Record number of runners for 2017 Hapalua – Hawaii’s half marathon in Honolulu
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05
04
2017

Start - Hawaii’s half marathon in Honolulu ©Hapalua

Record number of runners for 2017 Hapalua – Hawaii’s half marathon in Honolulu

By GRR 0

A record 6551 runners completed the 6thth annual Hapalua – Hawaii’s half marathon Honolulu today in Honolulu.

 

Honolulu Marathon

Runners from all over the world started in Waikiki as the sun rose at 6am and raced the 13.1miles around downtown Honolulu and the Diamond Head crater, finishing in Kapiolani Park.

The Hapalua, the largest half marathon in Hawaii and organized by the Honolulu Marathon Association, does not have a time limit and is friendly to both walkers and runners.  The last finisher came in at 6h35min30sec .

In the elite race, featuring a unique racing format called the Chase,  Philip Tarbei of Kenya  crossed the line first in 63.27 to claim the $5000 prize money out of the $11,000 purse.

The Chase pits the best runners in Hawaii against top world class professionals. Team Hawaii runners are awarded a head start based on recent race form.
The race came down to Tarbei and first time half marathoner Ryan Tsang, 20, a sophomore at the University of Hawaii Manoa.
 
Tsang finished second with an adjusted time of 64:05, based on his 12-minute head start. Kenya's other RunCzech Racing runner Abraham Kipyatich took third in 65:29.. 
 
 
The chase is the Hapalua’s signature element, a racing element designed by race founder Jim Barahal who once was one of the island' stop runners when he moved to Hawaii from his native Michigan in the late 1970s. 
"We set up the head starts for someone to win in 63:30," said Barahal, "either straight up or with the handicap. I told Team Hawaii, 'you're not going to win $5000 with an average day. It's going to take a PR."

  

About The Hapalua
The 2017 Hapalua – Hawaii's Half Marathon starts at 6am on April 9, 2017.
The Hapalua has quickly become a favorite race in Hawaii, attracting large numbers from the mainland and internationally, as well as from the islands. 
The Waikiki start and scenic course is a big draw for visiting participants.  
"The Chase" is a handicap race format within the Hapalua, in which 22 of the best runners from Hawaii get to compete against invited professionals. The runners from Hawaii get a head start on the professionals and the first one across the line takes the prize money. 
Like its sister race, the Honolulu Marathon, it has no time limit and is walker friendly.  

 

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author: GRR