750m swim. 40k bike. 10k run…read more This really kicked my ass. By the time it was time to run, my legs were jello but I kept pushing through and kept sucking down those gel packs. I'm a rooking when it comes to the triathlon world so I had no idea what to expect. But after picking up my packet, the contents inside had everything inside to help answer most if not all of my questions. It included racing tips, course maps, racing rules, a swim cap and a free jamba juice coupon. On race day, checking in was a breeze. The volunteers were all super helpful and did everything in a good mood...even though it was 430 in the morning. For the bike/run portion, cops were at every intersection halting traffic as racers came through. If it weren't for them, most of our times would have been screwed up...but this must be a normal thing for most triathlons as they are timed events. All in all, this was a wonderful event. I can't wait until next years as I hope to improve all of my times.

Super fun beginner's triathlon!!!! The swim leg is shorter than a typical Olympic distance…read moretriathlon. The bike leg and the run leg are relativity "flat" with some small hills. I entered this year's 2016 Tinman triathlon with an all female team in the relay division. We all contributed our best in our respective legs and together, we came out in 1st place!!!! WHOOOHOOOO. 750 meter swim at Queen's beach to aquarium and back 25 mile bike ride from Kapiolani park to Lunalilo Home road up Heartbreak hill and back 10K run from Kapiolani Park to the Kahala mall gas station and back

Pros: 1. Course had mile markers and six passes at aid…read morestations 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

This run course is nice bc it's Hawaii. The event is very unprofessional. Their site states that…read morefamily/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.

This was a 5k night run at Kualoa Ranch. Some people (probably because they didn't read the…read moreinstructions didn't register) didn't get a headlight. If you didn't have a light, it probably was a little more challenging as this was at night, hence the name "Nite Run." Right from the start one of our friends got injured as she didn't see the cattle guard and her foot went through the metal bars making a huge bump on her shin. What was messed up was that the other cattle guards were coned off to avoid them and to go around but not the first one. I felt bad for her but when she said she was going to suck it up and still do it I kicked some dirt on her and said see you at the finish line. I'm joking, I just kicked some dirt on her. Like I said the run was a 5k. It was for the most part on a dirt roadway. There was a pretty steep part that kind of kicked my butt. I thought I was going up Koko Head for a minute. Argh, Kill me now! lol They said there were supposed to be some kind of brain test or something as well as strength test which they had. I believe they went over the question and what the correct answer was supposed to be but what looked like a place they might have had someone asking you a question, there was no one, no one anywhere which was a little disappointing. Maybe next time they will have something. Another thing that was disappointing was that you didn't have to do the strength test and made it optional. One was you had to grab a sandbag (maybe around 10lbs) and carry it and go under a couple of beams. Next one was walking on rope (around 20'). It did get bottle necked as some people took forever to cross and when some fell they ran back and tried again. The wait time was around 12 minutes or so. They had at least 5 different lines. They also had another type of obstacle course... If you remember the movie Pretty Woman when they were on the Polo Field and the announcer says to "avoid the Steaming Divot." That's right, there were horse manure here and there that you had to hopscotch around. As most know Jurassic Park was filmed there and one part of the course you could hear dinosaurs in the background. Just thought that was cool of them. Maybe if one came out I would of ran faster. I heard that they ran out of some headlamps and t-shirts but was able to get more by the time people finished. Water stations were around the course. Free water, gatorade. At the end they brought out some free desserts. Had a couple of food vendors, music, Mc, and acrobatic act. Pretty fun event, especially when doing it with cool people.

