Big Island International Marathon Hilo

Big Island International Marathon
Hilo, Hawaii - March 21, 2010

Photos by participant Rodney Pygoya Chang

Waiting at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, sponsor hotel, for shuttle to Starting Line in Pepeekeo.

We arrived the evening before.. Rodney with wife Erlinda

Up and early and ready to go. This early morning, about-to-leave-the-hotel-room,
has become a photographic ritual for my supportive wife.

Views from our bayside hotel room at the Hilo Hawaiian; the dark long line is a built barrier against tsunamis
to prevent the type of devastation and loss of life that resulted from the one that hit in the 1960s

Marathon morning, March 21, 2010

Next to the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel lobby

Our photographer, Erlinda - back at the hotel room as I am already into the run at the early 6 a.m. start in Pepeekeo, Hamakua

She likes this one better, taken later during race day, along the course as I passed her by.

Back to the early morning; shuttle takes us in Hilo to small town of Pepeekeo, about a 15 minute ride starting at 4:30am.

In Pepekeo Community Center, awaiting the start

"OK, everybody outside to line up on the street for the start in 10 minutes."

Kona fellow anxiously awaiting his first marathon! He's the pilot of the tour submarine there.

The assembly area

The start was at 6 a.m. Most were half marathoners of the few thousand assembled; 247 were full marathoners like myself. By the way, I ran this within the required 15 day period to complete 2 full marathons (did Little Rock, ARK earlier) to qualify for membership into the international Marathon Maniacs.
At this time there's about 2350 members worldwide and about 50 that reside in Hawaii like myself.