Champion Runners Offer Advice for Kualoa Ranch

Beginners should be prepared for "a smorgasbord of trails"

Dynamic, beautiful and technical are just some of the words that experienced runners use to describe the course at Kualoa Ranch.

More than 1,500 runners from around the world will get to experience it for themselves on Sunday, Dec. 5, for the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship at Kualoa Ranch, Hawaii.

The trails at Kualoa Ranch are normally closed to the public and there will be no pre-race practice runs, so the XTERRA World Championship race offers a rare opportunity to run along the pristine and picturesque course that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

California's Scott Dunlap, who won the men's 40-44 age division at last year's XTERRA World Championship race at Kualoa Ranch, described it as: "A variety of rugged terrain, from steep dirt roads to wild rainforest to single track cut into the hills. It's a smorgasbord of trails."

The XTERRA Trail Run World Championship will offer three separate courses. The 21-kilometer long trail will serve as the championship course; there will also be a 10-kilometer and a 5-kilometer course for less-experienced runners.

Although the course is normally closed even to the home-state Hawaii runners, a couple of them with past success at Kualoa Ranch offered some advice for the 21-kilometer course.

Mark Speck (Honolulu), winner of the men's 35-39 age group at the 2008 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship: "Kualoa offers a dynamic course. It has nicely groomed access roads as well as somewhat technical single track trails. There are several challenging grades, especially following fast flatter sections and fast descents. The mauka (mountain) side of the course is humid and wet, so I hope the runners enjoy perspiring copious amounts of fluid."

Edward Bugarin (Honolulu), winner of the men's 55-59 age group at the 2009 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship: "The course is hilly with some very technical sections. If it rains, expect the technical sections to get muddy and slippery, especially when going downhill. Good, lightweight trail shoes with aggressive soles is highly recommended. If you like a challenge, you've found it here.

"You'd be surprised how much energy you expend running downhills if your technique is poor. If after negotiating a downhill section, you feel tired and can't maintain effort on a level or uphill section, that's a clue that you've used a lot of energy running downhill. Being efficient when running downhills will provide you with the energy reserves to negotiate the uphill and level sections. Practice running downhills so that you minimize your effort."

XTERRA TRAIL RUN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Where: Kualoa Ranch, Oahu, Hawaii
When: Sunday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. start
Who: More than 1,500 runners of all ages and skill levels from around the world
Distances: 21 kilometers, 10 kilometers or 5 kilometers
Entry fees: $55 for 21K, $35 for 10K, $30 for 5K
Student/Military entries: $50 for 21K, $32 for 10K, $27 for 5K
Kualoa Ranch Adventure Walk: $25
Online registration: www.xterratrailrun.com

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