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Saturday, February 19, 2000
Campbell to defend title
Star-Bulletin staff
in Great Aloha RunMonday's 16th Great Aloha Run will celebrate the Year of the Dragon with a Chinese Dragon Dance entertaining some 22,000 runners at the Nimitz Highway starting line.
The 8.15-mile event is one of the largest "fun runs'' in the country as well as one of the largest road races in Hawaii. It starts in front of Aloha Tower and finishes on the infield of Aloha Stadium.
Defending champion Malcolm Campbell of Great Britain, who qualified for the Olympic Trials as a marathoner, will be going for his third consecutive title. Campbell won last year's event in 41 minutes.
His biggest challenge is expected to come from Hawaii's Jonathan Lyau, who won this race in 1994 with a time of 42:23.
Among the top female runners entered is Hawaii's Rachel Graybill, a six-time state road race champion.
The field includes some 5,000 military runners in formation. Called the "Sounds of Freedom,'' the military formations will have a silent start at 6:48 a.m., 10 minutes ahead of the rest of the runners.
Participants can pick up their running numbers and packets at the Great Aloha Run Health & Fitness Expo until 8 p.m. tonight and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.
Late entries will be accepted through tomorrow. The cash fee is $30 cash for adults and $15 for children and senior citizens.
Road closures: Ala Moana Boulevard/Nimitz Highway from South Street to River Street from 4:45-8 a.m., and from Waiakamilo Road to South Street from 5-6 a.m.
Rolling road closures will be in effect along Nimitz and Kamehameha highways.
Most roads near the airport should be reopened to cross-traffic by 8:30 a.m., and on Salt Lake Boulevard near the stadium by 9:45 a.m.
Great Aloha Run
What: 16th annual event
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