Recently did the "Nite Run" at Kualua Ranch. I have to say, I LOVED it! It was not only fun (at…read morenight! Headlamps! Costume contest! Obstacles! Cows mooing LOL!) BUT it was pretty tough!! After doing the Glow Hawaii Run the night before (easy, shorter than advertised) it was nice to be able to really push myself and race. The trail was mostly dirt road but there were areas that were gravel road, grassy areas,etc. Started up a hill, did an obstacle, more killer hill, followed by another hill. Didn't expect that! Race was also longer than a 5k, didn't expect that either LOL! ;) There were a few cow patties and cattle gates so just trying not to break an ankle kept me really paying attention to where my feet were LOL. The whole set up was great. Great food venders, plenty of potties, easy packet pickup and we parked pretty close to the race area so heading back to the car was easy if you needed to put stuff away. NO FEE for parking. Loved that too. So many races make you park far away, pay for parking, pay to "store" your stuff they give you at the race,etc. I loved that I didn't feel nickel and dimed for this event. I purchased it as a Living Social deal and it was easy-peasy to get my tshirt, headlamp and number. LOVED that we were all chipped, gave me more incentive to run and try to get a decent time. They did run out of headlamps w/batteries (LOL) but we got there early so we got ones w/batteries. I'd definitely do this race again. I can't wait until they plan another one!!

This 5k/10k is A-OK…read more Great for families, and it's surprising to see just how many keiki show up for this race. The top time in 2013 for males was 37 minutes, but it's not a highly competitive race. Overall field was only 193 runners, which made it very comfortable. Other strong points were the great work by volunteers, smooth organization, and awesome snack table. Cons would definitely be old timing methods and a not-so-scenic route. It felt like we did nothing for 10k but run through people's driveways. Considering this is one of the most spectacular parts of the island, the route leaves much to be desired. Still, a solid run for all-ages.

As published in the Sept 2013 Hawaii Sport Magaine print issue…read morehttp://issuu.com/hawaiisportmag/docs/hawaii_sport_sept_2013_print : Happy 4th of July! There really was no better way to celebrate America's birthday for Independence than to dress up in our Red, White and Blue and run; run for our Independence. The run/walk started at approximately 7:04AM (to stand for 7/4) and runners, moms with strollers, kids and dogs started on their path. My path was the 10K. I rushed up and down a few hills and before I knew it, I was at the halfway point and turning around to finish the last 3 miles! At the end of the finish line were lots of wonderful refreshments and food to fuel my empty stomach! I enjoyed the rest of my day by treating myself with a huge BBQ and a big tummy! This was a very enjoyable race and I hope to be able to do it again next year.

Such an amazing event, 2023 Hawaii Pacific Health Great Aloha Run (GAR) 39th Anniversary of the 8.2…read morerun from Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium. The race started in 1985 and hopefully this isn't the last of the Great Aloha Run. The community loves this event and looks forward to it every year. Thank you to Carol Kai for coordinating this race for so many years and raising so much money for local charities in Hawaii. All the best in the next chapter of your life. The run couldn't be a success without the many sponsors and 1000s of volunteers. Big thank you to Watanbe Floral for handing out flowers to all runners, for the motivating band music from 25th infantry, Nanakuli HS, Kalaheo HS, Farrington HS, Puuhale Elementary School, UH Marching Band, and Kalaheo HS. Thank you again to Carol Kai and all the volunteers that made this great event happen.

Never say never…read more.. One year (many moons ago), I signed up with my Jaycee (Junior Chamber of Commerce) friends for The Great Aloha Run. The starting point was Aloha Tower and the end point was Aloha Stadium. We walked the 8.15 mile course and - I thought that I was going to die... I asked my friends to carry me to the Finish Line... LOL! I told myself that I would never do this race again because it was so painful... Even though it's for a good cause. Many organizations benefit from the Carole Kai Charities - which was founded in 1985. This year - 2022 - was different. I knew that Aloha Stadium was going to be demolished at year's end and that The Great Aloha Run would not be the same. This time, the race would be virtual and participants would be allowed to drive through Aloha Stadium and cross the Finish Line with their vehicles. Wow! Sign me up! My friend, Jessica P., in Las Vegas agreed to join me - virtually! Cool, eh? Thanks, sissy! Anyway, we paid online and received our "In Training" shirt in the mail. We're supposed to get our Finishers' shirt and medal in this manner, too. We were to log our miles online and be entered in a drawing for super great prizes like airfare for four people on Alaska Airlines! We signed up for a drive-through time. I chose 1:45pm which was the latest time. I wanted to take my time and not have a lot of cars behind or in front of me at Aloha Stadium. It turned out great! My sister from Colorado rode in my car with me. It was fun because she used to be a disc jockey and she knows a lot of media people. She saw her friend at the KRTR booth and got a chance to catch up with him. My sister was a good support. When I felt nostalgic and teary, she pepped me up and helped me hold it together. I remembered all of the fantastic concerts (like Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, and Kalapana) and fun football games that I attended. Farewell to Aloha Stadium. See you again in 2023 as a brand new Entertainment Center with shops, restaurants, and living spaces! A hui hou! Thanks to the cheerleaders, Wahiawa Middle School Band, Hawaii Pacific Health, and other sponsors who volunteered to make this event such an organized and memorable experience!

