I ran the Great Aloha Run in 2023, finishing at a 7:14 pace, and I was pleased with that. When we went to Hawaii in 2023, we stayed for just over a week. We stayed in Waikiki, and it was fine, but definitely not our favorite vacation. We even said, “We are never going back.”
Fast forward to 2025, I was feeling a bit burned out at work and needed a long weekend in the sun. So, I booked tickets for a quick getaway. This time, we stayed on the North Shore and enjoyed it a lot more. Plus, I think four days was the perfect amount of time for us.
On our last day, the Great Aloha Run happened to be taking place. Did we fly out just for the race? No. But it worked into the schedule. I think this is the first race where I’ve taken a flight home afterward.
Before the Great Aloha Run
We got to the race expo around 3 p.m. the day before. I seemed to remember in 2023 that non-runners had to pay to enter, but I’m not sure if that was the case in 2025. My husband stayed in the car.
Coincidentally, we ate at the same Italian restaurant—not on purpose, but I like garlic knots. I didn’t get great sleep the night before, but it all worked out. We opted to stay in Honolulu the night before:
a) because it wasn’t Waikiki,
b) because it was close to the airport so I could shower before heading home, and
c) because it was runnable to the race start.
The morning of, I decided on buns because the vibe was right, and it was hot. The race started at around 73 degrees with 89% humidity. I think the dew point was around 70 degrees. I got in a mile and a half warm-up, and by the time I reached the start line, I was already sweating.
Great Aloha Run Race
Before I knew it, we were off. My goal was to run faster than two years ago, but I didn’t have any big expectations. It was hot and humid, and I knew it would be great practice for Los Angeles. On a perfect weather day, I could probably run around 6:40 pace, but this wasn’t perfect weather.
I hit the first mile in 6:51, and it felt fine. When I ran the Mesa Half Marathon the week before, 6:51 pace did not feel fine. But with 20-degree warmer weather and a new day, I wasn’t feeling bad. The Great Aloha Run is flat for the first four miles, then hilly-ish for the last four.
I read my race report from 2023 and remembered being sad about not having electrolytes, so this time, I carried my own (Precision Fuel Sodium mixed with LMNT). It was super salty but exactly what I needed. At every water stop, I dumped (thankfully cold) water on myself.
The next mile was 6:57. Runners were on the right, while multiple army platoons ran in formation on the left. Around two miles in, we merged. When I say it felt like being swallowed up, I mean it. I had to run on the shoulder to get out of the way. I’m not sure what the right answer is there, but it felt chaotic—like when two different race distances collide.
Mile three was uneventful. Miles four and five were under the monorail. It honestly felt like the end was never getting any closer. I tried to stay mentally engaged, but there was no GPS service, and my watch was telling me I was running 8:00 pace. I felt defeated until I realized I was still keeping pace with other runners. I ended up running 7:09 and 7:13 for those miles.
For some reason, when I hit mile five, I thought I only had two miles left instead of three. When I realized it was actually three miles, it felt soul-crushing.
The hills in miles six, seven, and eight felt rough, but I forced myself to stay engaged. With quick math, I realized I was averaging about 10 seconds faster per mile than in 2023. I passed one woman around mile 6.5. I knew that after the last hill, it would be mostly downhill, so once we passed it, I just ran as hard as possible to the finish.
I crossed the finish line in 56:30, placing 10th woman overall.
Final Thoughts
It’s always fun to race something you’ve done before and run it faster (unlike the Mesa Half last weekend, LOL). I know I’ve been making progress in fitness, but I’ve also had some tougher race days. I ran about 75 seconds faster than two years ago on what felt like a harder day. Plus, because it was so warm, it was great preparation for the Los Angeles Marathon in March.
You can see Strava here and more race recaps here.
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Questions for you:
What is the hottest race you’ve run?
How do you carry electrolytes while running?