AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS of previous trips to
the Honolulu Marathon were the Volcano Runs I developed
with Ron Gunn, my partner in Roadrunner Tours and the
athletic director for Southwestern Michigan College
in Dowagiac, Michigan. Actually, Ron did most of the
work, scouting the runs and drawing maps. Eventually
we organized three Volcano Runs, one each on the islands
of Hawaii, Oahu and Maui. Those who traveled with us
to Honolulu often found the Volcano Runs as memorable
as the marathon.
Doing Volcano Runs in a group is easier than solo. Two of
the three runs are point-to-point, so it takes planning to
drop and shuttle cars at the start and finish of each run.
Roadrunner Tours either provided buses or vans.
Nevertheless, if you can figure out the logistics, you'll
enjoy these runs.
Warning: Footing can be treacherous, since
with the exception of the road around Diamond Head, you'll
be running on dirt and rock trails, sometimes scrambling
over large chunks of lava. You'll also be running at high
altitude (4,000 feet at Kilauea Iki crater in Hawaii, 10,000
feet at Haleakala on Maui), so expect to get out of breath.
Because of the altitude, it can also be cool, even cold. The
first two runs are relatively short: an hour or two of
running and walking at most. But Haleakala takes three to
four hours. (One crater map suggests eight hours for hiking
the trail, but runners usually take less time.)
Hawaii: Volcano
National Park is a must visit for any traveler visiting the
Big Island, particularly the Kilauea caldera. We usually
boarded our chartered bus at 8:00 AM after breakfast,
arriving at the Park by 11:00 following a stop en route at
the Black Sand Beach. The first of our three Volcano Runs is
6.5 miles long. Take Crater Rim Drive to the western end of
Devastation Trail, a half-mile-long boardwalk that leads to
the Pu'u Pua'l Overlook, on the edge of the Kilauea Iki
crater. Gaze down upon the trail below that soon you'll be
running. Head through the parking lot at the eastern end of
Devastation Trail and back to Crater Rim Drive. Run several
miles eastward along the road to Thurston's Lava Tube, a
narrow cave that you'll need to walk through. (Toilets and
water are available at this stop.)
The distance from Thurston's Lava Tube to Volcano House
is about four miles. Walkers in our groups usually began
here, so you may want to start here too. Cross the road and
descend the trail into the Kilauea Iki crater. The trail
across the crater is smooth in the early stages and clearly
marked with rock piles. You'll run past steaming fissures,
since this is an active volcano. Watch your footing at the
far end where you'll need to scramble over sharp-edged lava
rock. The trail climbs up and out of the crater at this
point to cross to the Kilauea caldera.
Descend to the crater floor again, crossing a shorter
distance to Volcano House, where most of the sightseeing
buses stop. Volcano House offers a restaurant and a gift
shop as well as hotel rooms. (For hotel information, call:
808-967-7321.) A fast runner can do the full length of this
Volcano Run in less than an hour, although if you run too
fast you'll miss the sights. Walkers can make the trip in
two hours or less.
When Ron and I took travelers to Hawaii with Roadrunner
Tours, we used to shout: "Ahi Maluna!" Supposedly, that was
Hawaiian for "Fire Up!" We were very careful not to shout
this phrase crossing the crater.
Oahu: Diamond Head is
the mountain that looms above Waikiki Beach in photographs
of Honolulu. On marathon day, you'll run pass Diamond Head
on the ocean road at 6 miles going and 25 miles coming back.
(That's the only climbing you'll do in the otherwise flat
Honolulu Marathon.) One of the favorite workouts for local
runners, as well as visitors before the marathon, is a loop
that begins in Kapiolani Park and circles Diamond Head, a
distance of 5.0 miles. You won't need a map to find this
course; simply follow the crowds. On the downside of Diamond
Head Road, you'll come to a triangular park where the
marathon course goes straight, but you go left.
Most visiting runners, however, circle Diamond Head
without realizing that a side road on the backside near Fort
Rugger leads through a tunnel through into the crater.
Switchbacks and stairs lead to the top of the crater, where
you will find gun emplacements once used to guard the sea
approach to Honolulu. Watch your step, because the final
climb up a circular stairway is pitch black, but you'll
emerge to a stunning view of Waikiki Beach from Point Leahi.
(Don't forget to bring your camera.)
After your descent, continue your run around Diamond
Head, returning to Kapiolani Park via Monsarrat Avenue.
This second of our three Volcano Runs covers 8.4 miles,
if you include the crater. If you want more information,
see Waikiki
Workouts.
