Course Map
About this Race
The Honolulu Marathon is a famously inclusive race with no entry cap and no time limit, beginning in pre-dawn darkness with fireworks over Waikiki and unspooling along the Hawaiian coast past Diamond Head. The course is mostly flat aside from the rolling climbs around Diamond Head, but the real adversary is the tropical December heat and humidity that build relentlessly after sunrise. It draws an enormous, predominantly Japanese tourist field there for the celebration and the island setting rather than the splits. The festive, all-welcome atmosphere and ocean scenery define the day far more than competitive pace. It suits experience-seekers and first-timers who want a forgiving, scenic race and don't mind walking when the sun climbs.
Course Insight
Honolulu is run in December heat and humidity that dwarfs any hill on the course, starting before dawn under fireworks with a vast, uncapped field and no real time limit. The tropical conditions, not the terrain, decide your race, so go out slow, drink early and accept that goal pace may need to soften. The mostly flat route stiffens with the climb around Diamond Head before the seaside run-in. The festive, anything-goes field makes it as much an experience as a race. Respect the humidity from the gun and you'll enjoy the back half instead of surviving it.
Difficulty Breakdown
A balanced marathon with no single defining challenge.
Course Details
- Course type
- Out-And-Back
- Elevation gain
- 141m
- Elevation loss
- 136m
- Highest point
- 38m
- Net elevation
- +5m
- Start
- Ala Moana Beach Park
Course Records
- Men's
- 2:07:59 — Titus Ekiru (Kenya), 2019
- Women's
- 2:22:15 — Brigid Kosgei (Kenya), 2017
Race History
The Honolulu Marathon was first held in 1973 and built its identity around inclusivity, with no entry cap and no time limit on its tropical course along the Hawaiian coast. Beginning before dawn with fireworks over Waikiki, it grew enormously popular, drawing a vast field of overseas runners, especially from Japan. Its celebratory, all-welcome spirit made it as much a festival as a race. Run each December, it remains one of the largest marathons in the United States.
Plan Your Trip
Everything you need to know to get there, get settled, and get to the start line.
- Nearest airport(s)
- Daniel K. Inouye Honolulu (HNL)
- Best area to stay
- Waikiki for staying at the start/finish with every hotel tier, Ala Moana for value near the course, and Kahala for quieter upscale resorts a short drive away.
- Getting to the start
- The start is in Ala Moana by the park; walk from Waikiki hotels (most are within range) or take TheBus, as the pre-dawn start draws everyone to one area.