals.
“I’m happy to follow the footsteps of Patrick and Billy (Barnett) – they both really inspire me. So since they weren’t racing with me, I really wanted to have a time that would make them feel, ‘oh dang!’ So I felt I accomplished that today.”
Ashley Lawrence and John Marrack were the next two male finishers with their times of 1:23:53 and 1:24:28, respectively.
For Amy Young, a 35-year old high school science teacher at Hawaii Academy of Arts &Science Public Charter School, early patience in the beginning miles paid off. True to her running style, Young methodically worked her way up to the front, and slowly picked off the top female front-runners until she finally took the lead from Holualoa’s Laura Ankrum and myself at mile 9 and never looked back.
“The race went really well, I had a good time,” she said. “It was a really nice day for the race and starting early, with it being nice and cool, turned out to be a great day.
Young said her first half marathon was in 2015 and she completely died.
“It’s changed a lot since because I learned a lot from that first experience,” she said. “It motivated me to doing longer runs. I didn’t know how to train, and I didn’t know how to drink water while running at the water stations. So I’m really excited that I was able to come back this year and have such a good race.
“I don’t have a coach but I have friends who give me great advice. And spending time with all of these ultra runners has taught me a lot. I consider myself to be both a road and trail runner, but I really like trails because I really like trees.”
Ankrum improved upon her previous times by taking second place in a great time of 1:30:55, while I rounded out the women’s podium with my time of 1:31:26.
Coming Up
Saturday: The Hawaii Cycling Club presents the Big Island Time Trial Championships – the last cycling time trial event of the year. Start time is 7 a.m. for the 15.8-mile race that starts at the bottom of Kaiminani Drive on Queen Kaahumanu Hwy and ends at the Waikoloa Landfill. Morning registration will begin at 6:10 – 6:25 a.m. on Pukiawe St. off of Kaiminani Drive. For more information on registration, volunteering and club fees visit hawaiicyclingclub.com.
Sunday: Club Rehab presents the Sunset Family Fun Run 10K/5K &Ohana Wellness Expo at Hale Halawai. Start time for the 10K is 4 p.m. followed by the 5K at 4:15 p.m. Registration and packet pickup for the out-n-back course on Alii Drive will be at Big Island Running Company on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information contact 329-7744.