Pros: 1. Course had mile markers and six passes at aid stations that had water and Gatorade 2. Orange cones throughout course but only one to distinguish between the three distances 3. One stretch along diamond head that showed the beach, one inland 4. Aid station volunteers were helpful 5. Times race with early enough time before it got hot and humid (5:30 start) for half 6. Plenty of police to guide the route and stop cars and even an escort at the head 7. A tiny metal turtle luck charm 8. Orange slices and pocari sweat at the finish 9. Big cheers at the sprint finish! Cons: 1. Mostly through residential streets so not much to see in terms of scenery. Quite a boring course. A trail half here would be awesome. 3. No snacks at aid stations 4. Quiet race. No music at the start at the park and minimal support throughout race but quite zen so it's fine 5. Thin race shirt worse quality than 3 dollar swap meet. Just super thin cotton with white print. No thought into design. 6. Basic print medal usually reserved for low end races that cost 35 bucks in Cali. The medals looking at from 10 years ago looked best with an actual flower shape and well designed. It'd have been much better to do one thing well, like a good medal, than to do many of the other things poorly, crap shirt, crap medal, crap stations, crap mc. 7. There really wasn't an expo as only one local run shop showed up, the run lab and some old swag from previous races for sale. I'd much prefer a trail race through the mountains inland with views at the top. This one needed a much better course. This one had 400 feet of vert but a really flat vibe read more

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This run course is nice bc it's Hawaii. The event is very unprofessional. Their site states that family/friends can track the runners but there was no such tracking device on the runners and nobody knew until I asked around. Event lady stopped the music to find out if aid station workers showed up. As finishers arrived, nobody knew if they were 5mi, 15k or half marathon finishers. We were all confused. Maybe they should have different bib colors? Or even some commentating? The lady had no music, barely said anything to acknowledge the finishers and after finishers, the park was underwhelming. People got Gatorade or water and then went home. It was so silent, no music or much going on.. Also, that event lady said very little for like 40 min and then emphasized that only racers eat the snacks and throw your trash in the trash cans. That was it. I think she's raking in the money at over 100 dollars per racer at about 1,000 running it, it's a racket. Unorganized and yellow shirts about being mean and now I know why. She does three of these events. You'd think by now she would have it dialed in. read more

Nice run as it follows the HNL Marathon Route. No port-o-potties Very few aid stations Only water tent at finish line, no recovery refreshments Most expensive half marathon I've ran. read more

Hibiscus Half Marathon - Poor slogan for a race. - Races & Competitions Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

If you're looking to do a challenging yet fun race, here are some things to inspire you to sign-up for the Hibiscus Half-Marathon / 15k / 5-miler that is held in May: -prices are reasonable -swag is amaaaazing (race t-shirt AND medal) ***they also have other race items on sale (visors, tank tops, hats, t-shirts, towels) -amazing views along the course and fantasizing of which house you want along Diamond Head and Kahala -post-race snacks (nutter butter, I love you) -Gatorade and water on the course -friendly and motivating volunteers cheering you along the way from the start line to the finish line -affiliated with Road Runners Club of America Championship Also, this race is part of the Tropical Triple Crown race series that also offers other races that are either trail or pavement. Do you love trail races? Do the cow race that is held in January. Love to get your jingle on? Sign up for the Holiday Hustle in December. Want to use a coconut bra and grass skirt? Sign up for the 8k Coconut race held at Neil Blaisdel Park in Pearl City. Want to celebrate life? Sign up for the 5k Mango Days that is held at Ala Moana Beach Park. Bonus for the medal junkie (like me): If you do three races (example: Hibiscus, Coconut and Mango)...you get a fourth medal! *swoon* As I write this, I just realized that I've done most of the races that Tropical Triple Crown race series offers and it is probably because it one of the most organized race events (from registering to race day) with great post-race food and fun staff along with the race medals, of course. So, sign-up, lace up and get your run (or walk) on! *cue "eye of the tiger" song* read more

