5K course discription for BIIM 5K and Big Dog’s Lovers Day 5K

BIG DOG’s Lovers Day 5K on Feb 19 – link: https://waynejoseph.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/big-dogs-lovers-day-5k-on-tap-for-feb-19-2012/

5K Course Description: 

  Starts at the far end of Bayfront Park and participants will head to the Suisan Bridge, turn left at the traffic light and go straight heading into Liliuokalani Gardens.

   Do the half loop around the Gardens as if you were going to Coconut Island, but continue until you hit Banyan Drive and take a left heading towards Reeds Bay (Ice Ponds).

   At the end of Reeds Bay, just before the stop sign near the Seaside Hotel, there will be an orange cone and the ground will be spray painted with an arrow – that is the turn around.

   You are now headed back on Banyan and you should run on the side of the golf course so that you are facing traffic.  Go straight to Suisan from there – Do not go back around Liliuokalani Gardens (ocean side).

   Go over the Suisan Bridge and this time follow the sidewalk out to Pauahi Street traffic lights, continue to the right on the sidewalk which will lead you back to the far entrance of Bayfront Park, near the start, continue down close to the canoe area and you’ll see the finish line.

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Exciting Conclusion to EMS 5K race

EMS 5K overall winners, Stone & Halford

Cousins Brett Shea and Jackson Halford battled for top honors in the 11^th annual Emergency Medical Services 5K run held Sunday at Liliuokalani Gardens in Hilo.

Shea from Denver, Colorado and Halford of Volcano, along with Jason Braswell of the Big Island Running Company in Kona went toe to toe during the 3.1 mile race to make for an exciting race to the finish.

Shea led for most of the out and back race until being run down by Halford in the final 200 yards.

“In the final stretch, coming off Suisan Bridge, I was able to catch and pass him with the finish line in site,” Halford said.

Halford, a distance runner for Waiakea High School, had earlier in the month placed third at the HHSAA track & field championships in the 1500 and the junior Warrior stayed in shape over the past few weeks to meet the challenges of EMS event.

“Last year I was 4^th overall in this race, but this year I continued to train since the state championship and never really felt tired today,” Jackson said of his winning time of 17 minutes and 14 seconds.

For his hard work Halford was able to shave 14 seconds of his personal best 5K time. 

Shea clocked in at 17:17 with Braswell finishing third in 17:21.

For the women it was Marianne Stone of Orchidland winning in 21:40 over Rosa Erck, 22:20; and Melissa Schad, 22:23.

“We recently moved to Hawaii from Missouri and I was quite surprised that I won,” Stone said.  “It was a very slow time for me as usually my 5K’s are in the sub 20 minute range.”

Stone is expecting to undergo knee surgery next month and hasn’t been running as many miles as she would have liked.

“This was my first run in Hawaii and I’m still in shock that I came in first for the women,” she said.

More than 800 runners and walkers converged at Liliuokalani Gardens on Sunday to take part in the Annual Emergency Medical Services fitness event.

“We had 801 registered participants, a record for this event,” an elated race organizer, Firefighter Jesse Ebersole said.  “All of this is in conjunction with National EMS week held around country where we showcase many of the services that we provide to our community.”

EMS keiki run

Participants had a choice of doing a 2 mile walk or a 3.1 mile competitive run along scenic Hilo Bayfront.  Later in the muggy morning youngsters under the age of 10 had fun doing a non-competitive mini run within the Liliuokalani Park grounds with a bright yellow EMS helicopter taking center stage on the keiki course.

Over the years EMS organizers have raised approximately $80,000 with the money going to help EMS personnel battling cancer.

“This year the money will go to three of our Hawaii Fire Department Firefighters battling cancer and to the American Cancer Society of Hawaii Island,” Ebersole said

The EMS also included a ‘public safety’ division which was open to police, fire, DLNR, corrections and the like employees.

For the second year in a row firefight Ian Smith and DLNR employee Lisa Hadway took top honors.

Smith, who is at the Waikoloa fire department, not only won the Public Safety Division he also won the stroller division as he pushed his 7 month old daughter, Emi, the entire way finishing in 19:54.

Sandwiched between Smith and Hadway was Hawaiian Paradise Park firefighter, Joe Wedemann who clocked in at 22:14.

“I’ve done 9 out of the 11 EMS runs,” Smith said.  “It’s not only a fun event, but it is also for a very good cause.”

Hadway is no stranger to the winner’s podium as she has won the Public Safety Division 5 out of 6 times she has entered.

“I didn’t run the year I was pregnant, in 2009,” she said.  “And last year I pushed a stroller and won both divisions, but this year without the stroller,  my time was 7 minutes faster at 22:27.”

