2024 Marathon Course:

·       Point to Point (Volcano to Kea’au)

·       USA Track & Field Certified Course - HI24003RP

·       Boston Qualifier (51% Qualified in 2023)

·       Highest Elevation - 4,036 feet

·       Lowest Elevation - 375 feet

·       Total Drop - 3,661 feet

·       All paved roads with Finish on park grass field

Start: 

In front of the Volcano Golf Course

99-1621 Pi‘imauna Dr, Volcano, HI 96718

 Note - Headlamp or flashlight are REQUIRED for ALL RUNNERS until civil twilight (6:25 am) and it is RECOMMENDED to wear bright colored clothing to be visible.  Headlamps can be dropped off at either the first or second Waterstops along with any articles of clothing.  Remember to mark your race number and name on items for easy identification.

 Finish:         

Herbert Shipman Park (16-510 Old Volcano Rd, Keaau, HI 96749)

Description:  This beautiful USATF certified course is all downhill except for a few gently rolling uphill sections at the beginning of the course.  During the first 3 miles, the course is through the Volcano Golf subdivision and turns right onto Highway 11 as it passes through Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.  For the first 18 miles the course is surrounded by a mixture of original Hawaiian hapu‘u & ʻōhiʻa rainforest, residential and agricultural land.  The Start on a clear day offers a spectacular view of Hawai‘i’s highest volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, and during the first few miles runners will experience the dawn chorus of many Hawaiian endemic birds that may include the Apapane, Hawai‘i Amakihi, I‘iwi (all three are Hawaiian Honeycreepers), Oma‘o (Hawaiian Thrush), and Hawai‘i Elepaio (a monarch flycatcher).  As you run, keep your eyes open for the Nene (Hawaiian Goose) and the ‘Io (Hawaiian Hawk), both endangered Hawaiian endemic species. After Volcano at Mile 7.67, the race continues downhill along Highway 11 until Mile 26.09 when runners turn left into Herbert Shipman Park with the Finish on the grass field next to the parking lot for the Armory.

Weather: 

Expect temperatures of low 40’s to 50’s at the start and 60’s to low 70’s at the finish – with rain very likely at some point during the race.

Race Swag:

Sterling Silver Medallion to all finishers, quality cotton gender neutral Long-Sleeve T-shirt & more.

Timing:

1) This will be a chip timed event.

2) Overall Top 3 Male and Female award winners will be based on first across the Finish Line. Please seed yourself accordingly at the Start.

3) Age Group award winners (Top 2 Only) will be based on chip differential time.

Race Time Limit:  Runners are expected to finish the race by 12 pm.  Water Stops will be closed based on a 6 hour marathon pace and runners slower than 15 min per mile pace will be required to be self-sufficient.

Bib and Shirt Pick-Up:

Saturday, December 14, 2024 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm

Location: Herbert Shipman Park in Keaau

 NOTE: There will be NO race bib pickup on race morning, Sunday, December 15th.

Travel to Hilo: 

Getting to Hilo is fairly easy.  There are direct flights from the USA to Hilo and to Kona along with multiple inter-island flights from Honolulu throughout the day.  If you fly directly into Kona, which may be less expensive than Hilo, the drive from Kona to Hilo is about 75 miles and takes about 1 hour 40 minutes.

Travel to Start:

1)    School Buses (For Race Participants Only) departure from (Banyan Drive in Hilo and Herbert Shipman Park in Keaau) and will go directly to the Start in front of the Volcano Golf Course, 99-1621 Pi‘imauna Dr, Volcano, HI

2)    Self-Drive Car or Car-Pool to Shuttle Bus Location (Banyan Drive in Hilo and Herbert Shipman Park in Keaau)

3)    Drop off at Start – For those that have a driver, arrive at the Start in front of the Volcano Golf Course, between 5:00 am and 5:30 am.  There are limited parking stalls in the golf course paved parking lot and the exit will be blocked until after the start of the marathon. If you need to simply drop a runner or leave before the Start at 6 am, please park completely off the pavement of the Piimauna Drive to avoid congesting the roadway for the marathon course.

4)    Parking is NOT ALLOWED at the Volcano Golf Course after the Start of the race. You must either use the Shuttle or have someone drop you off. Unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Bag Drop: 

There will be a large green colored container labeled “DROP BAGS” at the Start Line for you unwanted gear and will be delivered to the Finish Line.  Please mark your bags with you Name and Race Number and DO NOT place any valuables in the Drop Bags. Hawaii Bird Conservation Marathon will not be responsible for any missing or lost items.

Waterstops/Aid Stations:  Water will be available at the Start area.  Water (all stations) and a sports drink (only #2, 4, 6, 8, & 10) will be available about every 2.5 miles to the Finish (see list of Waterstops below). No sports gels will be available so please bring what you like and need.  Waterstops may be self-serve or may have one or two volunteers present.  About 100 feet past each Waterstop, there will be a Drop Place for garbage.  There is a “No Tolerance” policy for littering and you may be disqualified if you toss garbage other than at the Waterstops.

 *All dropped clothing will be collected and brought to the Finish area.  All items not picked up at the Finish will be discarded or donated to a local charity. 

Waterstop/Aid Station Locations (Miles are from Race Start):

#1: Race Mile 3.3 - Pi’imauna Drive across from Volcano Golf Course.

#2: Race Mile 6.2 -300 feet East of Old Volcano Road intersection, approximately 0.15 miles East of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park sign. (MM 27)

#3: Race Mile 8.5 - Adjacent to dirt road/trail 0.38 miles East of Nahelenani Street intersection. (MM 25)

#4: Race Mile 11.0 - 0.1 miles West of Kahauale’a Road and across from Atkasuka Orchid Gardens (MM 23)

#5: Race Mile 13.0 - 0.1 miles Southwest of Luna Ikena Road (MM 21)

#6: Race Mile 15.7 - Near intersection of Mauna Loa Drive. (MM 18)

#7: Race Mile 18.5 - 0.25 miles Northeast of N. Kopua Road intersection. (MM 15)

#8: Race Mile 20.5 - 0.4 miles Northeast of Kulani Road. (MM 13)

#9: Race Mile 22.7 - Near Kurtistown Samoan Church, 0.2 miles Southwest of Kuauli Road. (MM 11)

#10: Race Mile 24.8 - Adjacent to large water tank, across from intersection of Puko Street (MM 9)

Donation:

This event donates a portion of race entry fees to protect native Hawaiian birds.

Please consider making a personal donation to the Hawai‘i Forest Institute.

Visit their website Hawaii Forest Institute | Kindful for more information!