Flickr. Dronepicr

The second largest of the Hawaiian islands, Maui is a popular vacation destination, noted for its fine sand beaches and towering volcanoes. Geologically, the island is comprised of two major volcanic masses — one in the northwest and one in the southeast — separated by a valley-like isthmus. There’s a lot of really interesting terrain on Maui, considering its relatively small size. For our guide to running on Maui, we had to carefully research some of the best spots, because there aren’t that many roads—and most of the roads that do exist aren’t that great for running.

The area between the more populated, resort heavy Wailea and Makena area does have a good paved stretch. Maui is also a beach runner’s paradise, with long swaths of sand stretching along the coasts near Wailea Beach, Kaanapali Beach, and Kanaha Beach. In the resort areas of the island, near Wailea and Lahaina, the paved and boardwalk paths of the Kaanapali Beach Walk and the Wailea Beach Path offer short but satisfying running routes. One of the ‘must-dos’ for runners in Maui are the coastal and volcanic trails, which provide stunning scenery and shelter from the hot Hawaiian weather.

In terms of getting around, there are taxis, hotel and tour shuttles, but a car is generally needed to get around.

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Some of our favorite runs in Maui, HI

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The tourism site at gohawaii.com can help plan your trip.

Most of the shoe stores on Maui are your run of the mill chains, but the Valley Island Road Runners has group runs and tons of resources on local running.

Maui Runner. Great resource for running on Maui.

Looking for road or trail races in this area? Find them on RaceRaves, the best online race calendar and reviews community for runners!

Find races in Maui, HI

The Valley Island Road Runners also have a list of top upcoming races on Maui.