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Course Breakdown:
Grow Your Vision
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SWIM
1 LAP
200 meters
The swim course will be in Kawela Bay. This is a very special place for many reasons. One reason is that even when there is big North Shore winter surf, the bay remains calm. Another reason is that it is teeming with wildlife, including honu and giant coral heads. Please use caution, do not touch these corals (or honu), and absolutely do not pick up anything or remove anything from the ocean (with the exception of rubbish). Sight often and do your best to stay on course. If you swim off course you risk swimming over a large, sharp coral and potential injury. Please swim with caution.
The swim course will start on the Kahuku side of the bay. Youth and adults will swim out to a U-turn buoy, rounding counter-clockwise (left shoulder) then returning to a point on the beach about 200 meters towards Pahipahi’alua Beach. Youth athletes will exit and head to transition. If you are reported for aggressive swimming you will be disqualified. Ben Williams, the race director, will disqualify anyone reported for aggressive swimming. This is a fun race, not the world championship. Please be kind and respectful out there.
The Kawela Bay nature area is considered a secret spot to many residents.
Please be considerate of this hidden gem while in the area.
TRANSITION
There will be one transition area located in a grassy field. The run from your swim exit to transition will be over mostly sand, grass, pine needles, and dirt, about 300 meters in length. The run from transition to the bike course will be along a smooth/soft gravel path with the last 10 meters in loose gravel. If you have reasonably strong feet this should be fine barefoot. If you are not used to walking barefoot you may want to consider running this section in shoes. You are welcome to leave shoes or slippers near the swim exit and wear them until you mount your bike.
**IMPORTANT: please leave your shoes or slippers off to the side, not in the middle of the path, also please remember to collect your shoes and slippers after the event.
BIKE
6 mi
The Koolauloa communities are very special. You will pass through Kahuku, Laie, Hauula, and turn around in Punaluu. It is a privilege for us to ride through their neighborhoods, please express gratitude whenever you interact with anyone on the roads. While we have volunteers and special duty officers helping, the roads are still open. Please stay as far to the right as possible for vehicles to pass. Do not litter, and give an appreciative shaka or wave to residents as you pass through.
The bike course exits the Kawela Bay wilderness area and proceeds towards Kahuku for an out and back route. The pavement surface is pretty great along this section of highway. Youth athletes will turn around near the Romy’s Shrimp truck (the red one near James Campbell Wildlife Refuge).
Use extra caution:
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When passing the main entrance of The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay parking lot
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When passing over speed bumps
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Through the traffic lights
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At your U-turn
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At all other times on the bike course
Please be careful out there!
RUN
1.5 k
The run course will start in transition and finish on the West Lawn near the shoreline, adjacent to the stables. This is a trail run and requires navigation skills. You will need to have a mindset to carefully follow course markings. They are easily overlooked if you lose your focus. We can run through sensitive natural areas because everyone will stay on the course. If it becomes known that folks cut the course or run off course, we will not be able to use this course in the future.
Athletes will head out on forest trail, gravel, paved roads, and cart paths towards Kahuku Point. After passing the public parking area the course will turn to soft surfaces offering a mix of harder dirt and pine forest floor, and hard and soft sand. Athletes will be directed along the course through a combination of volunteers, cones with arrows, ground marker flags, ribbons in trees, and sponsor banners. Athletes will see two to three markings at all times on the course. If you do not see markings in front of you, please do not keep going. Stop, find your markers, and please stay on the designated course. There will be an aid station near the turn around. When you reach the farthest point of the run you will turn back into the forest following a narrow, winding singletrack mountain bike trail. Look for ribbons in trees along this section.
On the way back, athletes will exit the wilderness area as you run past the Paradise Helicopter Tours landing pad and continue back through the parking area, past the Golf Shop. As soon as you pass the Beach Bungalows, you will make a right turn into the grass, running along the shoreline to finish near the stables. Stick around and join us to cheer on your fellow finishers and enjoy the beautiful The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay property.