The marathon runners start at 5 am, the 10 k walkers right after the runners, and Waikiki beach is in the first few miles of the marathon course, so by the time I got down to the beach at 8 am the very last of the walkers were coming by and the street cleaners were sweeping up smashed cups and taking up the cones that were blocking off the street.
The first thing I noticed when I came out of the room was a rainbow arching over the Western sky. It was raining lightly with sun breaks and the rainbow persisted throughout the hour I spent away from the room. So my first photos on the beach were of the rainbow before I headed to the marathon finish line in Kapiolani park. Too bad the rainbow was behind the runners, but I guess the ones who were coming around on the other side of the loop to the finish were running towards it, so that must have been a treat.
A Japanese booth was running a costume contest, so I saw any number of costumed Japanese in my time there.
Near the walkers finish line I saw these parents propping up their wheelchair bound young adult son for a finish line photo.
At the marathon finish line these lovely young ladies were waiting with shell leis for the finishers. 31,000 were registered. That is a lot of shell leis!
At the finish line an announcer kept up a patter and announced most of the runners as they crossed, adding their home state or town when he had time.
58% of the entrants are Japanese. This is a very famous and popular marathon for Japanese runners.
Isn't this so fun? here the surfer seems to be looking at the end of the rainbow. I can see why the rainbow is a symbol of the state of Hawaii.
The high winds had kicked up some good surf even on this end of the island, which is usually pretty calm in the winter.
The tide was up and the high waves were hitting the break water in dramatic fashion.
I went back to the room at 9: 00 thinking Harry would be impatient to get to breakfast, which we planned to have at a nearby IHOP. My holiday special pumpkin pancakes filled with cheesecake chunks and covered with whipped cream and butter pecan syrup were the delicious dessert part of a bacon and egg breakfast with hash browns. We ate near 11 pm and that covered breakfast and lunch.
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