Held in Kailua-Kona Hawaii annually since 1978 , the Ironman World Championships has been a very…read moreimportant event for me to film as a sports photographer. In 2018 I traveled with a fellow YELPER who was yelping all over the island.I didn't question why she was taking pictures and talking to the servers about her food choices .This was a few months before I decided to start yelping.The week of Ironman ( which is a 17 hour race consisting of a 2.4 mile swim 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run )is filled with media events , meeting professional athletes , expos , taking in the beautiful Hawaiian spirit and equally wonderful food choices.One of my favorite places to eat & people watch in Kona is Lava Java for their amazing Go island style pancakes with island grown macadamia nuts and Hawaiian papaya that you cannot get on the mainland.Equally exceptional is Hugo's on the Rocks with casual dining and sand floors on the bottom floor overlooking the ocean.They also have fine dining upstairs with gluten free and vegan options such as pupu pizzas with hamakua mushrooms, carmelized Maui onions and macadamia nut pesto.Although I can't eat fish , my dining partner said the seared sesame crusted Ahi was one of the best and freshest fish that they have ever had.We had 3 people wait on us even though the restaurant was full and the service was fast. We did not feel rushed and enjoyed our dinner with the sound of the crashing waves as the sun set early around 5pm.If you do make a trip to the island , a favorite locals breakfast stop is the Fish Hopper well known for their coconut and macadamia nut french toast with Punalu'u sweet bread and berries sauce.My stomach is growling now just thinking about it.In 2019 I returned again to indulge in a week of amazing island eating out and visiting the local open food markets on Al'i drive where you can get fresh coconut water straight from a local opened with a machete and fresh island specialties like sweet strawberry papaya,hawaiian Haas avocadoes , and rapoza mangoes.All are equally delectable and not found on the mainland.If you need a relaxing tranquil and beautiful place to visit and enjoy some quiet time, I would not recommend coming during the 2nd week in October during Ironman World Triathlon Championships week.However, if you are craving a crazy energy filled week filled with 1000s of triathletes from all over the world and an equally high energy in the air for a week this is the place to be.Enjoy what life comes to you, the people who you chose to spend your time with and happy YELPING .

Terrible customer service…read more Have been trying to transfer the already paid funds for a race that was scheduled in the US pre-pandemic to Canada. This is so I do not need to travel out of the country and need to quarantine when arriving back in Canada. Have been sending numerous messages via email and the contact website to no avail. Appears to be no telephone number for contact.

Revel Kulia Marathon and half marathon is in its 2nd year, having started on the Big Island in…read more2019. After hearing rave reviews about the course, I decided to sign up for the half marathon in 2020 and see what its all about. The Revel race series is known for its downhill courses throughout the mainland United States. Downhill race courses helps runners run faster and produce faster race performance finish times on the half marathon and marathon, which makes it attractive for goal seekers and individuals who want to qualify for the Boston and or New York City marathons. With that said, downhill routes are tough on the legs and doing it running down the side of Mauna Kea was a challenging prospect as well. With that said, Revel Kulia marathon and half marathon seemed like the race to do. However, prices for entry is a bit steep, running about at least $125 for both distances. I suspect this will be the price point going forward if they continue on in Waikoloa. Registration is done online months before race weekend, so you can use your major credit card to sign up. You probably could sign up at the expo but the price for entry will be steep. Race weekend basically consists of packet pick up at the host hotel the day before and getting to the race shuttles before they depart for the start. There are two separate race shuttles departing at separate time slots to two different locations. For me, it was 4:30am - 5:30am for the half. It was 4:00am - 5:00am for the marathon. The overall experience here at the 2020 Revel Kulia marathon and half marathon was quite interesting. Since the start for both half marathon and marathon started on Mauna Kea, it was high enough to have temperatures in the lower 50's F. It was fine for me, however, the wind was fierce that morning on the mountain, so I was basically hyperventilating until my body got a handle on things. It was bad. I can only imagine what it was like higher up with the marathoners. Both distances started at 6:30am, where it was dark enough to trip over something you can't see. The staging area was basically 10 port-o-johns and an industrial light in a paved lot. We had to walk maybe 50 yards onto Waikoloa Road to the start, where there was a race banner and a timing station to record the start of the race that morning. The race field was small and intimate, fielding less than 1,000 runners in both distances. It was nice to see friends speed down Waikoloa road doing the marathon distance while I ran my own race, trying to get to the finish and shower before hotel check out. The finish line was staged next to the Queen's Shops, which was ideal for everyone. You can get food and drinks there within reach of the finish. I did enjoy the fact that there was a big REVEL sign at the finish area, as well as a big 26.2 and 13.1 sign to take photos of. I certainly did my part in taking photos with that, celebrating my 52nd half marathon finish that morning. Revel knows how to throw a run party. The downhill course and the scenic views of Mauna Kea and Waikoloa Village was nice to see while running down Waikoloa Road on a Saturday morning in January. There was no fanfare at the start of the half marathon, although there was plenty of entertainment and excitement at the finish line. After taking photos and gathering my sanity, my legs started to feel better from all that downhill running and moving down a mountain road. It was the first time that they moved the finish line area next to the Queen's shops. During their inaugural race, they had it somewhere along Waikoloa road and finisher's had to be bussed back to a safer location. I personally liked the finish location. It was the same location used by the Kona marathon, which is held annually in late June. For the most part though, it was another excuse to travel for me to run. It was nice to check out a new race that I previously haven't done and the Revel race series is popular. If downhill running, possible BQ's, and PR's are your goals, consider the Revel Kulia marathon or half marathon. If you are a 50 stater (marathon or half) wanting to add Hawaii to your list, check this race out. The finisher medal is pretty solid. 4.0 stars for the overall experience. 2.5 stars for race morning. I knew it was going to be cold but the wind made it worse till I got a handle on things. 4.0 stars for the expo. 4.0 stars for the course and finish line area. Thanks to the volunteers! Run more! Support local! B

