Run for Hops 5K and 10K finally hits Kona after storm delay

The 18th annual Run for Hops finally gave Kona the kind of Saturday morning that keeps a community race alive, with runners circling Old Airport Park and the Makaeo Path after weeks of storm disruption pushed the event back from March 14 to April 11.

Organizers moved the 5K and 10K because of inclement weather and the postponement of the Kona Brewers Festival, saying the delay was meant to protect athletes, volunteers and participants. The race, presented by People for Active Transportation Hawaii and BMW of Hawai‘i, also funneled attention back to PATH’s bike education programming and its work to make Hawai‘i Island’s roads safer.

The event was built as more than a race. Registration was capped at 600 people, the entry fee was $40, and runners were promised a commemorative T-shirt, an award ceremony, beer tasting and nibbles afterward. Packet pickup at Big Island Running Company in Kailua-Kona gave another local business a direct link to the day, while the course itself kept runners in one of the island’s most recognizable recreation areas. The 10K started at 7:30 a.m., followed by the 5K at 7:35 a.m.

When the race finally happened, the weather cooperated. More than 200 participants showed up, giving the morning the feel of a long-delayed community gathering as much as a road race. Chronotrack results later listed 137 finishers in the 5K and 61 in the 10K, for 198 finishers overall, a turnout that showed the event still has a solid pull in Kailua-Kona.

That matters in a county where weather, school calendars and weekend routines shape how people gather and spend. A postponed race that still drew runners back out meant morning traffic for Kona businesses, lunch plans after the finish and another reminder that recreational events can help steady local life after weeks of storm interruptions. For PATH, whose grassroots work centers on active transportation and safe access on Hawai‘i Island, the successful return of Run for Hops also reinforced the value of keeping people on the move, even after a season of disrupted plans.