Thousands brave rain threats to participate in Great Aloha Run
BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Thousands of runners and walkers participated in the 34th Annual Hawaiԩ Pacific Health Great Aloha Run.
BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Participants make their way to Aloha Stadium walking on Nimitz Highway under the viaduct.
DAN NAKASO / DNAKASO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Lance Cpl. Keeghan Wright, 17, of Kapohlei High School, carried his Marine Corps program’s “guide on” over the entire 8.15-mile course of the Pacific Health 34th Annual Great Aloha Run. He is flanked by twin brothers Andrew Ines, an 18-year-old staff sergeant (left) and Aaron, (right) also a staff sergeant. The cadets were part of a Kapolei High School JROTC contingent of 68 cadet runners and three instructors.
DAN NAKASO / DNAKASO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Danson Honda, 21, wore a “Banana Man” costume for the third time to run in this morning’s Hawai’i Pacific Health 34th Annual Great Aloha Run. Honda has run the race four times and worn the suit three times. He logged a time of 56:11.
Despite the threat of stormy skies that failed to materialize, approximately 18,000 elite and amateur runners — some of them wearing costumes, carrying flags or pushing baby strollers — ran in this morning’s 8.15-mile Hawai’i Pacific Health 34th Great Aloha Run from Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium.
Race organizers worried that thunder and lightning could force the closure of the race. Instead, “it was gorgeous,” said race spokeswoman Donna Fouts.
Before the race began at 7 a.m. “we could see the stars,” Fouts said.
And elite runners enjoyed the relatively cool racing conditions because “it was cool and not too humid,” Fouts said.