Kona marathon has nowhere near the potential of the Kona Ironman Triathlon, which is on a whole…read moredifferent level, and different race. So far, I have competed in and completed the full marathon (26.2 mi) and the half marathon (13.1 mi), which I highly recommend the half marathon because it keeps you in the touristy areas instead of running on what seems forever along Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway. All races, the full marathon, half marathon, quarter marathon, and 5k coincide together, so prepare yourself to merge with other runners as you head towards the finish line. As I share this review, 2012 Kona marathon was my sixth of the nineteen marathons I have completed. And, 2014 Kona half marathon was the nineteenth half marathon of the twenty-two half marathons I have completed. Both remind me of a few of my worst experiences as a runner because of its boring out-and-back course, and my terrible half marathon experience where I nearly had to wait until the completion of a different race to receive my 3rd place overall award for the half marathon because of technical difficulties with their system. Go figure! A bit of advice, if you choose to run its full marathon preserve your energy along Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway because by the time you hit it, the heat has sat in, plus course support has dwindled, which could be a good or bad thing. With that, I recommend letting your mind wander in-between mile 9 to mile 17; keeping hydrated, plus carrying your own water source, even though they have water stops along the course. Bringing your own water source will keep you fueled at your own pace. Other than everything I have mentioned, the 3rd place overall award for the half marathon, t-shirts and finishers medal for both the full and half marathon were amazing. Thomas G

