Papa Pea's Birthday Biathlon

I just realized it's been three weeks since our last post. It's not that there hasn't been anything going on, but maybe too much going on! Honu has come and gone, and 24 Big Island residents were selected to participate in the Ironman World Championships in October. The first annual Ka'u Half Marathon, 10K and 5K was held on June 11, followed up by another successful Queen K Tri Club training run on June 12.

This past weekend had two options for the whole family. First on Saturday were the Keiki Fun Runs hosted by Kona Commons in connection with the Kona Marathon. As always those events were a blast to watch. Some kids are natural runners and others need some coaxing from mom and dad. Overall, it looked like all of the kids had a great experience. Results from the runs can be found here. Unfortunately, I was volunteering that day and didn't get a chance to take any photos.

Then on Sunday, everyone gathered again to celebrate Father's Day and Papa Pea's birthday with Papa Pea's Birthday Biathlon.

Race honoree Papa Pea sprinting to the finish (even with his injured shoulder).

The event distances were a 1/2 mile swim and 2 mile run. After doing a long(ish) run before the race, I decided just to swim while Jason tagged off me for the relay. Needless to say, I was the weak link on that relay team. But I did manage to have a pretty good swim (for me), getting under 20 minutes for the first time ever. I think the course must have been short! In any event, we managed to finish sixth in the Split Peas division in a time of 30:21.

Jason in the final stretch.

Full results from all the races are here. There's been some discussion as to the results not being quite right this time around, with the first three people listed in the full race actually having completed the peawee distance, but we're not sure about that. Also, there are several entries listed as "No Name Provided." After much studying of the results, I think we've concluded that those individuals completed the run only event and therefore didn't have a relay partner. Anyway, since we're not exactly positive on what happened, we'll move right to the pictures.

Allyson Prater

Mark Curry floating on air.

Garrett Oka

Lee-Ann and Christine having a ball.

Peaman awarding pier volunteer Brian with the Perpetual Pea.

And the fun continues today with Team Mango's Summer Solstice Run at the Natural Energy Lab (OTEC) at 4:30 p.m. Then this weekend is the Kona Marathon Family Runs. We hope to see everyone out doing one of the distances!

2011 EMS Run

Memorial Day is a special day to honor those who have served our country and have given the ultimate sacrifice. We truly appreciate all that they do to keep us safe and free. On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, we also honored those who serve our community by providing emergency medical services - policemen and women, firemen and women, and other emergency service personnel. The EMS Run is one of the Big Island's largest 5k runs and this weekend's was no exception. Over 700 people came out to run in the 5k or walk the 2-mile route.

One of the great things about this event is that it is truly for the whole family. In addition to the two run/walk distances, there are plenty of fun activities for the kids. This year, People's Advocacy for Trails Hawaii came over from Kona to do a bike rodeo for the kids. There were also bouncy houses and tours of a helicopter! Several vendors were also there to show off the different products and services they offer.

As I remembered from last year, the giveaways were also amazing. What seemed like over 200 people won door prizes donated by various local businesses, including cookies, gas cards and gift certificates. Unfortunately we didn't walk away a winner this year, but we'll be back next year for sure!

As for the actual race, results are available here. The humid weather led to a slower race for Jason and I, with Jason coming in third to Jackson Halford (17:14) and his cousin Brett Shea (17:17) in a time of 17:21. The ladies race was won by Marianne Stone in 21:48, followed by Rosa Erck in 22:20 and Melissa Schad in 22:23. I placed 7th in 23:17.

Ian Smith (19:54) and Lisa Hadway (22:27) took top honors for the public safety division, the second year in a row for both. Ian also was the top runner pushing a baby jogger!

Congratulations to all participants and thanks for supporting the EMS Run!

Scholarship 5K 2011

Big Dog makes announcements at the Scholarship 5K

This past Sunday morning, over 80 people showed up at Coconut Island in Hilo to support two young members of our running community - Hana Scully and RJ Barroga. These two high school seniors are the 2011 recipients of the Big Island Road Runners' $1,000 scholarships. Wayne "Big Dog" Joseph posted a great write-up on these students on his blog. Scully will be graduating from Hawaii Preparatory Academy and heading to University of Hawaii at Manoa. Barroga attends Keaau High School and plans to attend Northern Arizona University. We wish both of these young runners much success and many years of happy running!

RJ Barroga and Marie Kuramoto

Barroga and his coach

Scully and her coach

Members of Keaau's track and cross country teams came out to support RJ Barroga

It was also great to see so many people out supporting the Big Island Road Runners and Big Dog's scholarship efforts. Billy Barnett took first in the 5k with a time of 16:41; Jason finished second in 17:27 and Lyman Perry was third in 18:12. On the ladies' side, I finished first in 22:38, followed by Lory Hunter in 23:16 and Kelly Freitas in 24:39. Full results from the races are here.

Congratulations to Hana and RJ and to all the race participants. Also, big mahalo to Big Island Road Runners and Big Dog for hosting this great event and continuing to encourage running in the younger members of the community!