I enjoyed this event, but never got a chance to run the actual triathlon; just the 5k event, and…read moreI've ran it twice! The first time I was 3rd place overall, and the second time I was 1st place overall. Big props to an event like this, for having so many races going on all at once. They have a 5k, 10k, Sprint, Olympic Triathlon; not to mention the youth, and kids races also. Great event, and it is very well set up; the volunteer support is great, and also everyone that participates in this event gets a finishers medal. Anyone looking for a triathlon on the island of Oahu; this is a very great one, and well worth training for. My advice is if you're an elite athlete pay attention to the route; study it! There are many cones to follow, and if you take a wrong turn you may get disqualified. Other than that, enjoy! Aloha!

This version is an expanded version of the published review in the July 2014 issue of Hawaii Sport…read moreMag: http://issuu.com/hawaiisportmag/docs/hawaii_sport_july_2014_digital As a local, this triathlon is THE triathlon of the year on the island of Oahu! Aspiring triathletes and veteran triathletes train for months for this race. I, myself, dedicated a good 4 months training for this race. I set up my workouts for 5-6 days a week, consisting of two short 5:30AM workout sessions before work (either run or swim), two afterwork brick sessions (bike + run, or swim + run) with Try Fitness team (tryfitnesshawaii.com) and two looooooong 7AM brick workout sessions (one with Try Fitness team) on the weekend. Finally, the day came... The Honolulu Triathlon. Ready or not, I would embark this 1500m swim, 40K bike ride and 10K run with elite athletes, locals, mainlanders, and international participants. This is a wonderful and well laid out course for the newbie, for the out of towner and especially for the long time triathlete that just wants to have fun and be fit with friends. Furthermore, the location allows for a large number of participants, over 1500 participants a year usually. The swim portion was the main reason for me to sign up for this course. It is a long 1500m, but the water at Ala Moana Beach Park is flat. As coral surrounds this area, the water is protected from waves and certain ocean critters. This makes it great for the newbie to try out a triathlon of this distance. The swim portion of this race is a straight line, out and back. We started from Magic Island and then swam almost the end of the park water and then back. The water here is a relatively decent size, capable of fitting a large number of swimmers. The bike portion of this race was relatively easy. The road is a flat out and back. With the exception of a slight incline on the way out to Aloha Stadium, it was relatively flat. Flats are my strengths, so the course was in my favor. The run portion was a bit confusing but yet nice for spectators. Since the park is a bit small, participants had to run around the park twice. On the second loop, participants had to make sure to get a band and place it on the right wrist. This could have been a bit confusing for participants. The upside to running around in a loop was that spectators did not have to move around to watch their favorite participants. I finished the race, tired, hot, exhausted but feeling well accomplished. My first completed "Olympic" distance triathlon was under my belt. Next year Honolulu Tri, next year, we will meet again! Who's up for the challenge?