Effective 2015, the Kona marathon had entirely moved its location from Kailua-Kona northbound to…read moreWaikoloa. Hence, the update to the Kona marathon from me. There are critics including myself that they should rename the Kona marathon because the race course isn't in Kailua-Kona proper anymore, but in a totally different area. I guess they keep the Kona marathon as a purely marketing standpoint. With that said, I learned about the Kona marathon course revamping in mid 2014 and decided to sign up for the marathon the following year. I was curious as to how much of an upgrade it was. Or wasn't. I came to find out on race morning that it wasn't what I expected it to be. While the course showcased majority of the Waikoloa hotel complex, it wasn't really a course designed for runners. At least that's what I think. I ended up falling short of my goal of finishing 26.2 miles and just logged 18 before calling it quits. The overall experience was average, although it could have been heaps better if the weather had cooperated. The course was poorly designed, especially when all you had to work with was Highway 19 and the roads inside the Waikoloa complex. I guess it was easier and cheaper to close traffic for a marathon. The course time limit was shortened to 8 hours, instead of the usual 9 hours and the course itself had a lot more timing apparatus split points along the way, not like before. The weather was wicked hot, especially on the highway 19, where a total of 12 miles were needed and being on that highway with nothing to look at and the traffic zooming past you was really boring and taxing, especially when you have to put out a race of 26.2 miles. Most of my friends who downgraded from the full distance to the half distance were happy. I should have listened and have gotten a half marathon finisher medal and an official time. Instead, I logged 18 miles and nothing to show for it. Oh well. It is what it is. Congrats to all finishers. As aforementioned before, the Kona marathon moved everything up north to the Waikoloa beach hotel resort complex. I thought that this change of venue was pretty good, until I was on that course on race morning in June. I stayed at the host hotel this time around with a friend of mine, the Hilton Waikoloa Village. The expo itself was open air, along with packet pick up - which was held in an air conditioned conference room on hotel property. I was in and out of there within an hour and met up with friends. The race bibs were standard and colored, depending on what race distance you were doing. I believe this year 2015 red was the marathon and green was the half. The race fees were kind of steep, pricing at least $85 for the early birds and climbing as much as $150 for race day registration. For the price of a destination race, it was worth the price, if you were coming from outside of Hawaii. Then again, cheaper the better is what is best. The course was basically 2 loops around the Waikoloa village hotel complex of about 6 miles a piece, then a 15 mile out and back sections of Queen K Highway before entering back into the hotel complex to finish up the last 10km. The start and finish was near the Queen's shops. Plenty of parking for those who need it. The course itself had plenty of timing splits, so you can't really cheat. The weather was obscenely hot, to the point where I just called it quits. It's frustrating and annoying at the same time. I'm glad that all of my friends who tied the line at the start finished their respected distances. The aid stations were adequate enough and the course support were kind of lacking. Still, it's for those who want to run a marathon in Kona / Waikoloa. If I come back to this one, it'll have to be the half. 13.1 miles! 3.0 solid, but made worse by the heat. Support local! C

I had heard the storied history of the Kona Brewers Festival since moving here, but never had the…read moreopportunity to go. I'm glad I waited as this year, I had a weekend filled with beer! Arguably, this is the best beer festival to which I've ever been! The festival is primarily a charity event, with all the proceeds going to local and Big Island foundations and groups. It's all volunteer run, from the set-up, clean-up, staff, and pourers; they're working for free and don't get to join in the fun! The festival is located at the King Kamehameha Hotel, a Courtyard Marriott right on the Kona bay. The beach is right in the middle of the festival and provides a beautiful foreground, while the mountains and trees provide a picturesque landscape beyond. For 2019, the weather was overcast and kind of cool, yet humid and hot at the same time. I was glad to wear sunscreen and a hat, you'll need them in the afternoon sun! The festival offers various ticket choices from the high tier Connoisseur's Lounge, to VIP, and General Admission. There are also so many complimentary or discounted levels for groups that assist in the planning of the event. The Connoisseur's Lounge includes an extra hour of special tastings and food in the hotel's restaurant area with music and air conditioning. Their badge was also a piece of koa as a keepsake. VIP was allowed onto the grounds up to an hour early, but no tastings were allowed until the start of the event (basically a skip-the-line deal). The General Admission line snaked around the pier in the hot sun, but people looked happy to be coming in. The festival was arranged around the beach with brewery tents interspersed with food, merchandise, and information booths. All ticket tiers got a wristband with 10 tickets to try 10 beers, more tokens could be purchased for $2 each, again with all proceeds going to charity. Food was unlimited, which means it went fast! All the volunteers were extremely friendly and having a great time interacting with the crowd. It was very crowded, but easy to walk around without feeling cramped. The main stage at the end of the pier had live musical acts and the Trash Fashion Show among other draws. Restrooms and portapotties were everywhere, so that was less of a worry than I thought beforehand. It was fun talking to random people, trying new beers from new breweries, and munching on delicious local foods. For anyone that can, be sure to attend this festival. Organization is second to none! Mahalo to the organizers for providing the homebrew judges with discounted passes!