This weekend in Kona, Queen K Tri Club is offering an assisted high tempo 13.1 mile training run. This run works well for people training for Honu or the Kona Marathon or half marathon, but is open to everyone. The run starts Sunday, May 22 at 7:30 a.m. at Old Airport and runs down Alii Drive. There will be aid stations approximately every 2 miles and the run is FREE! Big Island Running Company will have an aid station out there, so we look forward to seeing everyone Sunday morning!

Polar Bear's Pinto Bean and Pinata Biathlon 2011

A few days after Cinco de Mayo, we did our celebrating at Polar Bear's Pinto Bean and Pinata Biathlon yesterday morning. Of course this race also honored another special group - moms! Happy Mother's Day and congratulations to all the moms who came out to participate in an active Mother's Day event!

The race started off with a 3/4 mile swim. That bright orange buoy was very visible, but also looked very far away. I think most people were a little anxious about this longer swim distance (I know I definitely was). But the nice thing about the longer swim is that everyone spreads out pretty quick, so you're not swimming on top of each other the whole time. I managed to find a couple of feet to swim with and was pretty happy with my swim time (under 28 minutes).

Then it was on to the 3.1 mile run. Pretty standard stuff - everyone out enjoying a nice run on a beautiful Sunday in Kona. Actually, people may have been appreciating it a little more yesterday, since we've had a ton of rain in the last couple of weeks, so a dry, clear morning was something to enjoy. My run came in under 24 minutes, for a total time of 52:29 (about 20 seconds faster than the last time I tried this distance).

Here are some pictures of the moms:

Lee-Ann Heely

Christine DeCarli

A mom pacing her son

Time for dads, too - Peaman and Papa Pea

Kym Kiser and her daughter

Lisa Bryant

A mom pushes her son in the jogger

More photos are available here (not all the photos were of moms!). Special thanks to Nori Becker for taking photos after her swim today. Unfortunately, the camera battery died before the end, so we didn't get everyone!

Full results from the races are available here. In the main distance, Chris Lieto took first in a time of 36:49, followed by Kirk Mitchell in 42:13 and Dale Fediuk in 43:19. Anita Leao was the fourth finisher and first woman in 43:51. Lori Montgomery was second female in 49:36 and Serena Chamberlain was third in 51:06.

For the peawees, it was a close race between Kaiden Leito, Duke Becker and Kanaipono Eckart. Kaiden came in first at 13:54, with Duke and Kanaipono taking second in third in 14:00 each. Must have been a photo finish!

Following the race, the Westfalls passed the Perpetual Pea on to one of the newest, yet most energizing Peaman participants, the Lieto family! Congrats to them! It's great to see a pro triathlete and his family coming out to support the local community events.

Next weekend is the Visitor Industry Charity Walk on Saturday at the Mauna Lani and the Scholarship Run 5K in Hilo on Sunday as we inch closer to Honu and the Kona Marathon!

Carboman 10-mile Mosey, Roadrunner 3.5-mile Romp and 1-mile Mighty Mouse Scamper 2011

What type of weather can you expect in Kona, Hawaii on a Sunday April morning? Usually lots of heat and sunshine. But yesterday, we were lucky to be blessed with overcast skies, slight rain and cooler temperatures. Ok, so maybe the tourists from the cruise ship weren't too happy with the weather, but the participants of Peaman's Carboman 10-mile Mosey, Roadrunner 3.5-mile Romp and 1-mile Mighty Mouse Scamper 2011 certainly were.

There was quite a bit more traffic at the pier than usual, since there was a cruise ship in the bay that was letting people off right around the time of the race. Luckily the race was a run-only event, so no one had to swim and dodge the tenders. We also had to contend with a sidewalk that is still torn up from the March tsunami here - the orange construction barriers take away a little bit from the natural beauty that is usually the backdrop of our photos. Speaking of photos, both Jason and I were running today, so we were lucky to get photo assistance from Nori Becker, who was more than happy to take photos instead of running. Mahalo Nori - we hope you get back to running soon, but in the meantime you're welcome to take pictures for us anytime!

Hawaii Loves Japan Fundraising Tent

The race this weekend was also special because money was raised to help the victims of the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Organized by Gary and Junko Shields, this was the second of three events in their Hawaii Loves Japan fundraising series. Hawaii Loves Japan shirts were also available for a donation. The third event comes this Saturday at 4 p.m. as they organize a Community Bike Ride from Old Airport Park to Royal Kona and back. Come out and support the Japanese survivors!

Peaman and the Easter Bunny

This race also celebrated Easter, with Easter baskets available for the keiki to fill with candy and toys. The Easter Bunny also made an appearance at the finish line, as you can see behind Peaman!

Ironman pro Chris Lieto attended the event with his kids, but didn't race. I think it had something to do with recovering from winning the Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas last weekend. Congratulations Chris and thanks for still coming out to cheer others on!

