In 2020 Honolulu Marathon which I had registered to run was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic … organizers did allow a deferral to the 2021 race but no one knew just when or even if that race would happen.
It wasn’t until June 2021 that the 2021 marathon registration site opened and you could actually enter … but still no definitive statement that race could actually proceed. I did officially enter both the Marathon and the Kalakaua Merrie Mile at that time.
After snowshoeing for January until April I actually started running again in April and by late July was running up to 13 miles … but then motivation took a bit hit with covid restrictions increasing everywhere.
By late Summer the Covid Phase 3 infections were rising all over the world and many places, including Hawaii, started shutting down and restricting activities.
By September Hawaii was getting covid “under control” and motivation had returned … by then I was running up to 15 miles (which at my current running pace was almost 3.5 hours … which, at age 71, took longer to adequately recover then when you are 30 or 40!). I was also trying to “control” some small niggles in both feet so I had to back off my running just a bit.
Then, on October 25th, the Hawaii Governor gave the official OK for the race to occur … but with starting waves of 200!
On November 18th I flew to Honolulu … hoping for the best … and, finally, on November 23rd the race was given approval to fully proceed … every runner had to be either fully vaccinated or have a negative covid test but no more limits on the start. How many runners would actually be in the race was still unknown … would definitely be smaller (with virtually no Japanese runners due to strict Japanese quarantine rules).
The week before the race officials were predicting 5,000 to 10,000 runners could participate in the 3 races … the Merrie Mile (the day before the Marathon), the Start to Park 10 (starts at same time as Marathon) and the Marathon.
Rick Horne 