VOLCANO MARATHON COURSE
Kilauea Volcano Wilderness
Marathon, Hawaii 2007
Photography by runner Rodney Pygoya
Chang
"Called the 'world's
toughest measured marathon,' this race challenges the most advanced
and hardy endurance runners. The course covers extremely tough and uneven
terrain, lava
fields in the Ka'u Desert and 1,000 foot elevation changes."
There's Cowman on the trail! He reminds me more of a Viking standing about 6'3"; note runner in distance at crest of the hill.
Where's the trail?
Do have to watch one's step on this marathon! To cross
this perilous fissure we run over
the whitish connection - without looking down on both sides. Nobody warns
of the
secondary crack just a few feet ahead. Better not be looking ahead instead
of the ground
upon which you're stepping at this moment in the run! I heard
ghostly cries from deep
within by past marathoners. All imagined of course! ???
7 miles- see runners in the distance... see the path? You're not alone! (It's easy to feel alone out here, especially when you start FALLING BEHIND)
rough terrain, easy to get hurt on this part of the
"course" - in fact several runner fell and had to drop out to get
stitches for their knees
and lacerations on elbows
Volcano Marathon lives up to its "extreme tough and uneven
terrain" warning- the earth seems to warn, "Trample over me if you
dare!"
This IS the route!
This couple is from Houston, Texas. He's retired Army and she's a grade school
teacher... to climbing in elevation; air is thin, oxygen
is a premium; lucky this year no rain to make the course slippery; lucky the
noxious gases of the current lava eruption just 15 miles away
is blowing in another direction!
note 2nd later lava flow
it's quiet and peaceful out here
a solitary tree; "life finds a way"
Still gaining altitude, jumping rocks again, easy to get cut up should you fall....
Mars?
lava desert, nothing here yet has taken root
Getting hilly, or "You gotta be kidding."
We follow the little orange markers on wire rods. Thought here "Sure wouldn't be caught out here without food and water and with 2 broken legs"
Yet the human spirit prevails. Note runners to the right in the distance helping to mark way for runners behind; spotting distance runners to identify the general direction many times more important than trying to locate the tiny orange thing-a-ma-jigs.
Reassuring you're on course sometimes comes down to finding
footprints.
I twisted my ankle three times and fell three times. Luckily
no injuires.
Knee pads and gloves recommended by race director
Aloha! Placing alien cap on the sacred lava ground.
Wasn't going to be in the photo but this voice behind me said, "You want me
to take your picture?" Of course I couldn't be impolite and say
"Nah!" And the photographer, a runner willing to lose a couple
seconds on my behalf was, ---
One of best woman runners in the Air Force at Waipahu, Hawaii
duty station. Her calves are larger than my thighs. Bet
she doesn't cramp on these long runs. What a woman! "I am the
fastest woman in our military running club." I believe it.
stunning silent black beauty