There are plenty of reasons runners line up in the dark on Ala Moana Boulevard every December, but only two people leave Honolulu with something no other marathon in the world hands out: a medal made of pure gold.
The Honolulu Marathon is continuing its now-established tradition in 2025, partnering again with SGC of Japan to produce a champion’s medal worth roughly $27,000 at current gold prices.
It also comes on top of the marathon’s $25,000 first-place prize and any time bonuses, which means the athletes at the front aren’t just racing for the course, the prestige, or the oceanfront finish. There is, literally, gold on the line.
It’s the same medal design given to every finisher, the windswept runner, Diamond Head on the back, except the winners’ version is made entirely from the real deal.
Defending champions Cynthia Limo and Yemane Haileselassie return this year, each with reason to believe they can win again.
Limo has mastered Honolulu’s rhythm better than most international athletes, the early humidity, the long drag to Hawaii Kai, the climb over Diamond Head when the sun starts to rise. Haileselassie arrives from his training base in Flagstaff with a sizable group of Eritrean teammates, all coached by James McKirdy and all fit enough to make the race honest from the gun.
Honolulu isn’t a place where times typically steal the headlines, but organizers still see potential for something fast if the weather behaves. The course records, 2:08:00 for men and 2:22:15 for women, are respectable times, set by Titus Ekiru and Brigid Kosgei, respectively. Still, with the field deeper than it’s been since the pandemic and several athletes training at altitude, we can’t rule anything out.
Race weekend participation continues to rebound as well, with more than 43,000 entries across the marathon, Start to Park 10K, and Kalakaua Merrie Mile. And for most of them, the finisher medal will be the keepsake that captures the day. But for the champions, the gold version is something else entirely.
