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Honolulu Marathon

Sunday, December 13, 2026 · Honolulu, USA (Hawaii) · 5:00 AM

Updated Oct 17, 2026

No time limit, no qualifying requirement, no field cap. Among major marathons, uniquely positioned for recreational/destination running. Heat ceiling (high humidity + tropical conditions) is the dominant performance limiter, not elevation.

Kenyan Running Difficulty Index7.4 / 10How the course actually runs

Kenyan Running Elite Field Index3.8 / 10How deep the field around you is

Honolulu Marathon elevation gain

The Honolulu Marathon has 457 ft (139 m) of elevation gain and 455 ft (138 m) of loss over 26.2 miles (42.195 km).

Is the Honolulu Marathon hard?

Yes. The Honolulu Marathon scores 7.4/10 on the Kenyan Running Difficulty Index, the 3rd hardest of the 12 marathons we rate.

The median race-day temperature is 24°C (75°F).

The score is built from four factors: hills, race-day weather, turns and bridges, and the late miles where a runner is most likely to lose time. See the score breakdown.

Pacing the Honolulu Marathon

Print a pace band for the Honolulu Marathon.

Splits by goal time:3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 Full pace chart

Training for the Honolulu Marathon?

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Coach perspective

Coach Martin Karoki Muriuki's training partners in Nyahururu have raced Honolulu Marathon over the years, a rare insider perspective on a destination race that sits outside the typical Kenyan elite calendar.

Match with a Kenyan coach for this race →

The score breakdown

The Kenyan Running Difficulty Index combines four weighted factors. The heaviest weight (35%) is on Tactical Brutality. That is what a Kenyan coach watches first: where the field actually blows up.

Topographic Stress (30% weight)5.4 / 30

Atmospheric Stress (20% weight)13.5 / 20

Course Friction (15% weight)4.0 / 15

Tactical Brutality (35% weight)24.0 / 35

The dominant difficulty driver is atmospheric: tropical heat + humidity.
Late-stage Diamond Head climb at mile 24 plus the heat ceiling produces high Tactical Brutality despite low topographic stress.
Course record (Ekiru's 2:07:59) is roughly four minutes slower than the same elite tier produces at flat cool-weather courses. That quantifies the heat-ceiling penalty.

Score confidence: preliminary. Computed from public course, weather, and prize data.

Course profile

Elevation gain: 139m / 457ft
Elevation loss: 138m / 455ft
Highest point: 38m
Surface: paved smooth
Late-stage climbs (after mile 18): Second Diamond Head crater climb near mile 24, a demanding ascent very late in the race.
Profile notes: More than 80% of the course features grades of less than 1%. Elevation concentrated in two Diamond Head loops.

Race day

Date: Sunday, December 13, 2026
Start time: 5:00 AM
Field size (approx.): 22,000
Entry: Open entry, no qualifying time. Online registration closes December 3; late entry at the Expo.
Time limit: None. The finish line stays open until the last runner finishes.
Aid stations: 16 along the course

Weather (historical)

Median temp: 24°C
Humidity: Consistently high humidity throughout
Wind: Variable coastal trade winds on exposed highway sections

Prize money

Total purse: $130,000+
Winner: $25K
Time bonuses: Sub-2:10 (M) / Sub-2:27 (W) yields $5,500; Sub-2:07 (M) / Sub-2:24 (W) yields $8,500
Notes: Winners uniquely receive a medal made of pure gold, valued at approximately $27,000.

Course records

Men's record2:07:59Titus Ekiru (KEN), 2019Ekiru received a 10-year AIU ban in 2023 for anti-doping rule violations. Per the AIU ruling, his results from May 16, 2021 onwards were disqualified; this 2019 mark predates that window and remains officially valid.

Women's record2:22:15Brigid Kosgei (KEN), 2017

Recent winners

Top East African winners (Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda) across the last 10 verified editions: 10 men, 8 women.

Year	Men's winner	Time	Women's winner	Time
2025	Tsegay Weldlibanos (ERI)	2:13:39	Calli Hauger-Thackery (GBR)	2:30:44
2024	Yemane Haileselassie (ERI)	2:11:59	Cynthia Limo (KEN)	2:31:13
2023	Paul Lonyangata (KEN)	2:15:41	Cynthia Limo (KEN)	2:33:01
2022	Asefa Mengstu (ETH)	2:14:40	Asayech Ayalew Bere (ETH)	2:30:58
2021	Emmanuel Saina (KEN)	2:14:30	Lanni Marchant (CAN)	2:41:24
2019	Titus Ekiru (KEN)	2:07:59	Margaret Muriuki (KEN)	2:31:09
2018	Titus Ekiru (KEN)	2:09:01	Vivian Jerono Kiplagat (KEN)	2:36:22
2017	Lawrence Cherono (KEN)	2:08:27	Brigid Kosgei (KEN)	2:22:15
2016	Lawrence Cherono (KEN)	2:09:39	Brigid Kosgei (KEN)	2:31:11
2015	Filex Kiprotich (KEN)	2:11:42	Joyce Chepkirui (KEN)	2:28:34

Other races worth a look

Marathons with related profiles, fields, or training windows.

LA Marathon

Los Angeles, USA

Difficulty5.4Elite Field3.5

Other US destination race with no qualifying requirement

CIM Marathon

Sacramento, USA

Difficulty2.4Elite Field2.5

Other US-based December race for the recreational audience

Training for Honolulu Marathon?

A static plan is a starting point. What changes when a Kenyan coach reads your week-by-week training is the part a generic plan can't do. Take the free 5-question quiz to get matched.

Take the free coach-match quiz See first-marathon coaching

Sources

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