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I am seriously surprised that there aren't more reviews as of 5/14/2017 (8 reviews) of this race. This is one of the best half marathons in Honolulu. Why I love this race: - Date: always the Sunday of Memorial Monday. This is an amazing time to run a half marathon. It's just before it gets scorching hot in Hawaii. - Route: the route of the Hibiscus half marathon is awesome! It is mostly flat, except for the Diamond head road baby hill. The route starts at Kapiolani park (where there is sufficient FREE parking if you come early enough). The route continues up Diamond head hill, down Kahala Ave and left towards Kahala mall. Once you are about half a mile to a mile on Kalanianiole Hwy, you turn around and run the same route back to Kapiolani Park. - Organization: the race is super well organized. Jenn is the race organizer and has been organizing this race for years! - Entry fee: SUPER cheap for a half marathon race. Current price is only $60! If you enter during the early entry time, it is even cheaper. - Medal: Yes, they have a finisher medal. - Distance: 13.1 miles. Too nervous? Try their 15K (9 miles) or 5K (3.1 miles) distances instead. Sincerely, About to be (2 more weeks pending): 3x Hibiscus half marathon finisher, 19x half marathon finisher. read more

Hibiscus Half Marathon is one of my favorite Half Marathons that I have ever ran; along with Hawaii's Hapalua Half Marathon; which is a totally different course! The overall event itself has three races: a 5 miler, a 15k, and a Half Marathon. All have great competition, if you are a competitive runner, but equally fun, with runners having fun; to runners running their very first half marathon; to runners very competitive. Hibiscus Half Marathon gives out sweet t-shirts, and finishers medals, but if you are an overall winner or age group winner you get a very nice top finishers award. One of my goals is to run each event! So far, I've ran the Half Marathon, and the 5 miler. Both were equally enjoyed with that brutal climb up Diamond Head Hill : ) read more

Half marathons are fun. Not too short, but not too long - like the marathon. Just right. 13.1 miles and you get a finisher medal. The hibiscus half marathon is held every year by the local chapter of the Lukemia and Lymphoma society of Hawaii. It's a small sized event that really feels like a small town affair. Not more than 3,000 runners participate every year and it makes for a fantastic way to train for a race - if you live here in Honolulu or traveling for vacation or business. The half marathon is a way to break out of your training cycles and tackle something a little bit out of the ordinary and release what you may not have thought possible. I have ran the hibiscus half marathon at least twice, so it's a local race for me. The race is typically held on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Quite a nice time slot to run the race and not be too fried to go to work on the Tuesday after. Although it does get mildly warm at this time of year, make no mistake that this event continues to grow and is a part of Honolulu's running scene. I enjoyed the years that I have ran it. Part of the course runs along the infamous stretch of Kalanianaole Highway, towards aina haina. That part is an out and back stretch that literally has no shade at all. No timing split at the turn around point. Best bet would be to wear sunscreen. The race starts and finishes at Kapiolani Park, by the Queen Liliuokalani statue. Start time is 5:30am, so best bet would be to get there as early as you can, but not sacrificing on sleep. Parking by the Honolulu Zoo is recommended. Fortunately for me, I live about 2 miles away, so I usually get up earlier and stumble to the start half asleep. What I love about this event is that it's very local for me and that the cost is cheap. Best bet would be to register early to save money. The course is okay, running through parts of the Honolulu marathon course and through the ultra nice parts of Kahala. This event also has a 15K, 10K, and 5K distances. The hibiscus half marathon is a timed race and have age categories, which I have yet to place. Maybe if I train harder, I'll get there. The race fees usually start at about $40 and climbs up to $60. Not that bad, but the deals are there if you want to get in early. The course itself is hilly and does get warm, especially in the later portions of the race when on the highway and you just want it to end, but have 5+ miles left to go. Scenic course, if you can call it scenic, but since I live here, it's okay and pleasing. I'm glad that I live relatively nearby, so I can just stumble home after the race, if need be. The race is sponsored by local merchants that cater to the running community. The race bling we get for completing the half marathon had steadily improved through the years. Recommended if you are in the area and want to run 13.1 miles. Support local! B+ read more

