Rising Sun Fit Blog: Kauai Marathon 2026

KAUAI MARATHON 2026.. OR NOT… OR YES unofficial!

Oh dear. Where to begin. I don’t want this to be longer than it needs to, so let’s get right to it. We knew there was a hurricane coming towards Kauai for a week. The race has been saying, “for now it is on” and that they are checking every 6 hrs with emergency, etc. Well, last night (night before race that begins at 6am—so that I would be waking up at about 3:15am for), we got the news it was cancelled. I had spent the day going up to Hanalei because I knew the storm is coming the day after the race and there is no way I am leaving Kauai without going to visit my Hanalei😊 And while I was there, I did some things, but then I also went to Hanalei Bay, and sat. I got still, got quiet, watched the (VERY STILL bay which typically has surfers, but NO surf waves at all). I laid down and closed my eyes and let my entire body get still and relaxed, grounded, and did mental prep. I came back after getting full tank of gas, getting more bananas (and wine), and went over my final race plan. Off to sunset, but first I went on Instagram for a few minutes and… to my HORROR saw that it was cancelled. I thought it was April Fools or, just nonsense. No WAY this close to race they cancel. But checked my email and there it was. Officially cancelled.

Again, I won’t go over this too much, but, it was effectively heartbreaking. I cannot tell you what a driving force, a light at the end of the tunnel of this freaking 2026 year for me so far. It kept me going. This is my happy place, my feeling of home, and running is my joy. Combining those is a thrill. Knowing the course from last year, then really working on the nitty gritty details with an open mind of curiosity: WHAT WILL THIS LEAD TO? Was such a thrill for me. I always say that training is really my joy, and that is the truth: my summer was MADE by my weekend long runs. Sure, I didn’t want to wake up on Saturdays already tired from the week, AND, it was also my JOY. The challenge, the sunrises, the wildlife, the feeling of steering my rudder in the direction I was seeking…. The full training plan was my light, I reveled in creating a plan that I thought would be the best preparation for me. I built up to 4 60 mile weeks, and Gosh. Now, that curiosity had no answer. I wouldn’t be able to run those terrible hills, haha! As hard as it was, that was the part that I really wanted to learn how to WORK better this year.

So, with 1-2 hours last night, I still did not know what I was going to do. I went to sunset in SHOCK and just was like .. not myself. I had already had my stuff out and packed (run clothes, gear, food, belt, etc etc etc) but… I didn’t know the exact plan. I had txted with a few people who I have met locally on what they were doing… and wasn’t committed to anything.

I woke up at 4:13. There was a chance of meeting a group at 5:45. When I woke up, I had a single tear sliding down the left side of my face. I am sure it was like allergies or something, but I don’t know, it reminded me of how sad I am. I made coffee and put run clothes on. I had some messages. I put on some music, and I mean, what am I going to do? Go take a walk? Go back to bed? No. I don’t even know how to do that. I don’t know how to give up I’m at least going to go for some sort of run. I knew there were a fair amount of marathoners who were doing the half- the actual half course. I didn’t really want to do that since I don’t know the roads/traffic/ I don’t know the conditions, would it be safe? So, I kinda wanted to play it safe and stay on the road that my vrbo is on and just go out and back even if it is like 13 x 1 mile out and back… who knows. I had no plan other than go run some. I wanted to give myself some grace, but also not too much and I wasn’t sure what that really looked like for this day. I took some time thinking about who I am, what I’ve prepared for, and what it means to me and I got some mojo to at least go and do whatever is available this morning. I wanted to give myself grace to not do the full if I was not feeling it, if there was any dangerous weather, or if it just was frankly miserable.

I began at 5:30, I had knuckle lights so even though it was dark, I had light to see and went 2 miles out and back and felt really great actually! The sun was beginning to rise and it was a beautiful sky- wispy lines of light. The air was already humid, but I was so fully aware that I was grateful to not be starting in the rain. Then, I was going to go on Poipu Rd- which I knew some of those doing the ½ course might be on (but also was planning to not follow and just stick with what I knew was maybe safer for me not knowing what I do not know). There were enough people there that it felt like a low key 5K community event- not crowded, but there were people in front/ behind me. I felt good still (miles 4-6) Then, I knew they were maybe going to go left to the half marathon turn and I was thinking, ok, you just go back (there were some other people going back), but when we were like 15 seconds to the turn I was like, you know there are enough people here, I think I can go and have people around and then I can at least run the tunnel of trees road!!! Ok- most of you know that I am not spontaneous, but I was like, DO IT! And, ummmm I turned left! *looking back I think this was possibly one of the BEST decisions of the day, because I Have to wonder how things would have gone had I been back and forth on and on. So, here I am on the half course (which is roads I ran for first half of marathon last year)- and this year, OMG… NOW I feel the hills- last year I think I was on cloud freaking 9 just doing this for the first time- I was in Shangri-lah and literally unaware of the hills. And today. My left hamstring hip which is my nemesis already started feeling things ughhhhh. It has been feeling so much better in the past weeks so this took me by surprise and worried me THIS EARLY. But, now I’m going, and it is uphill. I’m trying to relax my shoulders, keep it easy, but it already feels nothing like easy. My pace feels easy, but my body feels heavy and hard. This was maybe from 7-11 and I’m definitely honestly worried because this is too early to feel the effort. I kept checking in with keeping my body soft and fluid, not creating unnecessary tension. I had 2 girls in front of me for these miles maybe like 40 feet and they were twins and just running easy and smooth, and I used them to remind me to stay smooth. Things flattened out and I felt a bit better, ended up passing the twins, and still felt tired, but kept things manageable. We start to go a bit downhill as we make our way back (remember I started 4 miles earlier so the end won’t be 13 for me, it’ll be past that) and we are at mile 13 maybe and I’m like, I need a port a pot. Not desperate. But.. yea, I would have gone into one. There is no water, no port o pot, this is not a race…. Oh dear. I think maybe there will be a lone port o pot somewhere for like construction. But alas, no. I kept running easy, keeping intensity low so I don’t spike my need to GO! Long story short- there were none- I got to 17.5 which was my vrbo and now I have my plan for when I go insie:

