Did anyone do the innaugeral Honolulu tri last year? Also, did anyone stay at the Aston Waikiki Sunset. I would love to hear any thoughts on the race (is the bike hilly) etc. Any recommendations or tips???
I live here (bright & sunny today, did a track workout which was pretty brisk at around 70 or so and got to see Marian Jones and her crew out trianing as well) and do the Honolulu Tri course every week. The swim course is a modified triangle which may go through some breaking surf depending on conditions. Sighting may be a bit tough over the rollers. Heading back in you have to make sure not to hit the reef but that’s not a big deal. Temp last year was 76 and scary as it may be they allowed wetsuits! Wetsuits in Hawaii, what were they thinking. But the water was pretty chilly and if I’d had my new QR Superfull then I would have worn it.
Bike starts flat then a small climb up and over diamond head. Flat flat, tiny rolling hills, then you cut back into a neighborhood at around mile 10, mile 11.5 you hit a pretty big and pretty steep hill (granny gear for most people, or at least small chainring for the hammers) which you ascend then drop most of the way back down the other side (not as steep but twice as long), before making a U-turn and heading back the same way. Sharp left at the bottom of the big hill can be tricky. Same thing coming back with one extra downhill and the small climb up and over diamond head.
Run is flat flat flat.
Great race, put on well, gets lots of spectators and the location is perfect. Definetely a must do. We’re working on them giving out better shirts than last year though as that had to be the low point, for me at least.
I lived in Honolulu last year, and did the event. It was awesome! Tai’s description is good, with the following additions: the breaking surf was huge, we were all looking back over our shoulders as we were swimming back into shore, making sure we weren’t walloped by the waves. Many laughs out on the swim at the size of the waves. For us MOPers at least. Very fun for me, broke up the monotony, others did NOT enjoy it. I can’t remember a single person who wore a wetsuit. At least in the AG waves. I think they would’ve been laughed off the course. Maybe I’m remembering this wrong; it was cold, but I don’t think anyone wore them. The one big hill was longer and steeper than any tri I’ve seen. Ok, my sample size is only about 6, but it was pretty big. We went down the same way we went up, and people were absolutely flying! The run is a multi-loop, with many spectators cheering everyone on, right through the streets of Waikiki. Very cool.
I def recommend it, the most enjoyable triathlon I’ve done by far. Best tip: enjoy the scenery, it’s beautiful!
I was there too, Everything Tai said I agree with , great race. I remember the hill as being a lot tougher though. Funny what another 30 years will do to you! :~)
Come on over and join us!
Aloha,
Larry
Hey Larry, well I guess they don’t call it “heart break hill” for nothing:) It is a big hill but a 39x23 will get most people up it just fine. And down you can get in the 40, maybe higher if you let it ride. Just remember the turn at the bottom.
There were actually 10 or so people with wetsuits last year. After a bunch of frantic calls around the night before all of the guys who would probably be in the top ten agreed that we would not wear wetsuits. We did forget to call one guy though and he was in the first wave and trounced a most everyone in the swim and ended up 4th.
I guess the swim is a littel on the exciting side , but compared to some of the races we have on the North shore or out at the naval station, the waves were pretty calm. And they are rollers not choppy little waves that drive you nuts sending you all over the place swallowing lots of water, much easier to deal with. You also get a one or two minute bonus if you ride out a tube to clear the reef, this would definetely cut some time instead of swimming around the reef!
Marion and Tim Montgomery doing some training at U-H…tremendous! Are you running in any of the Saturday track meets at U-H? I’m going to be running in the one on March 5!
After a bunch of frantic calls around the night before all of the guys who would probably be in the top ten agreed that we would not wear wetsuits.
That would’ve been funny seeing you 10 elitist studs dressed different than us commoners! Go with the wetsuits next time! And to think, the 800 others of us commonfolk didn’t have to waste time on the phone, we just realized we’re in Hawaii and shouldn’t wear a wetsuit.
