Runners take part in Kalakaua Merrie Mile through Waikiki
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Kalakaua Merrie Mile kicked off early Saturday morning.
Runners of all ages participated in the one-mile race through Waikiki.
The Merrie Mile is considered the appetizer before the main course that is the Honolulu Marathon.
While it’s relatively the same event each year, 2024 had all the ingredients for a monumental morning.
The top three finishers were all from the women’s division, in what’s historically been a male-dominated race.
“We had help, we had a thirty second barrier but at the end of the day it’s us doing it,” said Olympian middle-distance runner Nikki Hiltz. “This group of women, we race all the time and we’re all really close and you saw it this year at the Olympic trials.”
With a time of 00:04:28.645, Hiltz is no stranger to success.
Hiltz recently competed in their first Olympic games this summer making it all the way to the 1500m finals placing seventh.
However, the California native still made it a point to come back to Hawaii and compete in the race she’s done for the past two years.
“I think that mindset of like I wasn’t really trying to go for the win and I think sometimes when you walk into a race with no expectations that’s when really good, magical things happen,” said Hiltz.
And it’s wins like this one that leave behind a lasting impact for the next generation.
“I remember watching last year and they didn’t even have a chance, the boys just got them, but this year I was around the 200m mark and they still have a gap and it was just really nice to see them all coming together and just pushing each other through,” said Ashlyn Jacobsen.
The run down Kalakaua Avenue is arguably the most memorable mile runners can take in, both on the course and off, getting to meet some of the fastest people on the planet.
“It was super cool to see all the pro athletes here, like I see them on TV, I see them on YouTube, I see them at the Olympics, I got a couple of signatures,” said Iolani track athlete Owen Banks.
Iolani track athlete Spencer Lyau added: “Being on a small island, it’s kind of hard to imagine that all these top runners are coming here, and we watch them on TV, they’re like famous to us, so it’s good to get a picture with them and get autographs.”
The 52nd Honolulu Marathon begins at 5 a.m. Sunday and is expected to draw tens of thousands of runners.
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