City Running Tours Honolulu

I was introduced to this business through a Unilocal event. I thoroughly enjoyed the running, talking, listening and learning. Depending on which kinds of guests I have visiting, I will take them out for this activity! The guides were friendly and showed me a few places I hadn’t been before, like the top of Aloha Tower, such a sweet view. A major plus was the sweat factor, I enjoy a fun workout!

I was introduced to City Running Tours via Yell Kick Butt Event and I quickly became a fan of the running guides, Michelle and Yovo. Both are very friendly and easy to get along with.
We had a couple of hiccups due to having a large group but was told that it usually doesn’t happen w/​small groups. (So w/​o any inconvenience, I’m giving them 5 stars)
We jogged from one landmark to another, all in all was about 3.75 miles for an hr and a half to almost 2 hrs; the pace was good– for those who are not runners, do not get intimidated, there will be a handful of stops to catch a breather where walking is allowed, also, if you’re running behind, one of the awesome tour guides will keep you company.
Please be aware that this is a Running Tour — expect to stop a handful of times (that can affect your pace) and if you have a running app, do not use it. For runners, I advice going on your rest day when you can actually just take a slow jog and enjoy some good company. For those who are in it for the tour, be aware that stops range from 5 – 10 mins, therefore, there is not enough time to take pictures of every single angle.
All in all, this was a well appreciated tour!

Super fun experience this past Sunday joining our first Unilocal event. I was concerned that this might be a hardcore athletic event with 20 somethings being frustrated with my wife Mary and I who enjoy leisurely runs, but never with a clock ticking and times being obsessively tracked in preparation for the next marathon. Emi assured me that this run was good for all types of runners and she was spot on. It was a leisurely run through some of the most important areas of Honolulu with adequate short stops by our incredibly cool and personable guide Yovo S. to explain the sites that we were viewing. We had visited most of the historical places in the past (Mission churches and houses, Iolani palace, the state legislative buildings, and Aloha Tower); however, being able to see the crazy creative art on building sides in Kakaako was amazing. What a cool place hidden in the back streets that I have never seen in my 11+ years living in Honolulu. Also, I had no idea that there was an elevator that took us to the top of Aloha Tower; simply amazing views.
We had a blast and in no way felt that this run was too challenging; whatever was lost in ‘training time’ by the short stops was greatly exceeded by the ability to appreciate highlights of Honolulu at close up street level. Weather was great and vehicle traffic was very light on Sunday AM. Thanks Yovo and Unilocal,this was our first event and definitely will not be our last.
I strongly recommend that City Running Tours connect with Norwegian and the other cruise lines that periodically stop (Princess) here to arrange tours for folks suffering from restlessness and overeating on their floating feeding machines. I suspect that they would get significant business from folks like me that tire of eating all the time and want to work off a little guilt while seeing the sights.
Best, Greg & Mary S.

