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Winter tights and gloves lurk in forgotten places just waiting for those first frosty days. Let them lurk a little longer! Mark the Maui Marathon in your fall calendar and keep on running into endless summer, where all trails lead to the ocean.  Maui is paradise. Tropical scented breezes, the blue of the Pacific, and sunshine, lots and lots of sunshine. Sounds like the perfect place for a run! Where else in the world can runners and surfers mix it up on the same ‘playground’! If you’ve trained all through the summer for a fall marathon, Maui is the perfect place to test yourself, get a great suntan and have the holiday of a lifetime. The beauty of the island, both coastal and inland provides a playground for just about any activity you can think of. Some of these activities can be found at http://www.visitmaui.com/actvites.html
 With so many of the Maui Marathon participants visiting from "off-island," it's obviously no secret that the Maui Marathon is a ‘must do’ for runners. It’s scenic beauty, friendliness and superb organization draws them back each year for yet another dose of Maui Marathon magic. “There are so many things I enjoyed about the Maui Marathon that there was no discussion about my next holidays!” says Armand Rodriguez from Barcelona, 2003 Maui Marathon 5th place finisher, “…the organization takes care of all the runners and ensures that you are more than a race number.” Some of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s ‘Team in Training’ runners described the Maui Marathon/Team in Training experience as the “best thing they have ever done.”
The Maui Marathon course is a scenic tour of paradise from start to finish. Beginning with the early morning Hawaiian blessing, hula dancing and haunting sound of the conch shell, runners are guided by the tiki torches along the start of the course. “…It is all so ‘mystic’, running in the dark, it is an experience I will explain to my grandchildren,” says Armand Rodriguez. After passing through silvery shadows of sugarcane fields, the course warms to a sunrise over Mt. Haleakala then soothes with a feast of blue Pacific for the remainder of the run. From start to finish the Maui Marathon is a ‘buffet for the senses’, enough to make you forget the fatigue and pain of 26.2.Well, almost! The graceful “keiki” hula dancers will certainly get your attention and the Maui Taiko drummers will give you goose bumps and that shot of adrenalin needed to power you forward. Before you know it, you are coasting through historical Lahaina and onto the cheering crowds at the finish line where all runners, not just the leaders, experience the personal touch and exuberance of the ‘master of ceremonies’, Whit Raymond. I promise you, this will be an experience you won’t forget. For runners who are now visualizing this magical early morning run at sunrise and views of the cobalt blue Pacific, but are thinking that they can’t quite go the distance, we have the perfect solution! In 2004 you can have all the fun with only half the distance by running in the Inaugural Maui Half Marathon. Enjoy the same magnificent scenery and superb organization as the main event with a convenient start and finish at the marathon finish line near Whalers Village. With the Half Marathon being limited to only 1,000 participants, you can’t afford to wait too long to enter. If perhaps you’ve planned to run another marathon a little later in the year, this is the perfect training run, in the perfect place. Please checkout the Maui Half Marathon course information at http://www.mauimarathon.com/course_half_marathon.html and an enlarged map at http://www.mauimarathon.com/course_half_marathon_map.html The Maui Marathon is a weekend celebration for runners, friends and families. The Sport and Fitness Expo on Friday and Saturday is a must. Here you can pick up your race packet and check out the latest in running and fitness related products and services. You can also iron out those last minute kinks and sore spots by taking advantage of the massage service available.  One event not to miss is the Carbo Load on Friday evening, described by the Ultimate Guide to Marathons as “possibly the best carbo load in the world.” So good, in fact, that it has sold out early for the past 6 years. The superb food, music and entertainment by top quality island musicians and hula dancers provide a magnificent beginning to your Maui Marathon weekend. This is also a great opportunity to exchange tips and tales with other runners and perhaps find a friend to pace with.
If 13.1 miles is still a little too far or you just want to be part of the weekend activities, put in an entry for the Maui Tacos 5K Fun Run on Saturday morning. This is a fun event for all the family, for runners of all ages, shapes and sizes. And you don’t have to be fast or super fit. Our Maui Tacos Sponsor, Mark Ellman says of the 5K, “The greatest part about sponsoring the Maui Tacos 5K is that you see your friends and all these people off the couch, away from the TV, out running in the beautiful Maui climate.“ It is also the perfect ‘easy pre-race’ run for all you marathon/half marathoners, just long enough to keep those muscles loose for the big race. Have a preview of the Maui Tacos 5K race at http://www.mauimarathon.com/photos2003/5k/page1.htm and the 5K awards ceremony at http://www.mauimarathon.com/photos2003/5kawards/page1.htm.  A perfect way to relax on Saturday afternoon is to take yourself, family and friends to run or just cheer in runners at the Front Street Mile. This is a great distance for the junior members of the family. The Front Street Mile starts and finishes at ‘Cheeseburgers in Paradise’, right on Front Street, a perfect afternoon for the kids. It is also a place to witness some amazing talent. Last year’s elite men’s race was a rare treat, with two of the elite milers finishing in under 4 minutes. This is your chance to see Olympian, National and International champions competing just a few feet away from you, something that doesn’t happen too often! The crowd that lines Front Street for both the mile and the marathon is indicative of the energy and enthusiasm generated by the running community in Maui. The local running club, The Valley Isle Road Runners (VIRR) is extremely active and supportive toward the Maui Marathon and in fact, to most of the other big races on the island. The VIRR home page can be found at http://www.virr.com.
Sunday events aren’t all just for runners. The Silent Auction at Whalers Village not only has some fantastic items but also raises funds for many worthy causes. It is definitely worth checking out, even if you are a little tired after your run. Better still, send the rest of your family or best friend to bid for you while you indulge your aching body at the new $5 million dollar Spa expansion at The Westin Maui, described as “14,000 square feet of pure bliss”.  The weekend would not be complete without the Finishers’ Party and Awards Ceremony, oceanfront at The Westin Maui, ‘where Heaven and Aloha meet’. This is truly a magnificent afternoon where you can share special moments and challenges with your fellow runners while experiencing yet another glorious Maui sunset. This is where friendships are sealed, names and addresses exchanged, stories told and promises made to return again to paradise and yet another ‘endless summer’ at the Maui Marathon in 2005. Latest articles in USA: Hawaii
 > Maui Marathon & Half Marathon – Endless Summer RunningFor many runners, September signals the end of those long summer evening runs in shorts and t-shirts. Also: > Official event website Also: > Register online > Magnificent Maui After a bitterly cold winter in many regions of the US, a trip to Maui offers a soothing and much-needed escape to ideal running conditions. And, oh yeah, one of the best marathons in the world. Also: > Maui Marathon race profile Also: > Maui Marathon website > Maui Marathon, a Runner's Paradise Runners seeking to combine a marathon with a tropical vacation are unlikely to find a more ideal event than the Maui Marathon, which offers mind-blowing views, top-notch race organization, an intimate race size, and of course Hawaii itself. Also: > Maui Marathon website Also: > Online registration |
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