2017 Run & Walk for the Whales, Feb. 4

Run for the Whales, photo courtesy: Reis Shimabukuro, Professional Photographer, Pacific Whale Foundation. File image 2014.

Pacific Whale Foundation’s annual Run & Walk for the Whales will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017. One of Maui’s largest sporting events, Run & Walk for the Whales starts and ends at the Māʻalaea Harbor Shops.

Participants can choose between the Half Marathon (6:30 a.m.), 10K run (7 a.m.), 5K run (7:15 a.m.), 4K walk (7:20 a.m.), or a 1K run (7:20 a.m.) for keiki ages 12 and under. Professional chip timing is included for runners in the Half Marathon, 10K and 5K, plus clock timing for the 4K Walk and 1K Keiki Run.

Medals and a pair of whalewatch tickets will be awarded to each of the top three male and female overall finishers in the Half Marathon, 10K and 5K, plus medals presented three deep in the male and female age divisions. All Half Marathon runners will receive a finisher medal, and Keiki 1K runners will receive a souvenir of their participation. All registered participants will receive an official Run & Walk for the Whales t-shirt.

There will be a post-race continental breakfast and awards ceremony for participants, along with valuable door prizes. Island-entertainer Marty Dread will provide live music and dancing is welcome. Participants are also invited to take a post-race whalewatch departing from Māʻalaea Harbor, where they will receive 40% off their cruise.

Pacific Whale Foundation’s marine education team is offering a morning version of Ocean Camp on race day for children ages 4 to 12. The program takes place from 6 to 10 a.m. at PWF’s Discovery Center in Māʻalaea and costs $25 per child. Pre-registration is required. Please call Pacific Whale Foundation at (808) 249-8811 ext. 1 to sign up.

Run & Walk for the Whales is directed by a RRCA Certified Race Director and sanctioned by USA Track & Field. All proceeds from the event support Pacific Whale Foundation’s whale research in Hawaiʻi and other parts of the Pacific, marine education programs for Maui schoolchildren, and ocean conservation programs including efforts to prevent marine debris and to end whaling worldwide.

Online registration for the Run & Walk for the Whales closes at midnight Feb. 1, 2017. For more information, email [email protected] or visit online. Run & Walk for the Whales is part of World Whale Day Celebrations, a series of events in February honoring Maui’s humpback whales.

Celebrations also include:

• Tales of the Whale with Greg Kaufman (Feb 4, Sugar Beach Events)
• Whale Film Festival (Feb 11, Kaanapali Beach Hotel)
• Parade of Whales (Feb 18, South Kihei Road)
• World Whale Day (Feb 18, Kalama Park)