I’m an active Unilocal member who attended a sanctioned Unilocal event called, «Yelp Kicks Butt: City Running Tours,» held on August 9, 2015 here in Honolulu, Hawaii on Oahu & I’m sharing my experience about what it was like. Here goes:
I am not a runner or an all-​out fitness person but I am an exerciser (haha for making that word up!) from time to time either regularly or periodically depending what I’m doing in life.
The Unilocal event (there’s a selection process) sounded like a such an interesting way to exercise bc it included seeing the sights around town within the Downtown Honolulu to Ka’kaako area. Instead of taking a bus, train, car, truck, or tour bus, we Unilocaly exercisers would go green & do it by foot! Duration of the run normally goes 1 – 1.5 hours to cover about 4.5−5 miles. I read the link to the vendor’s site (in my Unilocal announcement email) and thought, «Hey, why not?! How often does one get to do that?» What a cool & absolutely novel idea! :)
I was excited to try it out! Wahooo!!!
Well, our group did it in under 2 hrs! Yes, indeed, some were faster! YAYs to either case?! Teehee
Unilocal Kicks Butt: City Running Tours!
I did get to see the downtown sights & see things that I normally just pass by in a moving vehicle. Awesome!
Did it kick my butt? Yep! Hehe
It was a great workout! I’ve got my running and walking in for the year! Haha jk! Hopefully not! :/​
Here’s my explanation of our route:
0– Every good runner knows to stretch first to let the body know it’s gonna do something strenuous. Yovo led us thru two sets. Then we ran a little loosely at first to warm up.
1– Pace was good for me at the beginning thru Ka’kaako past BJ Penn/​Sweat & Soul where we stopped for a tour explanation. I ran right behind Yovo along with other Yeeps also so I could hear what he was saying.
2– Crossed the street at Fisher Hawaii to cut thru the now former Eat the Street parking. Just before the ETS lot, we snapped a shot in front of a small painted bldg.
3– We continued thru the ETS lot past the Fire Station to stop briefly for a tour talk,
4– then headed on Queen St. past the school/​church, cemetery, to Kawaiahao Church for a quick talk & pic.
5– After that we went on King St. to see Honolulu Hale at the water feature & front doors for quick talk,
6– then across to the Mission Memorial brick building, looked up the center of the huge black art object just before the Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building, & cut thru turned left just at the cemented path before the State bldg which leads to the back side of the Hawaii State Public Library.
7– After the street light turned green, we continued running toward King St. & crossed the street to see King Kamehameha’s statue where we did a brief talk & snapped a cool pic with our famous King. Say, *Cheese! :D * for the King!
8– Next, we crossed back (King St.) going thru Iolani Palace for quick info talk,
9– the State Capitol building where we saw Queen Liliuokalani’s statue & did a quick info talk,
10– Ran along Beretania to Richard Street & to Alakea to cut thru the park area on King Street. I started slowing down (long story-​my knee has pain but isn’t injured) into a brisk, walk-​sometimes-​short-​runs just after the park to Aloha Tower.
11– At Aloha Tower, we took the elevator in groups up to the observation deck. How cool. It was my first time there!
We got a couple group pics & had opportunity to use the restroom & refill our water bottles.
12– After admiring the beautiful views in each direction of the observation deck, we went downstairs to head around back near the pier & ran back out past the boats back on to Ala Moana Boulevard. It was during this stretch that I walked w/​some other Unilocalers. Yovo checked on us just before taking off to head the majority of our group.
13– Yovo then loyally returned to check on us just as we passed Cooke St. TY, Yovo! Just after reaching Ward Ave, he took a fun picture of us doing a jump. Haha! Too funny! :)
14– Back at Jamba Juice on the corner of Ward Ave, we received our celebratory Jamba Juice from Maka K. Woohoo! TY, Maka! I needed that cold blast!
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Who attended:
IDK!
Really!
Well, ok haha It was a nice-​sized group of running/​non-​running Yeeps! :D
Not good enough? (Sorry for the brief list! :/​)
I would have chatted with more Yeeps (=Yelpers) except that quite honestly it’s not as easy for me to talk while running a brisk pace (sorry, Yeeps!) .)
Nonetheless, I was able to get in brief conversations w/​some of our group during tour guide explanations or just after taking off for our next run hehe: D
Thank you to Emi H., Maka K., Unilocal Hawaii, & City Running Tours for allowing me to join in this creative, invigorating, & fun exercise event!
Thank you, Yeeps, for keeping me company on this long (unusual for me bc I usually just do 4 times around a track = 1 mile!) run!
Maybe I’ll be in body pain tmrw (which turns out I wasn’t :D Yay!) but, hey, it was alllll worth it! :D

Why go to the gym when you can go on a beautiful run around Diamondhead? The meeting spot was easy to find and the tour guide was very energetic and friendly. He kept the group together at a good pace and shared some interesting facts/​stories about the island, I almost forgot I was exercising! I def recommend, for groups or solo travelers. I signed up by myself and felt the group was very welcoming and everyone was there to have a good time!

Perfect way see the sights around Diamond Head! Learned something new while enjoying the views and burning calories — what could be better ;) The guide was informative, engaging and considerate of everyone in the group. Good beginner run. Great way to meet kindred people too!