🇺🇸Honolulu, USA
Honolulu Marathon
Dec 13, 2026
Race facts
Next edition · 2026
Dec 13, 2026
ScheduledStart
Ala Moana Boulevard at Ala Moana Beach Park — 5:00am
Course
220 melevation gain
- Distance · surface
- 42.2 km · Road
- Layout
- Out-and-back along the coast with two Diamond Head climbs
- Profile
- Flat along Ala Moana, downtown and Waikiki, up and around Diamond Head (~miles 6–9), out to Hawaii Kai and back, with a second Diamond Head climb before the finish
Entry
Direct online registration, with separate portals for Hawaii, US/Canada and international residents
- Status · last recorded
- Open
- Registration
- Opens in early June with three price steps through early December, then expo-only entry at a premium
Dates and entry details change. Confirm with the organiser before you book.
PB potential
Extremely challenging — focus on finishing, not a PB
Beginner friendly
Great for newcomers — manageable course, strong support
About this race
Honolulu is the marathon that breaks all the rules. It starts at 5 AM with a fireworks display. It runs in tropical heat (22–30°C, 75–85% humidity) that makes PBs essentially impossible. It has no course cutoff — you can walk the whole thing. And it draws 25,000 runners from 50+ countries, predominantly from Japan, where it's a bucket-list event. The course runs along Ala Moana Boulevard, up the slopes of Diamond Head crater at sunrise, out to Kahala, and back along the Pacific coastline. The tropical scenery, the ocean air, and the pre-dawn firework start create a genuinely extraordinary experience. Come for the adventure, not the clock — but bring electrolytes and sun protection.
Typical race-day weather
Temperature
22–30°C
Humidity
75–85%
Conditions
Tropical December — warm and humid all day
Wind
15–25 km/h trade winds
Who this race suits
First-timers, walkers and anyone who wants to finish on their own terms: no qualifying time, no entry cap and no cut-off. The easiest big-city marathon to get into.
Not a PB course. The 5am start helps, but 22–30°C, high humidity and two climbs over Diamond Head make this a race to finish well and enjoy, not to run fast.
Overview
- Field size
- No entry limit — one of the largest fields in the US, with a big contingent from Japan
- Cut-off time
- None — the course stays open until every participant finishes
- Qualifying
- None
- When
- Second Sunday of December; the 2026 edition is Sunday 13 December 2026
Course intelligence
- Highlights
- Pre-dawn start with fireworks, Aloha Tower, Iolani Palace, Waikiki Beach at sunrise, Diamond Head crater, Hanauma Bay and Koko Head views, finish in Kapiolani Park
- Surface
- Asphalt roads and highway
Registration
- Entry cost
- US$215–255 for US and Canadian residents and US$260–320 for international entrants, depending on when you enter; US$460 at the expo. Group discounts from five people
- Note
- Monthly payment plans are offered at checkout
Race weekend
- Finish
- Kapiolani Park near the Bandstand, past Sans Souci Beach and the Waikiki Aquarium
- Expo
- Honolulu Marathon Expo at the Hawaii Convention Center during race week; packet pickup there is mandatory
- Note
- Runners with strollers must start at the back of the field
Travel & logistics
- Best airport
- Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye (HNL), ~20 minutes from Waikiki
- Getting around
- Most runners stay in Waikiki and walk to the finish; TheBus covers the island
- Where to stay
- Waikiki — walking distance to the finish and a short trip to the start
Runner tips
- Drink from the first aid station: the heat builds fast once the sun is up around 7am.
- Train for a 5am start — eat early and get to Ala Moana before the roads close.
- The Diamond Head climb comes twice; run the first one easy.
Pace Band
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