I think it's one of the best place in the island Master swimming practice starts at 5:3O AM all…read morestuff it's super awesome . They make dynamic swimming exercise I considering Great and work on your stroke as well give you the best advice and drill what will be work best for you ... I just want to say it's a great place and by the way heated swimming pool .It's a lot of equipment with you can use

Here's my review published in the September 2013 print Hawaii Sport Mag. issue…read morehttp://issuu.com/hawaiisportmag/docs/hawaii_sport_sept_2013_print : PRODUCT: Swim Hawaii - Adult Beginner's Swim and Advance Freestyle Stroke Technique AT: Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex UH Manoa WHEN/TIME FRAME: June 15 - July 31, 2013 COST: $15/class WHERE TO BUY LOCALLY: www.SwimHawaii.com - taught at UH Manoa Aquatics DESCRIPTION: Group swim classes for kids and adults (taught separately) for beginner's and advance levels. Adult Beginner's Swim PROS: 1) Classes are limited to a maximum of five students. Small class sizes allow for individual attention from instructors - also great because you get your money's worth. 2) Classes are Saturdays at 30 minute intervals with two time slots: 4:30 to 5pm and 5 to 5:30pm; providing just enough time for participants to learn without overstraining. CONS: 1) Parking is limited. Cost is $6.00 flat at the UH campus parking Structure, $4.00 flat at Puck's Alley or $2.00 for two hours at Church of the Crossroads (Diamond Parking Service). Otherwise, street parking is an option but it can be hard to find, depending on your class time. I know many people that can swim. But I do not know many people that know HOW to swim. The difference between being able to swim and knowing how to swim, is technique. I started the class with strokes that were jelly-like, laughable and my body movement in the water was overall very strange. I had learned to swim from friends and family with very little swimming teaching experience. Their advice was to just hang out in the water and it will come naturally. That might be true when it comes to feeling comfortable and floating, however, a skill needs to be studied, analyzed and refined. After only being in the class for seven weeks, I am already feeling extremely comfortable in the water. My freestyle stroke is decent and my body composition is much, much better than when I had started. I still have a few more classes to go before being able to swim from one length of the pool to the opposite end, but I will get there! Adult Advance Freestyle Stroke Technique PROS: 1) Freestyle Stroke Mechanics are divided into 8 parts, and spread out over an 8-week course. 2) The class videotapes participant's strokes above-water. A review and critique for improvement session is conducted in the following class. Also included is a lecture highlighting correct stroke patterns and common defects. 3) In addition to learning and focusing on different topics each week, the last 15 minutes of class is devoted to "interval training". This class structure encourages and forces participants to push harder than they would when training on their own time in a pool and in the ocean. This allows students to see constant improvement each week, preparing them for a race, to advance to the next fitness level or just for fun. CONS: 1) Parking is limited. The first lesson I learned in this class was interval swimming. When it comes to swimming, interval training is much different than interval training on foot. The concept is based on intense swimming within a given time frame and a given distance. The recovery period is the small window you are awarded within your given time frame when you reach the end of the set distance. In other words, your rest period is based on how much effort you place into getting to the end of your distance based on the time left over. If you are curious about this concept, I highly suggest giving the class a shot. You may join the class at anytime. Check out www.SwimHawaii.com to see how you can sign-up. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT? Absolutely Yes. REASON(S): I have already recommended Swim Hawaii to one friend who is currently enrolled in the Advance Freestyle Technique class. Two additional friends will be enrolled in the upcoming Adult Beginner's Swim class. RATING (0-5; 0 being terrible, 5 being as good as it gets): 5 - As good as it gets! ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jan Prins, Founder & Director EMAIL/PHONE: janprins@swimhawaii.com