This was a well-organized, albeit crowded event - I totally understand its popularity: what's not…read moreto love? 30 plus brewers from across the US pouring their best brews, unlimited food samples from dozens of vendors across the island, and to top it off, it all takes place at a picturesque setting right on the water in Kailua-Kona Town, on the lawn of the King Kamehameha Hotel. Online ticket sales sold within 15 minutes and I ended up having to go to Kona Brewery's location in Hawaii Kai (Oahu) to purchase our tickets the same afternoon. I'm glad I did because they sold out completely later that evening! Upon arriving at the event, there was a long line extending across the pier to enter the grounds of the event. Thankfully, the line moved swiftly and we collected our souvenir tasting mug and fork/spoon for tasting. The event aimed to be 100% eco-friendly, thus the reusable utensil, mug and food was being served on either ti leaves or compostable plates/bowls. Brewers' tents and food tents were scattered throughout the grounds with an impressive array of food and drink to last FOUR HOURS! I could barely stand by the end of the event! By the time the last couple of hours of the event rolled around just a couple of the most popular brews were tapped out and several food vendors were down to their last, although by this time I think everyone was stuffed to the gills and drink tickets were waning. The wristband you are given upon entry had 10 tasting tickets, once those were exhausted and you still want to drink more? Tasting tokens were being sold for $2 each. This year, Sig Zane designed the logo for the festival and I thought I'd wait til later to purchase a shirt to commemorate the event, which turned out to be a bad idea! The popular sizes and colors sold out quick, so no t-shirt for me to wear once and shove in the depths of my drawer forever. Hm... that's actually a great thing! I'm already stoked for next year!

Great small marathon! The organizers work hard to make sure everyone has a fun time and has access…read moreto what they need. Important for us, there are plenty of water/gatorade stops and the food at the end was stocked with fresh bread and fruit. The course is pretty tough, with lots of hills and once the sun is out it quickly feels hot. I kind of wished we'd had one of Hilo's rainy/drizzly days just to stay a little cooler. You run a lot of the Hawaiian old road, which offers gorgeous scenery. They also start early so you can get ahead of the heat, which allows you to finish well ahead of the hottest part of the late morning. I highly recommend this race if you're looking for something small with local organizers and big heart.

This is less of a formal marathon and more of a lightly supported long run. The course is hilly…read moreand it was hot but that is not the organizers fault. The challenge is that the course had only water at a limited number of stops (no sports drink, gel, etc. anywhere on course). Note: it is possible that that was announced somewhere but it certainly was not publicized aggressively. Also, the course is always open to traffic so some of the course running on major highways felt quite dangerous. There were also no mile markers and limited signage so it would have been easy to get lost. For all the organizational challenges 50% of the course is incredibly beautiful. If you are looking for a destination marathon in Hawaii, I would look elsewhere.

We really enjoyed the fruit tasting. This exceeded all expectations. I think we probably tasted at…read moreleast 20 fruit - apple banana, ice cream banana, 3 different kinds of sapote, local mango and coconut, and lots of other incredible fruits of which I forgot the names! The staff was really expert and fun. The entire event was very well organized and delicious. Of the 20 fruit we tasted I've only ever tried two or three of them in my life so it was really wonderful and unique. I highly recommend this activity. Most of the fruit are sweet and tropically yummy. There were a few "interesting" items just for fun including cacao seeds and durian. The staff tells you what to do and then you have fun with your knife and cutting board (they help if you ask but doing it myself was very exciting). The surroundings are gorgeous and lush with all sorts of things growing even in the parking lot.

Decided to do the ATV tour with Aloha adventure Farms. Booking was very easy online and I love that…read morethey stayed in communication with me leading up to my tour date. Day of the tour we were welcomed by and all female crew and they were awesome (girls rock!). Started off with equipment, a safety talk, mini test drive to ensure we can handle things ok. During the 2h tour we got to experience mixed terrain, stop along the way to learn fm our guide who was excellent (drawing a blank on her name). Small group tour made it special and easy to stay involved with the pack.

