In a bit of catchup news, the first Peaman Sprint Biathlon of the year was held on Feb. 26, attracting nearly 100 peaticipants to Kaiakeakua Beach for the 1/2-mile swim and 3.1-mile run. With most of the stormy weather from the previous day gone, participants were greeted with tranquil waters and sunny skies.
“I like seeing lots of kids here which is awesome,” said Frozen Peas Production event organizer, Peaman. “There are some visitors here from Germany as well. The weather is beautiful especially since we had a lot of rain recently. It’s nice to finally have a beautiful morning.”
The monthly biathlons have been a staple on the Big Island calendar for the past three decades, offering the community a chance to participate in a free, fun, family-oriented swim in Kailua Bay followed by a short run on Alii Drive. The event is geared for all fitness levels; participants range from beginners to professional athletes, and several divisions are offered to include just about everyone. There’s also a shorter LavaKids PeaWee course featuring a 200-yard swim and 1-mile run.
BIIF cross country champion, Levi Childers, made quick work of the swim and run, winning the overall title in a swift time of 31 minutes and 36 seconds. A few minutes back to take second place was Nathan Coates with his time of 35:04, followed by the amazing Peaman in third at 37:41.
Winning the women’s division was Vicky Hunter in a fabulous time of 46:26. Midge Kerr and Tamara Hynd claimed the next two spots with their times of 48:25 and 55:23 respectively.
In the fast LavaKids Pea Wee race, 10-year old Byron Eads claimed his first Pea Wee title finishing in a speedy time of 12:33. Eads is a fourth-grade student at Kahakai Elementary School who also swims for the Kona Aquatics age group team. Following Eads in the boy’s division was Gideon Tracey in 14:13.
For the female division, it was a battle for the win from beginning to end. First to cross the finish line was Lae Bowman with her time of 16:05. One stride back was Kaiulani Abraham in 16:06, with Holualoa’s Emily Braswell rounding out the top three with her time of 16:13.
“I really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and pretty laid-back vibe,” Peaman said. “Today kind of reminds me of the early years of Peaman — not super competitive but super enjoyable. I like seeing lots of kids come out and be active. It’s a great way to start the year!”
Just three weeks later, Peaman’s Zoomin’ Zak Plunge & Plod featured another free ½-mile swim and 3.1-mile run at Kaiakeakua Beach on March 19.
The biathlon was named in honor of Zak Harvey who was born with Down syndrome and passed away several years ago at the age of 28.
“My favorite memory of Zak would be, on any day he would tell you exactly how he felt,” said Peaman during a previous interview. “If he saw you, he might just say, ‘I love you,’ and that might be all he wanted to say and give you a hug.
“He would come down early to help set up and stayed all the way till the end. We relayed a lot because he was also a great runner as well. He was special because he always had a childlike existence on earth — always a happy and loving person, and he was a very determined athlete. He reminded us to always be yourself and just to be honest with people by telling them how you feel.”
Nathan Coates and Winona Chen claimed the overall male and female titles in the long-course division with their winning times of 34:53 and 38:40 respectively. In the LavaKids Pea Wee course that featured a 200-yard swim and 1-mile run, Gideon Tracy (11:48) and Norah Yamasaki (11:50) took top honors in the keiki division.
The next Peaman Biathlon event is slated for Sunday, April 30.