A number of years ago, a fellow runner said to me “In Hawaii, we run mellow.” That is exactly what I felt at my first 5K since last summer. My Garmin told me I was acclimated to the heat 52%. Well, that is better than nothing, but a good indication that running mellow would be the rule of the morning for me

My photos don’t completely reflect the beauty of the setting of Bob & Ron’s 5K at the Manoa Recreation Center presented by the Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club. The Manoa community exists in one of those micro ecosystems on the island of O’ahu. You would see many residents walking about with an umbrella, useful to stay dry during those frequent spats of gentle rain and also to protect from the intense sun that follows.

The race had a 7 a.m. start, a typical race start time on O’ahu to get ahead of the heat of the day. Temperature at the start at 72 degrees and humidity at 88%, I was glad this was a 5K and not anything longer.

With 178 finishers, I was surprised at the number, more than 25 runners, who were from the Mainland and primarily the East Coast. Probably a mix of lingering vacationers delaying their return to colder temperatures and military personnel stationed in Hawaii.

Every local race seems to offer something different. For Bob & Ron’s 5K, the overall trophies were hand carved cutting boards created by one of the Mid-Pacific members. This is a wonderful family event, and there was also a medal category for strollers. The competition in the second category was strong. Post-race snacks were plentiful including a delicious tropical juice produced locally.

The course includes two decent hills (almost everywhere on the island is hilly) and some nice downhills. I finished with a time of 31:50, which is a perfectly good mellow time.

If you’re ever on O’ahu feeling like you’d want to take in a 5K that has a local family vibe, check this one out. The Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club does a great job of putting on this and a number of other running events throughout the year.