XTERRA Trail Running World Championship - Oahu, Hawaii

KUALOA RANCH / OAHU, HAWAII | NOVEMBER 24, 2013 - 9:00AM

The crown jewel of the XTERRA Trail Run Series is the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, and the majestic Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii has served as the host site since the creation of this prestigious event in 2008.

This year, the race is scheduled for November 24, 2013, and more than 2,000 runners from around the world are expected to gather at Kualoa Ranch on the northeastern side of the island of Oahu.

A 21-kilometer half-marathon course is considered the world championship course, and it takes runners through some of the most diverse – and scenic – terrain on the planet.

It is worth noting that there is no qualifying process to enter the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship. It is an event open to runners of all ages, with skill levels that can range from elite to beginner. In order to accommodate the various levels, there will be various courses – the 21K championship course, a 10K, a 5K, and an “adventure walk.”

The trails at Kualoa Ranch are normally closed to the public, so it offers a rare opportunity for runners to experience the unique setting.

The 4,000-acre working cattle ranch reaches from the steep mountain cliffs to the sparkling sea, and the terrain varies from dense rainforest to broad open valleys, with close-up views of beautiful white sand beaches and awesome verdant cliff faces. The epic nature of Kualoa Ranch has served as a scenic backdrop for numerous television shows and Hollywood films such as Jurassic Park, Windtalkers, Pearl Harbor, Godzilla, Tears of the Sun, 50 First Dates, and LOST.

The fastest runners on the 21K course will be competing for a $10,000 total prize purse (top seven overall men and top seven overall women receive money). Everyone who conquers the half-marathon championship course will earn a finisher’s medal, and the top three runners for every age group in the 21K, 10K and 5K will receive medals and other prizes.

The XTERRA Trail Run World Championship is the culminating event of the XTERRA Trail Run Series, which is a collection of more than 70 adventurous, off-road trail runs of various distances around the world.

Note: You must be present to receive your awards at the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship. Awards will not be mailed after the event. Also, as a course rule for safety purposes, headphones are not allowed to be worn by runners.

SATURDAY IN WAIKIKI, SUNDAY AT KUALOA RANCH

Experience the best of both worlds.  Registration and packet pick-up will take place in the heart of Waikiki at the Waikiki Beach Walk on Lewers Street on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 9am-5pm (on the grassy area next to the Yard House on Lewer’s Street), while the race site for Sunday is Kualoa Ranch - a sacred place untouched by development.

Note: You can also pick-up your packet race morning at Kualoa Ranch starting at 7 a.m. (but there is no raceday registration).

Parking for Packet Pick-up:  Be adventurous and find your own in Waikiki or valet park at the Embassy Suites (enter from Beachwalk street) which offers free lunch parking - Valid daily, between 10am - 3pm with same day receipt. 

More information about Waikiki Beachwalk

Google Maps Directions

Shuttle from Waikiki – For $25 a 60-passenger school bus will take you from Waikiki to the Ranch and back in hassle-free air conditioned comfort.  Pick-up is at 7am at the Waikiki Beach Walk on Lewer’s Street, you’d arrive a little before 8am, and the buses head back to the same spot from Kualoa Ranch at 1pm.  Good way to save on parking, gas, rental car, and directional worries! 

Parking at Kualoa Ranch - $5 per vehicle.
To speed up your entry to Kualoa Ranch, please purchase a pass at packet pickup in Waikiki and display it on your dashboard.

We are offering a discount for Students and Active Duty Military. Valid ID must be shown at packet pickup. Only the first 2000 runners total from all races (5/10/21km) are guaranteed a tee-shirt, so sign-up now to make sure you get yours. Late Entrants (on or after November 20) may not receive a shirt.

THERE WILL BE NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

By Race director “Kahuna Dave” Nicholas

The start for all three distances is at the Kaaawa Valley base camp.  Runners leave on a hard packed dirt road and within ¼ mile face their first task – a long, undulating ¾ mile climb.  At the one-mile mark 5K runners will head down a pasture and back towards the ocean and the finish line (see turquois line on map).  World Champ 21K and 10K runners will continue on the upper road until heading steeply downhill, some on road, some on grass to the fantastic remains of the “lost city of Atlantis” (from the movie Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, starring Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson).

A hard right after the Atlantis Temple and runners head into a dark, dry creek crossing before heading back on some sweet single track on the ridgeline. Interesting note: this section of single track was created years ago for the legendary Hawaiian Mountain Tour bike races.  It’s high pasture that dips into volcanic gulches to rise again into the sun.  You’ll do this several times before the 10K heads to the finish.  For the 21K world champ runners, the fun has just begun.

Back on dirt roads and past a cave from the movie Pearl Harbor it is time to catch a bit of breath as you move from one valley to another.  After aid station three, runners will head into construction for the new Kualoa Tropical Gardens and onto some up-and-down single/double track.  Here runners venture deep into forest, and out on the edges with spectacular ocean overlooks and finally a dip into a dark, tropical rain forest with three stream crossings.  If it looks familiar, think about scenes from the recent movie “Battleship”. 