Mark Curry and Sam Brown pre-race

Me, Coach A and Chitwin before the run

In the Mighty Mouse Scamper, Juan Sepulveda came in with a blazing time of 5:19. He was followed by Ziggy Bartholomy in 5:58. Silas Wiley and Kaiden Leito had their own little battle for third place, with Silas finishing in 7:35 and Kaiden finishing in 7:37. You can see Silas checking on the competition in the picture below. Great race, boys!

For the girls 1-mile race, Naomi Ney out sprinted Bayleigh Wiernicki to win with a time of 8:46 to Bayleigh's 8:48. Elysia Yamamoto was third in 8:52. Here are some pictures of some of the other 1-milers:

Monica Price and daughter Teghan (doing her first mile race!)

Furious sprint to the finish!

Yellow ladies bringing some color to an otherwise gray day!

In the Roadrunner 3.5-mile romp, Shea Connell came in first with a time of 22:41, followed by Chris Prater in 23:05 and Kaito in 23:35. Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen was first for the ladies in 23:57, followed by Nicole DeBoom in 26:01 and me, quite a bit behind, at 27:33.

Chris Prater - watch out for this speedy kid!

Danny Becker

Papa Pea looking good after his shoulder surgery!

Another good ladies race!

From what I hear, in the Carboman 10-mile Mosey, Jason led for the majority of the time, but got passed with about 2.5 miles to go by pro triathlete Tim DeBoom. Tim held on to win in a time of 57:23. Jason was close behind in 57:52. Sam Corace finished third in 1:00:25. For the ladies, Bree Wee won with a time of 1:02:18, followed by Rani Tanimoto in 1:09:00 and Bree's sister Brooke Myers in 1:14:33.

Tim DeBoom

Brooke Myers hot on the tail of Jeremy Withrow

Stacey Newman - she only decided to do the 10-miler 2 miles into the race!

Full results from all of the races are here. Congratulations to all participants and thanks to the volunteers!

Next weekend is busy one, with several races and community events. First on Saturday is the longest running 5k/10k on the island, the Keoua Canoe Club's Mac-a-Thon. The race is held in Honaunau starting at 7 a.m., but the big attraction is the Mac-nut pancake breakfast they hold afterwards. They also have a silent auction of local art and jewelry and have some great prizes, too! More information is available here.

Saturday afternoon is the Community Bike Ride mentioned above to benefit Japan. Then on Sunday morning, Team Mango holds the Captain Cook Challenge, a 1-mile swim, 2-mile trail run, 28-mile bike, and 4-mile run. The race starts at 8:00 a.m. at Kealekekua Bay.

Finally, the Hawaii State Championship Time Trials (Bike) are held on Saturday and Sunday on the Queen K Highway. Individual trials are Saturday and Team Trials are on Sunday. More information is available on Hawaii Cycling Club's website.

Community Fights to Save UH-Hilo Cross Country Teams

Last week, UH-Hilo announced that it was axing its men's and women's cross country teams.  Not everyone is content to let the Vulcans' XC teams die without a fight.  Today comes an article from the Big Dog detailing the wave of support for the condemned harrier programs.  Big Island Running Company is proud to voice its support for the effort and invites all its friends to join us in seeing if there's a way to rewrite this sad ending for a team that really is a valuable asset to our community.


[Ed.'s aside: Why does it seem like track and cross country are the first to go when budgets are cut?  I know the answer that any sober athletic director would give would involve a discussion of revenue versus non-revenue and other trivial bits, but I'm suspicious that it's because ADs are much less concerned about being attacked by a bunch of angry runners with single digit body fat than an irate football or wrestling team. In fairness, UH-Hilo has neither a wrestling or football team, so it must have been the tennis players and their racquets that beat out the cross country runners' imposing biceps.]

New Big Island Running Company Logo Shirts!

This spring we've started bringing in some new styles and colors of our logo gear into the store. In addition, we've been switching over to Brooks and Nike shirts, and people have been raving about the great fit and look of these new shirts. Here are some pictures of the new arrivals!

Run Big

Women's Pink Brooks "Run Big." Shirt

Women's Nike Anthracite "Run Big." Shirt

Women's Nike White "Run Big." Shirt

Men's Brooks Black "Run Big." Shirt (Front)

Men's Brooks Black "Run Big." Shirt (Back)

Big Island Running Company Logo

Women's Brooks Pink Big Island Running Co. Shirt

Women's Nike Anthracite Big Island Running Co. Shirt (Front)

Women's Nike Anthracite Big Island Running Co. Shirt (Back)

Women's Nike White Big Island Running Co. Shirt (Front)

Women's Nike White Big Island Running Co. Shirt (Back)

Men's Brooks Black Big Island Running Co. Shirt (Front)

Men's Brooks Black Big Island Running Co. Shirt (Back)

All of our new shirts are $29.95. If you'd like to order one, email us at melissa@bigislandrunningcompany.com or call 808-327-9333. (Online ordering is currently unavailable.)

Special thanks to Eddie and Rose of Eddie O Designs for the printing of the black and anthracite shirts!