It's always cool to have an option to either run a 5 miler, 15k or half marathon. Of course, only the crazies (like me) would voluntarily choose the half marathon route. Regardless on which distance you run, everyone gets a medal at the end. But the course has a time limit of 4 hours. It's highly recommended that participants that do 17min/mi to do the 15k instead of the half marathon as they open up the roads at 9:30am. I ran this race last year, but really contemplated on doing it this year because compared to other races, this event was a little unorganized and disjointed. This year (2015) was their 9th year for this event and sad to say, but I still felt the same way I felt from the previous year of running this race. The packet pick-ups are held on 3 days at 3 different places for about 3-6hrs: Kalapawai Cafe in Kailua, Runners Route in town, and Runners HI in Aiea. There's no expo for this race; it's more a get in, pick-up your bib and shirts, and then get out. Nothing too exciting really. The day of the race, I easily found parking on Kapahulu. It's a bit of a walk to the start line at Kapiolani Park, but at least I know I won't get stuck trying to get out when I finish the race. The race was supposed to start at 5:30am, but I'm not sure what happened as it started couple minutes late. Plus, it was a tad bit weird that they didn't actually have a real person singing the national anthem; it was a recording off someone's phone (not to mention, their phone started ringing in the middle of the song)...and it was even more weird "Hawai'i Pono'I" didn't follow right after the national anthem. The route from Kapiolani Park, around Diamond Head, up to Hawai'i Kai, back to Kapiolani Park were nicely marked with cones and was a beautiful view. It was greatly appreciated to have the police directing traffic as the runners made their way around the course. But I have to say, at the very beginning of the race, it's never wise to narrow the running lane as that's when everyone is together and being bunched up like that can be very dangerous and also alter people's times as they're either slowing down to let people go and running faster so they don't run into other people. After running 13.1mi and crossing that finish line to get your medal, the first thing every runner wants is water. But for some reason, it took me awhile to find the water station! I managed to find the snack tent first, but I was dying of thirst. My mouth was really dry, so when I was eating my half of a banana, it didn't taste the same. When I finally found the water tent, there was a long line. And just when I got to the front of the line, there were a couple empty water jugs. Plus, the cups at the water station were the really small cups. I felt selfish when I jugged my first cup then got refills right after, but I was still really thirsty after that and I didn't want to stand back in line just to refill such a small cup! Plus, my feet were dying. After my thirst was clenched, I found the hill and finally got to lie down. There wasn't much post-race things to do there. And I found it weird to have a tent that sells shave ice. Who carries money with them at these types of events? Plus, why is this the first tent you pass by when crossing the finish line instead of the water tent??? Hopefully their 10th year will be a better experience... read more

Hibiscus Half Marathon - half marathon finisher! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Did it today. I did the 15k with my other half and it was comfortable. Mostly walked it. The problem came midway. We needed to find a bathroom and there was none in sight. It was inconvenient to run around to find a restroom instead of focusing on the course. My bladder felt like it would explode and I was ready to use a bush like a homeless bum. By the time we found a bathroom, I felt sick. When we came out of the bathroom, the cone truck passed and we had to run in order to pass it. Water and Gatorade is convenient but people have other bodily functions from drinking such things during a race. Not providing it, is like going to work and not being allowed a bathroom break. I could have sworn there were some bathrooms in last years 2015 run. Next year maybe we may do 5 miles or not at all. For the love of humanity, portopotties on any marathon is a must. read more

okay so i'll be the first to give this event a 5 star review. my family came out to Honolulu to participate in this event and we had a great experience. the nice thing is that it is always the Sunday before Memorial Day every year making it good as part of our vacation plans. Packet pick-up was simple and everything was there. there is plenty of parking all along the course starting line and the course itself was very scenic. the finishers medal was very nice last year as well. they offer 3 distances ( 5 miles, 15K, or half marathon) and finishers of ALL distances get a medal. great family and fitness activity. easy registration via active.com. highly recommended! =D Aloha! read more

Hibiscus Half Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Ran this race last year and enjoyed it. This year the race hasn't started and the lady supervising the expo threatened to take my bib away because I was being 'mean' after asking a question. read more

