You line up at 5:00 am on Ala Moana Boulevard in warm darkness, and the first thing you notice is the smell of plumeria and ocean salt drifting across tens of thousands of runners. Fireworks go off, and you run into downtown and Waikiki while it is still night. Dawn arrives on the Diamond Head climb around mile 9, the only real hill, and by the time you are deep in Hawaii Kai the sun is fully up and the humidity settles in. This is not a course for chasing a personal best; fewer than one in a hundred finishers qualify for Boston. What Honolulu offers instead is permission. There is no cut-off, so you can walk the last miles along the shore if you need to, and the finish by the Kapiolani Park Bandstand will still be open when you get there.
Mostly flat city-and-coast route that starts on Ala Moana Boulevard, climbs Diamond Head (high point 124 ft near mile 9), runs out to Hawaii Kai and back, and finishes near the Kapiolani Park Bandstand. Course map ↗
Registration opens 2026-06-02. Closes 2026-12-03. Three price tiers (Jun 2-Sep 7, Sep 8-Oct 12, Oct 13-Dec 3). 2026 marathon fee $215-$255 for US/Canada residents, $195-$255 Hawaii residents, $260-$320 international. Late entry available at the expo. No field cap stated. Register ↗
- There is no cut-off time; the organizers call it the only world-class marathon that allows all participants to finish. ↗
- 22,745 runners finished the marathon in 2025, up from 18,424 in 2024 and 15,044 in 2023. ↗
- The race starts at 5:00 am in the dark on Ala Moana Boulevard, which in Hawaiian means 'path by the ocean'. ↗
- Only 0.8% of 2025 finishers hit a Boston qualifying time, reflecting the heat, humidity and the walker-heavy field. ↗
- First run in 1973; the 2026 race is the 54th edition. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.