Windward Half Marathon and 5K

With its combination of the kind of pristine sand beaches and lush palm trees you’d expect at an island paradise in the Pacific as well as the bustling urban feel of Honolulu just a short drive away, the Hawaiian island of Oahu and the community of Kailua on the windward side of the island play host for the 32nd time to runners from around the island at September 2013’s Windward Half Marathon, 5K & Keiki Race, which benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii’s Windward clubhouse.

Famous for its beaches and lush inland jungles — which have served as the setting for such legendary television shows as Hawaii Five-O, Magnum P.I. and LOST more recently — the community of Kailua that lies here on the windward side of the island also is now famous for its official guests, as President Barack Obama and his family made Kailua their “Winter White House” both as a candidate in 2008 and during his Christmas breaks while president.

Runners start both the half marathon and the 5K race at Kailua Intermediate School on South Kainalu Drive, and both have early starting times — the half marathon begins at 6:00 AM for runners, while the 5K race starts at 6:20 AM for runners and 6:10 AM for those participating in the wheelchair 5K race.

From there, the field follows an out-and-back course that winds along the streets of Kailua, and takes runners through a number of nearby neighborhoods and local communities on what the race organizers describe as a fast and flat route. The 5K — which is run in honor of local resident Rosie Wall, an enthusiastic runner who passed away a decade earlier — also features a largely flat course, and also features an out-and-back route that starts and finishes at the intermediate school, where the Boys & Girls Club’s Windward clubhouse is also located.