Event Description
Ready to climb out of the deep abyss that was 2020? Here it is! A vertical challenge to take you to new heights in 2021! There are four island peaks waiting for you to climb virtually! The first peak is Ka'ala on Oahu at 4,060 feet. From there you climb (virtually) 1,183 feet to reach Kawaikini at 5,243 feet on the island of Kaua'i. Next, starting at the 5,243 feet you have already climbed, climb 4,780feet, and step up to Haleakalā on Maui at 10,023 feet. (Is the air getting thin yet?). Finally, to reach the highest peak in Hawaii, you climb 3,780 feet more to Mauna Kea on the Big Island at 13,803 feet. (And now the air is really thin and clear!). You can run or walk anywhere to achieve these heights between New Years Day (January 1, 2021) and March 31, 2021. Distance is not a factor in this challenge, only elevation. You can do one peak or all of them - your call. You get not only bragging rights but a really cool medal with a dangle (an attachment to the main medal) for each peak achieved. There is also a nice long sleeve shirt. To measure your elevation gain use a device or app (such as Garmin, Strava, MapMyRun, etc.) so that you can enter an accurate elevation to be added to your total. Are you UP for this??
How hard is it to achieve these heights? If you live on Oahu and run Diamond Head Road from Kapiolani Park to the Kahala neighborhood and back your approximate elevation gain would be 228 feet (various apps may differ slightly in reporting elevation and all gains are measured so even if the road seems flat you may be gaining a small amount of elevation). To reach the first peak (Ka'ala at 4060 feet) virtually you would need to run over Diamond Head Road about 18 times during the three months of the event.
Keep in mind that you must agree to abide by the Center for Disease Control (CDC)'s recommendations for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 and attest to having read the CDC's guidance at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html. You also agree to abide by any COVID-19 distancing and other safety guidelines issued by the state, the community, or other governmental authority to participate in this virtual event.