the Jones crew is at the UH track almost every day around 8:30 in the morning and then again at around 3 in the afternoon. It’s pretty cool. We are always just glad they show up AFTER we are finished with our running so they don’t blow by us and make it seem like we are running backwards;)
“elitest studs,” hmm, I hope we don’t look like that to everyone. I think Hawaii is pretty good about not being too competitive in a bad way. The thing was that during the briefings which were held seperately they told some groups that yes wetsuits were allowed and didn’t mention anything about it to others. I wish they had just banned them (especially as I absolutely hated the suit I had at that time) altogether. Like the other guy said, it’s Hawaii for god sakes. So yes we elitest studs called each other up and all came to a consensus that none of us would wear a wetsuit so that noone had an unfair advantage that they hadn’t trained thier ass off for. If we could have called everyone in the entire race we might have, but that would have been truly elitest and, as you said about it being Hawaii and of course we don’t wear wetsuits, an utter waste of time. That being said, as I waited on the beach shivering in this very un Hawaii like morning weather, a friend of mine Mike who was all warm in his Orca P-Flex, came up to me and made some comment like “you should have worn the wetsuit, everyone else is…”
I guess the only downside of the Honolulu Tri, is that it’s but on by an events company that at the time was just getting into putting on triathlons after producing many other high level events in other sports. They are great people and I have had the chance to work with them a bit on the race. Great people, great events, but they don’t know all that much about triathlons in general, hence the wetsuits in Hawaii, and a bunch of other quirks you may notice if you look a little more carefully at the race. For instance, until a couple of weeks out from the event, they had no idea that athletes were probably expecting race shirts:) But they pulled it together and this year should be a great race.
For all the Hawaii people who will be watching the itu world cup race, look for a Hawaii athlete in the field duking it out in the pro field. I won’t say who it is just yet as I don’t think it’s been officially announced but he or she was one of the top Hawaii triathletes in 2004 and raced well at last year’s Honolulu Tri in the Amateur ranks. If everyone already knows who it is then I guess I’m the idiot out of the know still keeping this fairly hush hush.
Make sure to yell “Go Hawaii” as they fly by!
Tai, what hill are you and Larry talking about? Palisades? Koko Head? The back side of Diamond Head up Monserrat?
Tony
Tony,
Tai is talking about the Kamiloiki hill, past the school and soccer fields on you left (going up). It is Hawaii Kai Drive, from Lunalilo Home Road leading to Kalama Valley, near Koko Crater.
Mark
hmm, I guess Kokohead or whatever that hill is in the back of Hawaii Kai. You know, up Lunalilo, right on big ass hill then hill turns left at teh top, mild downhill and we u-turn at the T which would normally go right to the stoplight by sandys.
BTW, are you still doing the team thing with Mr. C? I feel bad we all bagged on him and I think it’s down to him, himself, and C, plus you and maybe Robert. I wish you guys luck, it’s a lot of work but should be fun. Just couldn’t handle him, and after the crazy ride we had last week with him…
I talked to him the other night about that episode and his temper. Raul sent him a pretty stern email about it, too. Right now, it looks like Tim M. Robert, Chris, Tanya, Jimmy, me and maybe Diedre Tennant. I try to stay out of that end of it and treat it like a business. Tim, Chris and Robert got the full-ride sponsorships, and I think either Tanya or Diedre will get the woman’s one. I personally don’t care about what I get or don’t get, as I plan on racing mostly on the mainland this year.
Chris has always had a temper, for some reason. I remember when he was a young Marine. Good lord.
As far as that ass-kicker of a hill, I always make sure I go back up it from my ride back from K. park. 39/23 is usually appropriate.
Tony
Anybody else of the locals on this board ever ridden up that one in Makakilo? Outside of the old Barber’s Point NAS? Man, that one was the killer of all time for me. Almost as steep and a lot longer.
Tony
Heard about that one, we ride to Barber’s point on weekends pretty often and do the crit loop out there. I guess we’ll have to try the hill soon.
The biggest hills I’ve been up locally were Hale Koa right in the back of Kahala and then Peacock flats is pretty tough for just sheer steepness.
Tai,
How is it living in Hawaii? Pros and cons? I would love to live there for a while but I have not actively seeked out work in my field there (Oracle technical work). Being a Canadian is another hurdle since I would need to get a NAFTA work visa. I imagine the drawback is the lack of jobs - is that correct?
Are you talking about the hill that the ride and stride used for its finish in the late 80’s and early 90’s?
Yup. That’s the one. I went from 1st place at the bottom of it, to 3rd place at the top of it in '97. Cliff Rigsbee and Peter Hursty busted my ass going up it 
Ah, well.
Tony
So how tough is the climb? And how many miles up? Living in Dallas with not too many hills to climb, makes me wonder how the hell I’m going to get up that darn hill. I’m sure I will survive though. Any recommendations on hotels???
So how tough is the climb? And how many miles up? Living in Dallas with not too many hills to climb, makes me wonder how the hell I’m going to get up that darn hill. I’m sure I will survive though. Any recommendations on hotels???
It is a workout but not killer. I am 57 and I have rode up and down it 10 times back to back and the bike is not my strong point.
Just come over and have fun.
Aloha,
Larry