After completing the Kapilina NiteRun earlier this summer, I got emails about the Kailua NiteRun…read morehappening on October 10, 2015. Since I didn't want to pay to actually run the 5k, I decided to volunteer instead. I eagerly signed up to volunteer from 4pm to 9pm as a Family Fun Fair Attendant. As a volunteer, it was pretty unorganized. They didn't have any work available so they had us sit around for a substantial amount of time. I even asked if I could grab a bite nearby and come back! Even after being gone for more than 30 minutes, still no work. LOCATION/PARKING: The run was held at Kawainui Marsh (the closest address is 910 Kailua Road). They had tents set up for easy spotting! Parking available on the streets or at Kailua High School. Shuttle buses were available to bring runners to the start line from Kaiser High School. ACTIVITIES/VENDORS: This particular NiteRun does not have all the vendors and inflatables like Kaka'ako, Kapilina or Haleiwa! Many people were disappointed in this. However, DNLR does not allow much on their protected lands. They did however have Jamba Juice and Coca Cola, free smoothies/coffee/Powerade/coconut water/Honest Tea, etc. Informal costume contest at the end of the run! RACE INFO: If you're running no need to come really early but if you haven't already picked up your packet before race day, come a little earlier so you can put your packet away! They don't really hold anything for you! You receive a free headlamp with entry and some coupons for Sports Authority and Jamba Juice! Race length is 5k or 3.1 miles! Not officially timed (no timing chips). Run begins once it gets dark and often starts later than scheduled. :( On this particular route, be sure to have enough lights! You run along the marsh, partly on the pavement and a good amount of time on gravel! Since it wasn't busy, the volunteer coordinator let me run! Let me tell you, running on gravel with little to no light is worse than walking in heels! Wobble this way, wobble that way! Just be careful. People are running with costumes and everyone is soooo friendly! I kept pace with several guys and they were cheering everyone on! How do you talk and run at less than an 8 min mile pace! Gah I'm panting! And of course, I try to not sound like a gorilla so I'm breathing quietly as I pass people and as soon as I'm a good distance away, GASP FOR AIR PLEASE! Inhale like there's no tomorrow! SNACKS: Grab more Jamba Juice smoothies or Coca Cola products to replenish your energy stores after the run! Muffins, oranges, bananas, trail mix, and cookies were available also! Nom nom nom. Especially when you're panting because you're so out of shape that a 5k makes your squirm. PRICING: Entry fees are $39.50 for adults, $25.50 for children ages 10-17. Same day registration is $49.50. Save $10 if you are a student, military, or HGEA member! Look on Groupon for specials to save money too for individuals like me who are too old to be considered a child, is unfortunately a wannabe student, is to weak-minded to be in the military and I don't even know what HGEA is. Time to Google! RANDOM FACTS: Each NiteRun benefits a different organization. This particular run benefitted the Boy & Girls Club of Hawaii - Windward. Come to the next event, Haleiwa NiteRun, on December 19, 2015 at the Haleiwa Beach park! This one should have all the festivities! Any takers?! :D

5k fun run in dark, lit by glowsticks? Sign me up!…read more I couldn't make either packet pickup and arrived an hour ahead for late packet pickup. I was surprised to find no line, just walked right up, signed the waiver on an iPad, and had my bad and t-shirt within a couple of minutes. It was smooth, definitely something other events could replicate. I walked around the fair / market for a bit. Luckily, I had come early because traffic was looking like a mess. The start was a bit confusing though - everyone had naturally lined up at the starting gate, then we were moved towards the mauka side near the stage. I couldn't hear anything, then we all started walking back to where we were...then right out of the road! The course map then made sense - we walked across the street to another starting area, complete with an inflatable arch and tents. It was dark by the time we started, which was good. It kind of lost steam though. The first part of an event is usually energy charged and exciting, this one wasn't. A few people were commenting on this, but oh well. We were off! I heard about the Seattle night run and was expecting some strobes, flashing lights, or something. The course was mostly just a jog in the night, with an occasional halogen light. The aid station at the halfway point was nice though, plenty of volunteers, a band, lots of cold water. The cold water was welcome - and full bottles of water! Think that's the first time I've seen that at an aid station. Then, just the light jog back. I was expecting a small congregation, but most people just walked back. I'm guessing there were 200 people, mostly teens (fitting though, given all the proceeds went to the Boys and Girls Club). Was a cool idea and if they could find out a way to pump some more energy in it, might go again.