HIBISCUS HALF MARATHON
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS!!
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PLEASE read these frequently asked questions and important tips – – if you ask us any of these questions via email, Facebook or phone, we’re just gonna make you go back and read this again!
I’VE HEARD YOU HAVE A MEAN PEOPLE CLAUSE… TRUE? Yep, very true! If anyone is mean to any volunteer, staff, or participant, your race entry will be revoked, and you will be asked to leave. Our staff and volunteers work really hard to put on a fun race for you, so there’s no excuse for you being mean. NO MEAN PEOPLE ALLOWED! (Example: Joe Blow shows up at 2pm to pick up his packet, even though packet pickup doesn’t open until 3pm. He proceeds to give dirty looks to the volunteers who are setting up, and asks several times if he can pick up his packet early. Mr. Cranky Pants then complains about the long wait, and when he finally does get his packet, he storms out while profanities fly out of his mouth.) This really happened (which is why we now have the Mean People Clause). Don’t do this. It won’t get you anywhere except kicked out of the race. We aren’t kidding… go ahead, test us! Here’s a better idea – – offer to HELP set up with a smile on your face, and thank the volunteers for their hard work!
DO YOU NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS? YES! Sign up here to volunteer – – that’s a great way for your family and friends to spend their time while you race! Volunteers will receive a cool Kokua Crew t-shirt and goodie bag.
WHY DID I RECEIVE THE INFO EMAIL AND MY FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND DIDN’T? We know some of you register for your friends or family. It is likely that you registered them with your exact same email – – and the system hates when you do that. The system will only send ONE email per address, so that would explain it! Simply share this info with them!
REGISTRATION AND PACKET PICKUP INFO
WHEN AND WHERE IS PACKET PICKUP AND THE EXPO?
(Please don’t show up before these times!)
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‘Alohilani Resort, Bluefin Room, Waikiki Beach
2490 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Thursday May 23 – 3:30pm to 6:30pm
Friday May 24 – 8:00am to 6:00pm
Saturday May 25 – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Please note there is limited parking at the hotel, and it is NOT free!
We suggest you park at the zoo/Kapiolani Park – – it’s just a short walk to the hotel!
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CAN MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY STILL REGISTER? Yes! We recommend they register online – – online registration closes at 7pm on the Friday before the race, but after that they can still register in person at the race expo on Saturday from 8am to 4pm. Race morning registration is available from 4:30am to 5:00am.
CAN I PICK UP MY FRIEND’S RACE PACKET? YES – just bring a note or copy of their ID, and you can pick up for them!
CAN I SWITCH FROM THE HALF MARATHON TO THE 15K, OR FROM THE 15K TO THE 5 MILER? YES – you will be able to switch your distance at the expo/packet pickup. A $10 fee will apply, which can be paid with cash or credit card at the expo.
CAN I SWITCH MY SHIRT SIZE?
Only a few sizes can be switched around at the expo – ask us and we will let you know if we have the new size that you want – if not, check with us AFTER the race at the finish line and we might be able to swap!
CAN I TRANSFER MY RACE BIB TO ANOTHER PERSON? YES – we can process transfers at the race expo – – simply bring a letter from the original participant, along with a copy of their ID, giving permission for the transfer. A $20 fee will apply, which can be paid with cash or credit card at the expo.
CAN I REGISTER ON RACE MORNING? YES, but we recommend you register online – – online registration closes at 7pm on the Friday before race day. Race morning registration is available from 4:30am to 5:00am ONLY.
CAN I PICK UP MY PACKET ON RACE MORNING? In general – NO. Only those flying in late the night before the race may pick up on race morning. A $20 fee will apply to those picking up on race morning. Please email tropicaltriplecrown@gmail.com to receive special permission for race morning pickup. Locals may NOT pick up on race morning. If you can’t make it to the expo, have a friend or family member pick up for you!
