Kauai Marathon & Half Marathon
Race snapshot
Race Day
Feels hot
Total elevation gain
Very hilly terrain · Net elevation change −17 ft
Participants
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Good crowd energy
Sources for this edition
- Date, Entry · Checked Sep 19, 2026
- Start time · Checked Sep 19, 2026
The Lowdown
The Kauai Marathon & Half Marathon is an annual road race through the resort town of Poipu on Hawaii's Garden Isle, first run in 2010 and organized as a nonprofit fundraiser for Kauai's youth and community programs. The hilly, USATF-certified 26.2-mile marathon course and 13.1-mile half marathon course both start on Poipu Road in front of the Poipu Beach Athletic Club, wind past a landmark tree tunnel around mile 6.7, and loop through the island's south shore coastline before finishing near Koloa. Over its history the race has generated more than $56 million in economic impact for Kauai, reached over 2,300 keiki through its Youth Running Program, and distributed over $320,000 to local nonprofits.
The September 6, 2026 edition, which would have been the race's 17th running, was cancelled two days out after Hurricane Lowell forced Kauai County to pull road-closure permits; organizers confirmed the race will return on Sunday, September 5, 2027. Registration for the 2027 marathon and half marathon opened immediately and remains open, with early pricing (through September 30, 2026) of $220 for the marathon and $115 for the half marathon, plus discounted Kama'aina and active-military rates. A Keiki Run for children ages 2-12 is held the day before. The event sold out for the first time in 2024, drawing 2,400 registered runners from 49 states and nearly 20 countries, including 94-year-old Mathea Allansmith, who set a Guinness World Record as the oldest woman to finish a half marathon.
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