The Kaiser Permanente Great Aloha Run is a road race

Road running

Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...

 that takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...

 on the third Monday in February (Presidents' Day in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

). It is a charity event that benefits Carole Kai Charities, a philanthropic fund run by Hawaii entertainer Carole Kai

Carole Kai

Carole Kai is an entertainer , recording artist, and philanthropist from Hawaii.-Personal life:Born as Carole Shimizu in Honolulu, she graduated from McKinley High School in Honolulu...

. Kai and Honolulu Marathon

Honolulu Marathon

The Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December. - History :...

 founder Jack Scaff, M.D. founded the race in 1985, and since its inception it has donated over $6.8 million to over 100 non-profit organizations in Hawaii.

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield...

 is the title sponsor for the 2010 race. Prior to that, local telephone company Hawaiian Telcom

Hawaiian Telcom

Hawaiian Telcom is the incumbent local exchange carrier or dominant local telephone company, serving the state of Hawaii. It was formed in 2005 by The Carlyle Group, following its purchase of the Hawaii assets of Verizon Communications, which was known as Verizon Hawaii, Inc., and previously as...

 was the title sponsor from 2005 to 2009, while the Honolulu Advertiser

Honolulu Advertiser

The Honolulu Advertiser was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Internet editions...

has been a sponsor of the race since its inception.

The 8.15 miles (13.1 km) course starts in downtown Honolulu

Downtown Honolulu

Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, governmental, and central part of Honolulu—bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and Honolulu Harbor to the south—situated within the larger Honolulu District...

 on Nimitz Highway across from Aloha Tower

Aloha Tower

The Aloha Tower is a lighthouse that is considered one of the landmarks of the state of Hawaii in the United States. Opened on September 11, 1926, the Aloha Tower is located at Pier 9 of Honolulu Harbor. It has and continues to be a guiding beacon welcoming vessels to the City and County of Honolulu...

, and runs west on Nimitz Highway along Honolulu Harbor, under the Interstate H-1

Interstate H-1

Interstate H-1 is the busiest Interstate Highway in Hawaii, United States, located on the island of O‘ahu. Despite the number, this is an east–west highway—the 'H'-series numbering reflects the order in which routes were funded and built. H-1 goes from Route 93 in Kapolei to Route 72 in...

 viaduct near Honolulu International Airport

Honolulu International Airport

Honolulu International Airport is the principal aviation gateway of the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and is identified as one of the busiest airports in the United States, with traffic now exceeding 21 million passengers a year and rising.It is located in the Honolulu...

, and along Kamehameha Highway, finishing on the floor of Aloha Stadium

Aloha Stadium

Aloha Stadium is a stadium located in the Halawa CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Currently Aloha Stadium is home to the University of Hawaii Warriors football team...

. The Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium route gives the race its name.

About 15,000 runners, mostly Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 residents, run the race each year. This number also includes as many as 5,000 members of the United States Armed Forces

United States armed forces

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

 who run in formation in the so-called "Sounds of Freedom" division. The Great Aloha Run is the second largest road race in Hawaii, after the Honolulu Marathon

Honolulu Marathon

The Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December. - History :...

, which attracts an international field and is marketed heavily in Japan.