I DON’T FEEL LIKE RACING / I DIDN’T TRAIN PROPERLY… CAN I PLEASE HAVE A REFUND? Race expenses begin the day after the previous year’s race, therefore we have a no refund policy. We encourage you to register only if you know for sure that you are willing and able to show up on race day! Under extreme circumstances only, we are happy to defer your entry to the following year. Please contact us if you have a death in the family, an injury with a legitimate doctor’s note, or a military deployment that takes you off island on race day.
RACE DAY INFO
WHAT TIME DOES THE RACE START? The half marathon starts at 5:30am. The 15K starts at 5:45am. The 5 miler starts at 6:00am. We recommend you arrive by 4:45am to find parking, hit the bathroom and get to the starting line! There will be some short road closures around Kapiolani Park starting at 5:15am so get there early!
TELL ME ABOUT RACE DAY PARKING? There are tons of parking spots available in the Waikiki Shell and Bandstand parking areas, as well as the Honolulu Zoo parking lot. There is also street parking on the makai (ocean) side of Kalakaua Avenue, on Paki Street (mauka of Kapiolani Park), and in the neighborhoods mauka (mountain side) of the park. We recommend you carpool, or better yet, ride your bike if you live nearby. Please be respectful and keep your voices down if you park in the neighborhood.
ARE DOGS ALLOWED? We love our four-legged friends, but NO DOGS are allowed in the park, sorry! If you have a service dog, they MUST be leashed – – unleashed service dogs will cause their owners to be DQ’d from the race.
WHAT ABOUT HEADPHONES? We strongly encourage you NOT to wear headphones. If there is any type of emergency, we need you to be able to follow instructions from HPD and course marshals… if you insist on wearing them, please keep the left earphone out so you can hear what’s going on around you. Mahalo for your kokua on this! We love music too, but your safety is our top priority…
IS THERE A TIME LIMIT? Yes! The course closes at 9:30am – – if you walk slower than a 17 minute mile, we strongly encourage you to switch to the 15K so that we can support you and make sure you’ll get that finisher’s medal!
WHAT IS THE BATHROOM SITUATION? The park bathrooms near the Waikiki Shell and the tennis courts will open around 4:30am, and there will be porta-potties located at the mauka (ocean) end of the main parking lot as well. Make sure you go at home too! There are a LOT of bathrooms available, but still, there will be long lines on race day, so plan ahead and get down there early! On the course, there are bathrooms located around mile 6 at the Wailupe Beach Park aid station.
HOW MANY AID STATIONS ARE THERE? On the half marathon course, there are 3 aid station locations, and you hit them each TWICE, so you’ll have 6 aid station opportunities. The 15K has three aid stations and the 5 Miler has one aid station. All aid stations will be serving water and Gatorade.
IS THERE FOOD AT THE FINISH LINE? Yes, we will have light snacks available for all finishers!
DOES EVERY PARTICIPANT GET A MEDAL? YES – no matter which distance you choose, every finisher will receive an awesome medal! (*Please note – we have to order medals MANY months before the race – this is a guessing game as we never know how many will sign up or show up on race day! If for some reason we run out of medals at the finish line, don’t worry! We will ship your medal once we have more created.)
WHAT ABOUT THE 4TH MEDAL FOR COMPLETING THE ENTIRE “TROPICAL TRIPLE CROWN” RACE SERIES…. DO I HAVE TO RUN 13.1 MILES TO QUALIFY FOR THAT MEDAL?? NO, you don’t have to run 13.1 miles to qualify for the 4th medal! As long as you cross the Hibiscus finish line for ANY distance, you will qualify for the 4th medal! So, you can run 13.1, 15K or the 5 miler, and as long as you also finish the Mango Days 5K and Coconut Chase 8K, you will get that 4th medal!
IT’S RAINING!! ARE WE STILL RACING? In most cases, of course we are! We race rain or shine, and the event would only be cancelled under extreme local or national emergencies. Click here to read our Event Cancellation Policies.
We know that’s a lot of info, but it’s important so we hope you read it! WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU ON RACE DAY!
🙂 Tropical Triple Crown