Hawai'i Bird Conservation Marathon
Volcano to Keaau/Hilo, United States · December · Independent
Why people love it
- Drop of about 1,156 m (3,792 ft) from Volcano to the coast; BQ rate 43% in 2024.
- Shaded ironwood and giant fern stretch on Stainback Highway, with rainforest at the top.
- Small field of about 120 with friendly volunteers who outnumber runners.
- School-bus shuttles from Hilo and Keaau ran on time per a 2023 reviewer.
- Entry supports rare Hawaiian bird conservation.
Watch out for
- Cambered shoulders on open Highway 11; two reviewers say they wrecked their legs.
- Water stops close at a 6 hour pace; slower runners must be self-sufficient.
- Dark 06:00 start at 1,228 m (4,028 ft) and 6 °C (43 °F), then humid sun near the finish.
- No bus back to the start and no portable toilets on the course.
- Field cap near 165 with a waitlist; few spectators, so much of the race is solo.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Very tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.7
RaceRaves 3.8 from 4 ratings, MarathonGuide 4.3 from 1, FindMyMarathon 5.0 from 2. One 2026 reviewer called the course awful because of the cambered shoulder. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.6
Reviewers praise the organisers, on-time shuttle and water stops, but RaceRaves production is only 3.0 and there are no toilets on course or return shuttle. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable2.6
6 hour limit, open roads, a cold 06:00 start at 1,228 m (4,028 ft) and a quad-punishing descent make it risky for debut runners. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast4.3
Drop of about 1,156 m (3,792 ft) and BQ rates of 13% to 43% by year; cambered shoulders cost time. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.6
RaceRaves scenery 3.5. Rainforest, ironwood and giant ferns, but much of the route is highway shoulder with exhaust and roadkill. · Low confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.4
Field of about 120 so no crowding, but narrow shoulders force single-file running early. · Medium confidence
- Road surfaceMixed3.0
Cambered shoulders on much of Highway 11 'wrecked' two reviewers; a recently repaved stretch has wider shoulders. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly open1.6
Highway 11 was open to traffic in 2017 and runners follow traffic laws; volunteers guard crossings. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessPancake flat4.6
Gain of only 36 m (120 ft), one long descent with a flat last 5 km (3 mi). The drop is hard on the quads. · High confidence
- Net downhillBig drop4.9
Net drop of about 1,156 m (3,792 ft); USATF certified and used for Boston qualifying. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.3
Dark 06:00 start at 6 °C (43 °F); school buses ran on time from Hilo and Keaau but nothing returns to the start. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingFew2.3
No pacers mentioned; no mile markers in 2017 (highway mileposts counted down), few timing details. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportSparse1.5
About 110 runners, mostly solo, volunteers may outnumber runners; spectators few but encouraging. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.0
Ten water stops about every 4 km (2.5 mi), sports drink at five, no gels; reviewers noted few stops and no toilets on the course. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.8
No wind complaints; start wind about 8 km (5 mi)/h (5 mph) in FindMyMarathon data. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant3.6
Starts at 6 to 11 °C (43 to 51 °F), warming to 16 to 26 °C (60 to 79 °F) with humidity near the finish. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.6
December rain in 2021; the mountain start and coastal finish differ by 10 to 15 °C (18 to 27 °F). · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlyTricky1.5
Point-to-point on a highway with few spectators and no mid-race viewing; finish at a park. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeModerate3.0
Starts at 1,228 m (4,028 ft) and finishes near sea level at 114 m (375 ft); the cold high start is not extreme altitude. · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.4
Hilo and Volcano lodging; Naniloa on Banyan Drive recommended; no sell-out reports. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.2
No rate data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving2.8
Naniloa guest walked 5 to 6 minutes to the shuttle; start is a 40-minute bus ride away. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.6
Hawaii flight plus direct flights to Hilo or Kona; Kona is about 120 km (75 mi) from Hilo. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.7
Easy packet pickup the day before and on-time shuttles per a 2023 reviewer; but no return from finish to start. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood3.6
Hilo food and drink and friendly locals per a 2023 reviewer; Volcano Village and the national park nearby. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inRegister early2.9
Field cap near 165 with a waitlist, though finishers have numbered about 106 to 127 lately. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.0
Small swag (pendant or silver charm, bobblehead for age groups); fee not found; proceeds go to bird conservation. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Volcano to Keaau/Hilo, Hawai'i County (Big Island), United States
- Typical month
- December
- Latest or next date
- 20 December 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 120 athletes
- First held
- 2017
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Climbing
- 36 m (120 ft)
- Descent
- 1,153 m (3,780 ft)
- Start time
- 06:00
- Cutoff
- 6 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Highway shoulder and paved road
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Yes
- Air temperature
- 6–24 °C (43–75 °F)
- Humidity
- High; 77 percent average at the start
- Altitude
- 1,228 m (4,030 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Hilo International (ITO)
- Where to stay
- Hilo (Banyan Drive), Volcano Village, Keaau
- Booking
- School-bus shuttles for runners leave Banyan Drive in Hilo and Herbert Shipman Park in Keaau; drop-off at the start 5:00 to 5:30 a.m. No bus returns from the finish to Volcano. A 2023 runner stayed at the Naniloa on Banyan Drive, 5 to 6 minutes' walk to the shuttle.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2026 · aggregator · Mixed
Only 4 ratings, 3.8 overall; difficulty 3.8, scenery 3.5, production 3.0, swag 2.8. Runners agree the course is mostly downhill and green, with a small field and solo running; opinions split on the cambered shoulder and poor swag, and two 2026 reviews contrast 'Awful course' with 'Worth the trip'.
“The cambered road completely wrecked me.”
- MarathonGuideRaced 2023 · aggregator · Positive
One review, 4.3: easy packet pickup, shuttle on time, enough water stops, a fast mostly-downhill course with an incline near the end and about 110 runners; his first sub-4 marathon; rain risk.
“10/10 would run again!”
- FindMyMarathonRaced 2024 · aggregator · Positive
Two 5-star reviews: small, friendly race with a communal feel, praised early start and director; warns of few water stops, harder quads than it looks and to wear roomy shoes.
“Lovely small marathon”
- Goal-Oriented RunnerRaced 2017 · blog · Positive
Won his age group at the inaugural race: certified point-to-point with four marshalled turns, narrow shoulders, busy open Highway 11, 51 °F (11 °C) start warming to humid 60s and 70s °F (16 to 26 °C (79 °F)), no return shuttle, aid with more volunteers than runners, Boy Scout finish with silver charm.
“I think they outnumbered the runners.”
- West Hawaii TodayRaced 2017 · article · Positive
Debut marathoner's account of the inaugural race: 3,792 ft (1,156 m) drop mostly in the first half, cambered shoulders as the biggest challenge, a cold clear 43 °F (6 °C) start at Volcano and a 5:00:35 finish in Hilo among about 90 runners.
“This was a bit of a unicorn race for me.”
Show 1 more
- Hawaii Tribune-HeraldRaced 2021 · article · neutral
Race report for the 4th edition: 58 runners, rain made it harder, winner Daniel Hill called the downhill painful; about $13,000 donated to bird conservation over four years.
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Sources
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