This Sunday more than 700 runners are signed up to take on Mother Nature in one of the most scenic and challenging trail runs to ever be produced at the inaugural XTERRA Trail Running World Championship at Kualoa Ranch on the northeastern side of Oahu in the Hawaiian countryside.
The championship off-road half-marathon (13.1 mile race) – which features a $10,000 prize purse and will be filmed for a nationally syndicated XTERRA adventures TV show - has lured some of the world’s top trail runners from eight countries and 30 states across the U.S. to Oahu.
Some of the big names racing in the championship include Max King (the current XTERRA Trail Run National Champion), and Ben Bruce (the runner-up at Nationals) from Oregon. King is a two-time member of the Team USA World Cross Country team and both he and Bruce ran in the 3000 meter steeplechase at the Olympic Trials.
Professional triathlete Logan Wealing from Colorado, who is also a member of the national snowshoe team, and Doug Mitarotonda, who ran track and XC at Cornell, expect to be in the mix. There are also a number of great endurance athletes in Hawaii ready to defend their home turf, including triathlete stars Chad Seymour, Mark Speck, and Tai Blechta.
In the women’s race XTERRA stand-out Danelle Kabush from Canada appears to be the clear cut favorite, but will be up against 25-year-old Cindy Anderson from New York (now living in Hawaii). Anderson won the Florida A1A Marathon earlier this year and posted a 48:22 winning time at the XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run on Oct. 25. Kabush ran the same course (albeit after swimming a mile and biking 20) in 49:55.
Other female hopefuls include Germany’s Marion Summerer (an XTERRA professional that resides in Hawaii), and local cross country stand-out Elin Soto-Thompson. Plus, with registration open until Saturday night at 6pm, it’s anyone’s guess as to what other ringers will show up on the start line.
In the younger divisions a pair of notweworthy teenagers will be taking to the trails. Devin Rettke, a 14-year-old with Type I diabetes, is running for a reason - to inspire other kids with diabetes to “dream big”.
Ten dollars from every entry will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Hawaii Chapter, to help with their ongoing efforts towards finding a cure. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease also known as juvenile diabetes - it is not reversible and there is presently no cure. There are more than 5,000 type 1 diabetics in Hawai'i.
Another inspiring young gun is 15-year old Hunter Todd of Roseville, CA who was born with a congenital heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. With the help of his father Terry and a heart rate monitor, Hunter will be running to raise money for a local pediatric cardiac support group for parents called Kardiac Kids, of the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu.
In addition to the main event, XTERRA will host 5km and 10km trail runs, a 1.5-mile narrated adventure walk that passes by several old movie sets in the valley such as Mighty Joe Young, Windtalkers, 50 First Dates, the Godzilla Footprints, Jurassic Park, and the LOST set. They'll also be free kids runs, a Paul Mitchell sponsored hair-cut-a-thon to raise funds for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, BBQ, shave ice, and the rhythmic guitar work and soulful vocals of Jeff Kloetzel.
The XTERRA Trail Running World Championship is presented by Paul Mitchell, Hawaiian Airlines, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, and GU Energy Gel. Sponsors include Gatorade, XTERRAGear.com, Kona Brewing Company, Tiki’s Grill and Bar, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, XTERRA.TV and Runner’s World Magazine.
XTR WORLD CHAMPS PRIZE PURSE BREAKDOWN
To the winners go the spoils! The fastest runners will be racing for $10,000 in prize money – awarded to the top five men and women as follows: $2,000, $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $250, $200. XTERRA will also be crowning world champs in age groups starting at 9 & under, then every five years (ex. 10-14, 15-19, etc…) up to 80+ and a physically challenged category. Champs in each division win a commemorative long sleeve tech tee shirt. In addition to the other loot, the overall men’s and women’s winners get a pair of brand new XTERRA Trail Running Shoes, second place man and woman get an XTERRA Duffle, & third place m/w an XTERRA Makena Watch.
Website: XTERRAPlanet.com.
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