Maui: This third
of our three Volcano Runs is the single most spectacular run
that I ever have done and, yes, I've run through the Grand
Canyon of the Colorado and on various trails in Yellowstone
Park and on the South Island of New Zealand. Nothing tops
Haleakala! (Haleakala means "House of the Sun.") To do this
run, you'll need to depart from your hotel at Kaanapali
Beach around 4:00 AM. It takes drive two hours to drive to
the summit of Haleakala. Then you run 11.2 miles over rough
ground--and all this, three days after the marathon, if you
continue to Maui afterwards following my Do-It-Yourself Itinerary.
(I don't recommend doing this run before the marathon.)
We had a number of runners, who traveled with us on
Roadrunner Tours, who couldn't quite rise to this challenge.
I was always tempted to bang down their doors and pull them
out of bed and throw them into the back of our van. I know
that everybody who ran through Haleakala with us loved doing
it. I still have memories of one runner, who literally fell
to the ground at the end of our run. There he was, lying
flat on his back trying to absorb heat from the asphalt, all
the time babbling, "That was the greatest experience of my
life!"
Sometimes we rented cars at the airport; sometimes we
rented cars for the day at an agency near Kaanapali Beach.
Logistics will be easier if you have enough Haleakala
runners to rent several cars, or bring someone who will
forego the run and drive your car the short distance between
the start and finish, perhaps doing some hiking at the top
while you're running.
Follow Route 378 up to Haleakala National Park and the
Visitors Center at the summit. Many tourists take
sightseeing buses to see the sunrise, which occurs around
6:30 AM in December. You may also encounter bicyclists at
the summit, another favorite activity being riding bikes
down the mountain after being driven to the top.
Warning: Before departing from your hotel,
check the weather report by calling 572-7749. One year, we
failed to do so and encountered fog so thick atop the
mountain, that we not only failed to see the sun rise, but
had to cancel the run. (Several in the group, however,
returned the next day and ran in clear sunshine.)
Another Warning: Temperatures at the top of
Haleakala (10,023 feet) can be quite cold (near freezing or
below), so be sure to bring warm clothes that you can shed
before starting your run.
After sunrise, head down the Sliding Sands Trail into the
crater. If you brought a designated driver, he or she may
want to descend part way, then turn back. The trail at the
top is fine pumice, good footing, although you may encounter
frost. On the descent, you will begin to see delicate
silversword plants, a form of cactus found nowhere else in
the world. (Get caught picking one and you'll pay a stiff
fine.)
The trail divides at the bottom. Our planned route goes
left, then left again near Halaii and the Bottomless Pit
along the Halemauu Trail toward the center of the crater.
Crossing lava flows, the footing can be rough, so you may
want to walk. A short detour on the Silversword Loop is
worth taking.
If you had continued straight at the first turn, you
would have emerged 23 miles later at sea level near the
Makahiku Falls in the Kipahulu Area. That's a hike I've
always wanted to make, but the end point is around the back
of the island, accessible only by rough and winding roads.
It would take your driver almost as long to get there by car
as you would by foot.
The center of the crater features Holua Cabin, a small
structure that can be reserved for overnight stays. On one
of our trips, we learned that a local running club organized
a hike where the guys packed tuxedoes and the gals evening
gowns. Dressing for dinner, they toasted each other with
champagne. What a delightful idea for a party! For those
with less than Epicurean tastes, water is available at the
bottom, but you'd also be wise to carry your own fluids and
snacks.
The trail continues across the bottom of the crater and
finally ascends a series of switchbacks, which you'll
probably walk rather than run. The finish is at the Halemauu
Trailhead, where that asphalt parking lot will feel as soft
as the mattress in your hotel at Kaanapali Beach. On the
return, stop at the Kula Lodge for lunch. One option, if you
want to skip the beach, is to stay overnight at the Lodge
(808-878-1535). You won't need to get up as early in the
morning to reach the summit by sunrise. And maybe you can
return to Haleakala the following day for the bicycle
ride.
(For more on our Volcano Runs, see: Ahi
Maluna: Volcano Runs Offer Peak Experience.)
During a two-day visit to Kauai one year, Rose and
I drove to Waimea Canyon, where I spotted numerous
trails leading into the rain forest. I was tempted
to run on the trails and perhaps develop another Volcano
Run, but I didn't have time on such a short visit.
In 1999, we visited Molokai and hiked down into Father
Damien's Leper Colony, truly a memorable experience.
