Besides the supermarkets, our bananas sometimes find their way to some interesting places.

Such as the ones we donate to the annual Kilauea Volcano Runs. Every summer, up at the 4000-foot elevation of Kilauea Volcano within the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, people gather from Hawai‘i, the mainland U.S. and other countries to participate in what has become the state’s largest trail run.

The runs started modestly more than 20 years ago when a Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park ranger wanted to “toughen up” his staff by having them run in the back country. And it is “back country”—still, runners find themselves climbing crater walls and crossing dirt trails, cooled lava fields, the Ka‘u Desert’s sand, tropical rainforest and more.

These days, more than 1000 people participate each year in what’s sometimes called “Athletes for the Arts.” That’s because the runs benefit the many arts, cultural and educational programs offered by the non-profit Volcano Art Center. The VAC also donates artwork as prizes for top finishers.

There are three different races. The Volcano Marathon, considered “the world’s toughest measured marathon,” encompasses rough, uneven terrain, stark lava fields and 1000-foot elevation changes. Race information warns that runners should have trained on trails, or have participated in trail running events, and should be able to finish in 7 hours and 30 minutes. “Add one hour to your best time to see if you can meet this requirement,” paperwork warns.

The 10-mile “Kilauea Rim Rum” circles the summit caldera of Kilauea, mostly following its rim. Runners cross rugged pahoehoe lava, pass steam vents and cinder cones, and traverse beautiful wooded trails amidst birdsong.

The 5-mile Kilauea Caldera Run & Walk—the only run that allows walkers—takes runners past steam vents along the caldera’s edge, down into the caldera and along its pahoehoe lava floor, and then out again through the high-elevation rainforest.

Afterwards, participants visit the refreshment tent where they pick up their finisher t-shirts and some rejuvenative snacks. Besides Hamakua Springs Country Farms bananas, there are papaya, potato chips, cookies and other goodies, as well as water and juice. And then it’s on to the awards ceremony.

Maybe, when Richard loses some more weight, we could bully him into registering for one of the Kilauea Volcano Runs. I wonder if he would try to sneak his bike in. – posted by Leslie Lang