Now runners might be thinking this isn’t so bad … until the terrain starts to climb.  Easy at first and then brutally steep, and totally exposed to the sun.  Just as you think it has leveled, the lie comes true and it is up again.  At last a feed station that appears to be a dead end.  But we are taking you up narrow single track – by narrow we mean a foot at most – to the spine that separates Hakipu’u and Kaaawa valleys.  You’ll wish you could stop as you can see a thousand miles of blue Pacific no matter which way you turn.  Then the single track plunges steep downhill where nobody goes except on this day.  Muddy, rutty, steep drop offs, slimy and slippery.  We’ve put ropes to help you stay upright and I guarantee you will use them.  The good news?  It is only ¼ mile.  At the bottom you’ll find the terrain familiar as you return to the back of Kaaawa Valley and run that gorgeous, fast and soft singletrack to the finish.

Note that there is no pre-running allowed. Also, no headphones, earbuds, iPods or MP3 players allowed during the race. Sorry, we like to run with ours too but it’s not allowed during the race.  In particular at this race, Kualoa Ranch has their regular bus, ATV, and horseback tours running through the valley and it is imperative you are aware of what’s happening around you.

Aid Stations – There will be two aid stations for the 5km/3.1-mile race (at 1.7 and 2.5 miles), three for the 10km/6.20-miler (1.7, 2.5, 3.2, 4.7, and 5.8mi) and nine for the 21km/13.1-miler (1.7, 2.5, 5.7, 7.7, 10.3, 12.2, and 12.7).  Gatorade and water served at all stations, and PowerBar Energy Gel packets available at key spots.

Race Morning Parking - The gates open at 7a.m. It is $5 per car, and to help speed things up you can prepay and get a parking pass at packet pick-up in Waikiki on Saturday.  If you can’t come Saturday, please bring a $5 bill.  Note that if you are coming from town the entrances are past the main ranch house. We’ll have two entrances into the middle of Kaaawa Valley – the traditional surf gate entry for those coming from town and another entry for those coming from the North Shore.  

Please note that when traffic starts to back-up at “surf gate” volunteers will waive you down to the next gate.  The distance to parking is the same and will relieve traffic on Kamehameha Highway. 

Be ready to show your yellow parking pass.

Rain or Shine - The race will go on.  We actually think it’d be very cool if it rained.  Can you imagine how much fun we’d have slipping and sliding down the muddy slopes in the Valley.  It’d be like a scene straight out of an Indiana Jones adventure!  We’ll have a wash area for you to clean-up regardless.

$10,000 PRIZE PURSE BREAKDOWN

Place	Men	Women
1	$2,000	$2,000
2	$1,000	$1,000
3	$750	$750
4	$500	$500
5	$300	$300
6	$250	$250
7	$200	$200

In addition, the overall men’s and women’s winners win 120,000 frequent flyer miles on Hawaiian Airlines - which flies to the U.S. Mainland, Asia, and the South Pacific.

All 21K age group winners will receive a commemorative long-sleeve champions tech-tee, and there are a ton of great product prizes from Paul Mitchell, AVIA, PowerBar, Rudy Project, Yur Buds, Yanks, and Footbalance.

EVENT RECORD

Max King - 1:18:23 - 2008
Cynthia Anderson - 1:39:38 -2008

5KM TRAIL RUN/WALK, 10KM TRAIL RUN

Although not considered championship races, XTERRA will also host a pair of fun and beautiful 5km and 10km trail runs that take you from the base-to-the-back of majestic Kaaawa Valley.

THE ADVENTURE WALK

The adventure walk is perfect for those just wanting to take in the epic scenery of Kualoa Ranch, as this hosted stroll cruises past many of the movie sights in the valley.  It’s about a mile-and-a-half and easily paced.

Kids under 10 can join the Adventure Walk for free.

OC 16 KIDS SPRINT (FREE)

The OC 16 Kids Sprint is a fun way for the keiki to compete just like their parents in a supportive environment where everyone is a winner.  The runs are free to kids 12 and under and we’ll have different distances for several groups sorting out the big kids from the toddlers.  Parents are welcome to run alongside their little ones during the race.  Before and after the run the children can play in the XTERRA kids zone with a variety of activities including an obstacle course.

XTERRA UNIVERSITY Presented by Paul Mitchell

Rachel Cieslewicz, Keith Rieger and Lucy Smith are the featured speakers at the XTERRA University clinic on Saturday at the Waikiki Beach Walk. There will be two sessions – one at 10 a.m. featuring Keith Rieger and Lucy Smith, and another at 2 p.m. featuring Rachel Cieslewicz. Keith Rieger placed ninth overall last year, and was the winner of the men’s 40-44 age division. He is also an active triathlete and a running coach in Arizona. Lucy Smith was the overall runner-up for the women last year, and the winner of the women’s 40-44 division. She is one of the top endurance athletes in Canada. Rachel Cieslewicz has won numerous     XTERRA Trail Run races over the years, including races in Nevada, California and Utah. Her advice can be found throughout the year in the “Tips for the Trail”       column in the XTERRA e-mail newsletters. These runners will offer expert advice on trail running and preparation for the race. The clinic, presented by Paul Mitchell, is free and open to runners of all ages and skill levels. Each session will allow time for runners to ask questions of the featured speakers.