Hadway finished as the fourth overall woman in the race as she looks to be even more competitive without the stroller.

“We’d like to thank the community for coming out strong in support of our event,” Ebersole said.  “We’d also like to thank the many generous sponsors who helped to make the event possible.”

Ebersole cited the LIVESTRONG Foundation who provided wristbands to all the participants and an autographed LIVESTRONG Jersey signed by Lance Armstrong that will be auctioned in September during the Sayre Awards Dinner.

Related link:  https://waynejoseph.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/ems-5k-run-301-finishers-top-161-results/

Big Island’s “Final Four” doing BIIM’s Early Bird

Cowman, Marie Kuramoto, DJ Blinn and David Hammes are the "Final Four"

The “Final Four” are back!  I know when you hear that term, Final Four, your mind must go directly to college basketball, but for us marathoners the Final Four refers to DJ Blinn, David Hammes, Marie Kuramoto and Ken Shirk (Cowman).

    Those four marathoners are the only ones that have done all 12 previous Big Island International Marathons and they have already sent in their entry fees to run in number 13 to be held on March 21, 2010.

   Why did they sign up so early, with the race nearly five months away?  All four marathoners have taken advantage of the fifty percent discount “Early Bird” entry that is offered each year to people that mail in their applications prior to November 1^st.

   The BIIM (or Hilo Marathon as it is affectionately called) was established in 1997 when businessmen Roland Higashi of Creative Arts and George Miyashiro of Jack’s Tours recruited the help of Karl Kunz and the Big Dog to design and put on a 26.2-mile marathon race.

   Miyashiro has long since retired and Kunz returned to Thailand to resume an agricultural consultant business leaving Higashi and Big Dog to continue the event into its 13^th year.

   Higashi serves on the BIIM board of directors as its president and the Big Dog, who had ran in the first 8 BII marathons, has been the race director for the past four races.

   “We’ve seen many changes over the years as we continue to look for ways to improve and enhance one of the most beautiful marathon courses in the world,” Higashi said.

   Many runners agree with Higashi’s assessment, that this marathon course is one of the most scenic in the world. 

   The marathon, along with a certified half-marathon, begins in Pepeekeo at 6 a.m.  The course uses the Scenic 4-mile Route and winds through Papaikou, Honolii, and Wainaku as it makes its way back into Hilo.

   The half-marathoners will run to the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and return back to the Bayfront finish line. The marathoners continue out to the Airport, National Guard Armory, and then head out to Richardson Beach Park before heading back to Bayfront while following along the beautiful Hilo coastline.

  Don’t feel like running a full or half marathon, the BIIM also offers a 5K (3.1-mile) run/walk that starts and ends at Hilo Bayfront.  The 5K runners head out to the Ice Ponds, going over the Suisan Bridge before returning to Bayfront.

    The regular entry fee for the marathon, $80; the half-marathon, $60; and the 5K $25 is for the next six days discounted by 50 percent if mailed and postmarked by November 1^st.

   The “Final Four” marathoners are excited to be entered in the 13^th annual event.  “This is my favorite marathon course in the state,” Kuramoto said.

   Kuramoto enjoys sharing the aloha spirit with others and has made numerous friends while doing the race.  “My greatest feeling of accomplishment lately hasn’t been in crossing the finish line but rather who I have been training with that matters,” she said.

   “I love to see people return to Hilo to do the BIIM.  It’s great that we have a beautiful course and that it is right in my backyard.  The volunteers, behind the scenes, and the many people that come out to cheer us on has been wonderful,” Kuramoto said.

   Kuramoto completed her 65^th marathon while on Kauai where she placed in her 60 to 64 age division.  For both the Kona and BIIM Kuramoto holds the age group records as she continues to demonstrate that when it comes to running marathons, age doesn’t matter.

   Besides being a good distance runner Kuramoto also supports the sport for younger runners as she is sponsoring the entry fees for two University of Hawaii runners and continues to pay the entry fees for two Waiakea High School student runners.

  Hammes, an Economics Professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, just completed his 36 marathon when he traveled to Corning, New York to do the Wineglass Marathon.

   Hammes, who sits on the BIIM Board of Directors and serves as their treasurer, enjoys running the 26.2 mile race in Hilo each year.

   “It’s our hometown marathon and it is a very nice course for most of the miles,” he said.  “I used to finish near-last and now I’m starting to move up just a bit.”

   One thing the “final four” runners all have in common is their love for the sport of running as they share their aloha with others.

   “It is always fun to run it (BIIM) and then speak with the first timers who bring fresh eyes and experiences to the run,” Hammes said.

    Time is running out on getting 50 percent off on any of the three races hosted by BIIM on March 21, 2010.  For more information go to www.hilomarathon.org or call 969-7400.