I have ran the Kona Marathon 3x now, the last time being in 2011. I also ran the 1/2 marathon once…read morein 2008. What keeps me coming back to the race is that - besides being local for me, is the fact that the IronMan World Championships are held in Kona and the marathon route is used on the exact same strip of out and back as the Kona Marathon uses too. It inspires me to run this stretch of paradise knowing that - while I may not be running it as part of the IronMan course, I can crank out 26.2 miles of pure marathon bliss and still have something to be apart of and that makes the pain of victory so much more sweeter. The marathon route is basically an out and back course that begins just outside the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort and finishes on the grounds of the resort. Heading out on Alii Drive, it winds into Kona Commons Shopping Center, and out on Queen Ka'ahumanu Hwy towards the Kona Airport. Down a road for 1.5 miles near the weather station there at the turn around before heading back to the Outrigger Keauhou Beach resort for the finish. Being that race day is in late June, the weather does start of really nice and cool, but the sun comes out and it can be really daunting to finish 26.2 miles in the hot Kona sun. Race starts at 5:30am and you are given 9 hours to complete the course. I have fond memories of running this race year after year, the first being that the 2009 race was the first marathon I ran after joining the Marathon Maniacs club. It was a surreal moment that brought me to where I am today and beyond. The aid stations are filled with enthusiastic individuals and it's definitely a well put on event. The only gripe I do have about this event is that the finisher's medals do not change year after year. Even if you do run the 1/2 marathon, you get the same finisher's medal as the full marathon peeps. There's no distinguishing the half and the full marathon participant. While that may not matter to some people, since every individual knows what distance they are running, it just bothers me that it hasn't changed. For whatever reason you are running the marathon, the Kona marathon is one of the best small marathons in the country. The ocean front views are world class and just being in Kailua-Kona for the weekend will melt your cares away. Run more! B+ #Yelp Marathons

Although having been held in Waikoloa now for the past 2-3 yrs(?), still is a great half marathon…read morerun. Waikoloa gets a bit hot, and the full marathon just doubles back on the same course a couple times, which can get pretty humid by 8am. Since the half starts at 630am and you can finish by 8-830am, it doesn't quite get too hot at that point. But you are running on the highway for several miles for either race...the highway stretch means you are fully exposed to the sun with no shade. I always carry water bottles with me, but most runners don't (always puzzling to me why not....) I strongly recommend folks carry their personal water bottle for this race (I use Accelerade as my drink of choice along with Clif gel chews Cherry flavor for salt and caffeine). Still, having done this race multiple times now, it is great way to race on the Big Island with a good mix of locals and out of towners. The t-shirts are MUCH BETTER DESIGNED than a few years ago with the odd orange bands on the sleeves and neck. Great shirt design to the team!

#61 of 2017 Of all…read morethe cons I've attended in Hawaii this, by far, is the best imho. Let's put it in perspective first. This con is no where to the level of some of other Hawaii Cons. Not even close. It is not in a convention center. It was, for 2017, at the Mauna Lani Hotel. Attendance is less than 50% of the top 2 comic cons. However, it has lots of spunk. GB the head Kahuna has put together a format different from other cons across the country tying into educating the keikis with science through today's pop culture. So obsessed is GB in his goal to educating the keikis he was able to secure non-profit status for the show. This is only their 4th year. He also brings in hollywood stars into a relaxed environment with the opportunity for fans to join them in special events like snorkeling, diving, fishing, sight seeing, sky diving, zip lining etc. Cosplay is big here as it is everywhere. Along with the usual events there is also keiki cosplay contest with a cash prize for 1st place. GB has realized how helpful this event is to having a positive impact on the keikis increasing creativity and self confidence. I remember attending San Diego Comic the 1st time in a High School cafeteria. I attended through the years watching it grow with great excitement. Now it is an international event well known through out the galaxy. The aliens that attend are incredible to say tbe least. lol Hawaii Con has the potential of following a similar path. If you have the chance to attend I believe you will have a good time and you didn't have to fly to the mainland. Support Local!!

We have stayed twice and the ones watching the condo are rude, and disrespectful. They need to be…read morereplaced. Unprofessional with communicating and frankly we think it's because of our race. He yelled before on his first time to remind of time for pool to close. Come on, there is no need to yell as we would have respectfully left. He watched us eat with such a rude look instead of being professional, so up tight and just makes you not feel welcome here and not treated with respect. Seriously, change personnel for this job. This needs to be addressed.

Stayed here for a week of vacation, great location but man the management is so bad and up the a**…read more Definitely wouldn't recommend staying here, lots of elderly live here as well and are so up tight. Feels like you have eyes watching u at every corner. Maintenance crew is up tight as well, they love being bossy and getting u in trouble for little things. Definitely not staying here AGAIN!!!