It’s that time of year again. Time to break out your sneakers, don your best Christmas costumes and belt out a loud holiday cheer.
It’s that time of year again. Time to break out your sneakers, don your best Christmas costumes and belt out a loud holiday cheer.
The ninth annual Jingle Bell Beach Run takes place Sunday, and it’s gearing up to be the perfect occasion to jingle, prance or blitz your way down Alii Drive with many of your closest family and friends.
Featuring 5K, 1-mile and Santa’s Keiki Dash distances — there is something for everyone. Just bring your holiday spirit and you are good to go.
I began this event in 2005 with a close friend, mentor and great endurance athlete, Gene “Turtle” Power. I didn’t participate in the Honolulu Marathon that year, and realized there were no running events offered in Kona during December.
In previous years we had a fun 4-mile and 2-mile Jingle Bell Run during the first week of December that started and finished at Lanihau Center. Over time, that event faded and eventually was discontinued, leaving the community with a void.
“Why not?” Power said when I told him of my lofty ideas to create a new, fun event with a Christmas theme emphasizing the holiday spirit of giving.
“I’ll help you with whatever you need,” Power said and he did just that.
Fantasizing a wish list for a perfect race, there were a few elements that needed to be set in place. It needed to be a short distance — to appeal to all ages, fitness levels and families with small children. It would start early, and on time, so participants could enjoy Mauna Loa’s magnificent sunrise and still have the rest of the day to spend with family.
It would follow an oceanfront path along Alii Drive. It would emphasize the giving aspect by raising money for a local charity. And, it would be held the Sunday before Christmas.
With only a week to prepare for our first event, Power and I put on our Christmas hats and began the elves’ work toward kicking off Christmas week with a bang. Sixty-two participants finished the 5K that year.
After helping me with our event for the first five years, Power relinquished his role as my “co-conspirator and co-organizer” to pursue other endeavors. Since then, I have been lucky to have sponsorship assistance from area businesses, an amazing group of volunteers, and my husband Penn, to continue my dream of providing our community with a first-class event.
This year’s Jingle Bell Beach Run promises to be the best yet. With generous donations from community sponsors, participants can look forward to exciting swag and prize giveaways, the always popular costume contest, top finisher awards and live announcing from Eddie-O.
New this year is Santa’s Keiki Dash — a noncompetitive 100- and 200-yard run/walk for children ages 6 and younger. And for the fleet-footed, $100 will be awarded for new male and female 5K course record setters.
Professional triathlete Chris Lieto set the current 5K course record of 16 minutes and 18 seconds in 2010. Jamie Geissler, who won the event in 2006, recorded the fastest time in the women’s division in 17:53.
All money raised from Jingle Bell Beach Run hat sales will go toward this year’s community charity recipient — the West Hawaii Children’s Justice Center — for its new nonprofit organization, Kids Matter. This amazing organization will help children in need by ensuring their safety and recovery from abuse.
Bring your holiday cheer to Kailua Pier Sunday. The fun begins at 7:30 a.m. Online registration is open until 6 p.m. Saturday; $25 for the 5K, $15 for the mile. Santa’s Keiki Dash is free. Packets and race numbers will be available for pick up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Big Island Running Company’s Alii Drive location. For more information visit kona5K.com.
Also on Sunday is Team Mango’s Journey-2-LaLa Land’s 17-mile hill climb. Racing starts at the bottom of Lako Street at 6 a.m. for runners and 8 a.m. for cyclists. For registration details and course information visit teammangoraces.com.
And on Dec. 29, Frozen Pea Productions will wrap up the 2013 year with Peaman’s Birthday Bonanza. Start time is 8:03 a.m. at Kaiakeakua Beach. The event features a half-mile swim and 3.9-mile run on Alii Drive, with a shorter Pea Wee course available for children. The event is free with no prerace registration; racers sign out when they finish.