*run in- use bathroom

*it is SUNNY and hot- I had thought it would be a morning of rain- GRAB SUNGLASSES and your ice bandana, and scoop one of the big glasses in cupboard full of ice to put outside near a shaded area for your out and backs.

*refill water bottles.

QUICK.

*I did stop my stopwatch for this stop, even though in a “real race” if I use a port o pot, I am not stopping my watch.

The problem here was: I go to the bathroom, stand up and can BARELY STAND.

MY RIGHT HIP- the one that DOES NOT BOTHER ME. Is on FIRE. I cannot walk. My eyeballs pop out. I dig my thumb in and try to take steps and just realize this actually may not happen but go, try to do the tasks. I do them while my leg is SHAKING. I just say, leave, hold the stair rail and try to amble down the stairs with the help of my entire body.

I get on the road and just try to get myself walking, while I press into the freaking hip. I do and then think, OK, see if you can just GENTLY JOG. Who CARES what pace. I do, maybe a 11-12 min pace… and I think it helps, and then things kind of smooth out. (I mentally note to try to not stop again….. and just to be careful- if it gives out and I go down, I am now alone, and this is not a supported race course).

Now we are in like 80+ sun and it is ok. I am jogging and the hip has smoothed out. There is a stretch of this road that goes out and back 2 mile each direction. There are sections, blazing sun, then some wind, and then there is some rain, it stops, back to blazing, etc. I am feeling my left calf NEAR seizing up on hills. (I realize, my right hip is probably overworking for my sorry left side). I keep taking in electrolytes, fuel and water.

Usually, I save my “Kara Goucher commentating” for the final mile (or 2). But it seemed necessary at this point: So I began mentally doing my best commentating of myself- mentally in her voice hearing her say, “Sharon is out there, because she knows she GETS to do this, this thing that she loves. She loves it because it isn’t easy, because it tests her physical and mental strength, because it shows how deep she goes into her heart and will. Step by step, she is soaking in the beauty of the mountains around her, the sound of the waves crashing.” And on and on….

And at the same time, I really am suffering quite a bit. I keep doing math, trying to at least try, because this is the stage where math becomes hard, and if math becomes hard, then I need to make sure I am taking in even more fuel and making sure I am ok. I am not fully alone out here on this stretch. It is not like the half marathon course, but there are sporadic runners, maybe like 1 every 3-6 minutes that I pass going back and forth. None of us travelled to heaven/Kauai to sleep in this morning. Every person, I take time to say, aloha, I’m so glad we are out here together. I realized that each person was making a difference to each other. On the various out and backs I passed a few people each way who we just kept smiling that knowing smile like, this is not easy, but we are doing what we came here for. As it is said, encouraging others also encouraged me. I did have to walk at one point, and I counted my steps. I was going to take 20 walk steps, but I turned it to 30 and GO. It was all I needed.

I got back to my big cup of ice and ice water that I had planted to refill- the ice was almost melted but used what was left to refill my flasks and again: when I came to a stop, my leg was like TREMBLING. I definitely was worried, but also knew I needed to just see what was possible. When I was at this vrbo/refilling station that I had created- I then had 2 miles left- 1 mile out and back. Which seems like nothing as I write this. And at the time, each step seemed questionable. I just had to trust and try and see. During this stretch, as well as so many times through the race, I channelled so many people, who I knew were out there with me, my family, my friends who I had shared my heartbreak the previous night, my training classes/athletes/groups. All the people that I’m IN LIFE WITH, and so very thankful for. I was so thankful for literally each person out there. The people who pulled me, who said a kind word, acknowledged with a knowing glance. I was so thankful for all the people who drove by beeping like crazy- everytime (ummm this was only up until like mile 15)- I would put my arms up, do the shaka sign/ hang loose and do it kinda crazy as a way to acknowledge the energy they gave me. The last, lonely 8 miles, out and back there was a woman who drove by and offered me a water bottle out of her jeep (I didn’t take, but what a generous and kind soul). GOSH, there was SO MUCH to be grateful for.

As I’m turning to my last 1 mile back, through the stages of high beating down sun heat/wind in my face and wind and I am just trying to PUSH INTO THE WIND… arghh… repeat. Step by step. More commentating- Nothing is certain- even as I turn- I have now run out of my mortal sports drink, I am sucking on a block and trying to make it last, trying to give my blood some last energy/calories to pull from, adding water to it. There is some downhill, there is some wind. I am counting steps, it is like 40 steps (one foot counting) for .05, so I just take it 40 steps at a time. People are parking on the side to surf their last waves, and I cannot even look up to acknowledge cars or people. I am passing all the landmarks on this road that I have now come to memorize. I am down to .3 miles, and it still feels questionable. .2 I think I know I’ll get there. When my watch hits 26.2, I am alone, in the lovely sunny heat and put my arms up all by myself. I won. I won. I won. I did 26.2. That is winning. I did it. I did everything I asked myself to do this summer, and this morning.