Hawaii Island’s oldest and most well-known foot race will once again take place on Easter Eve near Honaunau Bay. For many, the event has become an annual tradition spanning several generations, rich in Hawaiian culture and history. For me, it
Hawaii Island’s oldest and most well-known foot race will once again take place on Easter Eve near Honaunau Bay. For many, the event has become an annual tradition spanning several generations, rich in Hawaiian culture and history. For me, it has always been a personal favorite as it marks my very first race at the tender age of 7.
On April 19, the Keoua Honaunau Canoe Club will celebrate its 33rd annual Mac-A-Thon 10K and 5K races.
The storied tale of this event dates back to 1982 when Rafael Ramirez, president of the small South Kona canoe club, conceived the great idea of organizing a fun running event at the start of the paddling season.
“Back then I was a runner,” Ramirez said. “I would run up and down the roads in Honaunau barefoot all the time. Because I enjoyed running so much I thought it would be great to put on an event that would help raise funds for us and help keep our paddlers in shape.”
At that time, Moku O Hawaii, the outrigger canoe racing association, required that all paddling races use koa wood canoes to perpetuate the art of authentic Hawaiian canoe racing. Being a small club with limited resources and needing to purchase a koa canoe of its own, Ramirez thought a running event would be a better way to raise funds than through door-to-door sales of Molokai sweetbread, Famous Amos cookies and Portuguese sausage.
Ideas began to flourish among club members and supporters to make the event a fun-filled, family oriented day of festivities. The club decided on the Saturday before Easter. Member Arlene Wakefield, owner of Barry’s Nut Farm, Wakefield Gardens, near the Painted Church in Honaunau, offered the use of her facilities to host the event’s 5k, 10K, and half-marathon races. Wakefield also took charge of the first and many subsequent Easter egg hunts for a day of fun and games for all ages.
A band played music, members created homemade foods and a fun magic show, while businesses and individuals donated items for a silent auction. Word spread like wildfire throughout the laid-back South Kona community along with the rest of the island, and the Mac-A-Thon became an instant hit.
“We had a pretty good turnout that first year,” Ramirez recalled. “It was a fun day for families and their small children, and we couldn’t wait to do it again.”
Ramirez added that one participant, Kawika Spaulding, actually got hooked and immediately joined the canoe club after competing in the first Mac-A-Thon. Spaulding, who holds numerous ultra running records and is a well-known barefoot distance runner in the State, enjoyed the camaraderie among the people he met, eventually becoming a prominent figure in the canoe club and Mac-A-Thon history.
“Kawika has been our treasure for the club for nearly 33 years,” Ramirez said. “From the beginning, he’s always had an incredible mind for numbers. He’s a barefoot runner like me and Mac-A-Thon runs in his blood.”
Having success with large turnouts from the first and second Mac-a-Thon events, the club was able to obtain a koa log and pay for the carving of its first koa canoe, the Honaunau, in 1984. Years later, with continued support from the community and proceeds from the annual race, two more canoes were added: Kaahumanu, built in 1993, and the Alealea on March 11, 2012.
Throughout the years, Ramirez said the Mac-A-Thon event went through a few changes for convenience.
“We dropped the half-marathon race after the third year because we had so few entries,” he said. “And the length of time it took for some of them to complete it was too long.”
In 1996, the race was moved from the upper Wakefield Gardens to the lower halau waa, canoe house, at Honaunau Bay because of the ease of staging and organizing the event with less traffic. Since then, both 5K and 10K courses traverse along gentle rolling hills of the paved Old Government road that extends from the pristine sanctuary waters of Honaunau Bay, to Napoopoo Road and back.
The change in venue also discontinued the annual Easter egg hunt, but began the popular macadamia nut pancake breakfast served piping hot for hungry participants.
“Since most of the people finished early, around 8 a.m. or 8:30, we thought it made more sense to serve pancakes,” Ramirez said. “Everyone loves pancakes.”
As the Keoua Honaunau Canoe Club prepares for its 33rd Mac-A-Thon, members have much to be thankful for. The club has grown in size and has taken on an active leadership role in advocating marine resource protection of Honaunau Bay, local trail and site restoration projects, and major fundraising campaigns for needy families.
What does Ramirez find special about the event?
“It’s family, our ohana,” he said. “We are committed to it, everyone is determined to keep the tradition going. There has never been a doubt that it won’t happen. As soon as it’s over, we are already planning for next year. And we keep our entry fee low for kids. We want families to have a great day.”
The Mac-A-Thon 5k and 10K races will take place at 7 a.m. April 19 on the Old Government road fronting Honaunau Bay. A post-race macadamia nut pancake breakfast, entertainment, silent auction and awards ceremony will follow. For more information and online registration details visit keouacanoeclub.com.
