Screw you age of 49. This old guy made it to the top of Diamond Head running.
I didn’t know what Diamond Head was until I arrived in Honolulu, Hi. As I looked for a destination for a morning run from our hotel, the Diamond Head crater looked as good as any other destination. Because I am not a hardcore distance runner, I knew I was going to be pushing myself just to get up there and back.
While I won’t give you my overall running time, the run was approximately 5 miles one way; a gain of 740′, 2 tunnels, and 3 staircases (one was a spiral case), which included over 150 steps. Parts of the run were very steep, but if you go slow, you shouldn’t have problem. I would recommend making the run early in the morning partly to avoid the heat and the stream of tourist hiking to the top.
Aerial view of the Diamond Head trail run from the Outrigger Hotel starting point.
Diamond Head is no rain forest run. I didn’t carry any water, but they have a drinking fountain at
View looking east across the Diamond head crater.
the visitor’s center. The park sign said it cost $1 to walk into the park. I figured since I just ran 4 miles to get there, I wasn’t paying an entrance fee. The trail is mostly smooth volcanic flow. Even though it is relatively smooth, there are some good ruts and uneven surfaces that are perfect for twisting an ankle.
This is a run that would be fun with a group because parts of it are pretty slow. I have been on more exciting trail runs, but running up Diamond Head was fun. If you have chance to make the hike/run up Diamond Head, great. If your time is limited and it is between snorkeling or Diamond Head, choose snorkeling.