2015's Hibiscus Half Marathon, 15k and 5 Miler. I like the fact that they have 3 different road races. It was a bit confusing at first, we couldn't find the starting line and really didn't know the route for the 5 miler until we were running it. I did like that fact that everyone starts at the same time, so it's good to include family (kids) for the shorter 5 miler if your running the 15k or Half. We will def run this again next year. this year they added more porta-potties but the lines were still 5- 10 min waits pre-race. The course was clearly marked and the police were at every corner stopping traffic. I enjoyed the beautiful views and small hills along the route. The added bonus was that everyone got a finishers medal regardless of what distance you ran. read more

Hibiscus Half Marathon - 2015's Race Shirt. - Races & Competitions Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Super fun friendly race! I have raced and volunteered many times. Highly recommended!

So I only do half marathons when I find out the medals are pretty decorative, detailed and big lol. When I saw there was going to be an hibiscus that turned I signed up. Oh man the hills literally wiped me out. Maybe it was because I did not train and ran 13.2 miles. The race started at 5:30am on Kapiolani park. We were able to score a parking spot at Honolulu zoo. Hubby and I stretched a bit and the only thing going through my mind was that I did not want to get picked up. Getting driven to the finish line because your too slow is embarrassing for me lol. It hasn't happened yet... Well there was a 4 hour time limit and I thought that was great. I believe I ran 5 miles once before doing this half marathon. My body was going to punish me later. The hills on mile 2-3 were not bad then at mile 5 my legs were starting to ache. Every time I thought I was done with a high incline one welcomed me at the next mile. By mile 10, I was praying to Jesus to just let me finish already. My bling was so close. I just needed to get through 3 more miles and I would be complete. I started to walk and run a little. My cell rang and it was my hubby asking where I was. I told him I was still running. He was confused he thought I was making good time when he saw me at mile 6. I told him that was then. He said there was some awesome snacks at the finish line. :::jealous:::I was at mile 12 when my stomach started to grumble. I was soo hungry lol. I couldn't think of anything else but chips, bagels, ice-cream, and pizza. I saw my hubby run up to me half way. I asked him if he had any food or crackers in his shorts. He said yes! Thank god for him stocking some food in his pockets. I was munching on some cheese crackers all the way to the finish line. I ran a little since they had the cameras on to capture the moment. It is a great feeling to complete a half and even more when you get to wear your medal. It's an achievement earned not given. I was happy and relieved to be done. I grabbed some snacks and took pics with hubby before we headed out to get real food. Overall it was only painful for me since I was not prepared. It's worth it mentally and physically. I had a great time! read more

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I always enjoy this race as well as the other races put together by Tropical Triple Crown. The staff are always amazing. The volunteers are encouraging when you are down and ready to quit. Having the Expo this year was a nice addition. read more

This is the 9th year for this run and I was expecting it to be better organized. The route was nicely marked with cones and mile makers, and the police presence was definitely appreciated and necessary considering the amount of traffic even at 5:30 am on a Sunday. It's a beautiful route and it's just plain cool to run on roadways that you would never otherwise run on. The hills were a nice challenge, too. However, up until 5:15 am no one knew where the start line was, so the runners were walking aimlessly up and down the street asking each other where the start line was. The start line wasn't set up until 5:15 am and then someone in a pickup truck tried to herd thousands of us behind the start line. The final blow that subtracted a star from my review is the lack of signage for the water/hydration stations. After you cross the finish line, which quite frankly I wasn't sure would be there considering the poor set up for the start line, you're presented with your medal and that's it. It took us more than 5 minutes to find the hydration stations which were unmarked and were in the middle of a group of tents that were selling or advertising who knows what. To top it off we had to stand in line for an additional several minutes to fill up. The first tent I went to I later discovered only had Gatorade, which I dislike but had to drink because I had no idea where the water was located. I drank from the water fountain, which is perfectly fine for me, but after running 13.1 miles the first thing you are looking for is hydration and we shouldn't have to hunt for it. What was equally annoying is that there was a shave ice stand - that you had to pay for and who carries $$ with them during a race? - blocking my way to the hydration stations. Priorities? I appreciated the volunteers who handed out drinks during the run and helped with the clean up after - no easy task! read more