All Photos Courtesy Christopher Caldeira
Kualoa Ranch, Oahu, HI-The Annual Makahiki Challenge was held at picturesque Kualoa Ranch in Windward Oahu. The 8th Annual race is held as a 5 kilometer mud run, Hawaii’s first and finest, and one of the most unique challenging races unlike any of the other obstacle races.
The course traverse the valley over ranch land and movie sets from Jurassic Park and King Kong.
Thousands of participants from the “hard-core” athlete to the “Uncles & Aunties” had fun in the mud, and had a great workout at the same time!
After the race, competitors relaxed with Kona Brew products (for participants over 21 years of age)
a T-shirt and a live concert, featuring live music by Lion Fiyah and Johnny Suite!
Makahiki literally translates to yearly or annual. Makahiki Challenge is meant to be an annual challenge for the people of Hawaii and its visitors. It is our chance to compete, challenge ourselves, celebrate, enjoy, and respect this beautiful island that has continued to provide for us.
The word Makahiki is commonly associated with the ancient Makahiki festival. In ancient Hawaii, Makahiki was a festival beginning about the middle of October and lasting roughly four months. It was filled with sports and religious festivities, and at this time war was kapu (prohibited.) Makahiki celebrated harvest and the Hawaiian god associated with rain, lono. The mark of the beginning of Makahiki was the site of the Pleiades constellation seen in late October or early November.
During Makahiki, the people paid taxes to the chiefs. The symbol still associated with Makahiki, observed as the lono figure, is a staff with a crossbar that held a white sheet of kapa (Hawaiian cloth). It was carried around the island and stopped at each ahupua’a (land division) to collect the taxes of the people. After this process was complete, the community gathered to celebrate. Farming stopped and feasting and competitive games began. Athletes, chiefs, and commoners competed in games that included boxing, ‘ulu maika (similar to bowling), foot races, javelin throwing, and other contests including intellectual challenges.