PAUL MITCHELL CUT-A-THON

Pro stylists from Paul Mitchell will be cutting hair from 9:00am until 1pm for just $15, and 100% of that will go to the Challenged Athletes Foundation – helping physically challenged athletes reach their athletic goals.

DIRECTIONS

Kualoa Ranch is only 45 minutes from Waikiki. To get there, take the H-1 Freeway west to the LIKELIKE Highway / Route 63. Proceed up the LIKELIKE Highway and through the Wilson Tunnel. Descend towards Kaneohe town and exit onto KAHEKILI Highway / Route 83, heading north. You will go straight through the light at the end of the KAHEKILI exit. 

Continue along Kahekili Highway - note that the road becomes Kamehameha Highway as you pass the historic "Hygienic Store" in the village of Kahalu`u. In about 10 minutes you will see signs indicating you are approaching the Kualoa Ranch entrance which will be on your left as you round the curve past Mokoli`i Island (Chinaman's Hat). Parking at Kualoa Ranch is $5 per vehicle. To speed up your entry to Kualoa Ranch, please purchase a pass at packet pickup in Waikiki and display it on your dashboard.

Detailed Map with Directions - PDF

POST-RACE PARTY AT JIMMY BUFFET'S IN WAIKIKI

Jimmy Buffet’s Restaurant & Bar at the Beachcomber will serve as the host site for the post-race party after the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship. The party is scheduled for Sunday evening, December 2, from 6 to 10 p.m. on the lanai area of Jimmy Buffet’s. The restaurant is located on the second floor of the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel (2300 Kalakaua Avenue).

All standard menu items will be available for purchase, and there will be several price specials on appetizer selections for the party. In addition, there will be a 15 percent “XTERRA Discount” off the food bill for runners who attend the party. See the MENU here.

Anheuser-Busch has agreed to provide Michelob Ultra beer at a special price and other brands of beer and beverages will be available at standard prices.

OFFICIAL HOTEL - OUTRIGGER HOTELS & RESORTS

Rates from $139/night
For reservations: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/OahuXterra2013
Toll free 1-866-928-4706

RENTAL CAR DISCOUNTS FOR XTERRA ATHLETES

We've partnered with the following rental car companies to offer special rates to XTERRA athletes nation-wide of up to 20% off your car rental. Click on the company logo to book your rental car today.

 

THE JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION

A portion of your entry fee is going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation – Hawaii Chapter.  Did you know Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease also known as Juvenile Diabetes and there are more than 5,000 type I diabetics in Hawaii.  The JDRF is searching for the cure.

ATHLETE PHOTOS

We are happy to announce that Brightroom will be the official event photographer for athlete photos. Photos will be ready three to five days after the event. You can visit Brightroom now and sign up for email notification. They will alert you when the photos are ready for online viewing and ordering.

Photos from Brightroom

TIPS

Bring sunscreen, a chair, umbrella, maybe some mosquito repellent, a towel, change of clothes, patience (while you’re in line to park) and a cooler!  You’ll have easy access to your car to retrieve whatever you need, and we'll also have a bag check at the ranch.  Leave your dog at home.

VOLUNTEERS

Join us for an exciting morning of XTERRA racing at the XTERRA World Trail Run Championship at Kualoa Ranch on Sunday, November 24, 2013. Amateur and professional runners will be competing for cash and the XTERRA World Trail Running Championship title. We are looking for people who have a few hours to spare to help with the event. We need volunteers for the following times and events. Volunteer Check-In will be at the XTERRA Expo at Kualoa Ranch- Kaaawa Valley Entrance.  All volunteers will receive an XTERRA event t-shirt, drinks, and lunch.

8AM VOLUNTEER CHECK-IN FOR TRAIL RUN EVENTS:

XTERRA World Trail Run Championship (21km trail run) -   9AM start
XTERRA 5km/10km trail run -  9:10AM  start

Run volunteer positions:      

• Course Marshal (direct runners)
• Aid Station (Hand-out water/ Gatorade to runners)
• Finish Line/ Athlete Recovery (cut-up & stock food at the finish line)

 *     Run volunteers will be needed for up 4 hours

                                   
8:30AM VOLUNTEER CHECK-IN FOR XTERRA Kids Zone (9AM-2PM)

Kids Zone volunteer positions:     

• Registration (sign-in kids )
• Course marshal (assist with obstacle course and kid’s races)

 *        Kids Zone volunteers will be needed until 2pm
            

What experience or qualifications are required to be an XTERRA volunteer?

• No experience necessary
• You must be at least 15 years old, or 12, if accompanied by an adult
• You must have a willingness and desire to help others
• You must have a few hours to spare

Please email or call the XTERRA Volunteer Coordinator, Dayton, with any questions:  email dayton@xterraplanet.com . Or just show up at the times posted above and we will find you an exciting spot. Hope to see you there!

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