The Hawaii Cycling Club wrapped up 2024 in grand style with the highly anticipated Bike Works Big Island Time Trial Championships held on Saturday. This popular event has been a favorite among cyclists across all skill levels and age groups for many years, attracting an impressive field of 26 determined participants.
The time trial course featured a challenging 15.6-mile route starting at the foot of Kaiminani Drive and culminated near the entrance of the Waikoloa Landfill. Designed as an individual time trial, the format ensured a level playing field by staggering start times with 30-second intervals which placed the focus solely on one’s personal performance against the clock.
“The weather was perfect, not too much wind,” said Hawaii Cycling Club’s Franz Weber after the race. “It shows in the fast times with the overall winner averaging over 27 mph, and quite a few competitors over 20 mph.”
Weber added that the steady rise in temperature on Saturday morning added another factor to an already challenging course.
“You have a slow climb to Veterans Cemetery, then downhill again, then climbingback about 300 feet to Donkey Hill, so basically two climbs,” he said. While there were no clouds, the heat was definitely an issue even at 8 AM in the morning.”
At the end of the morning and when the finishing results were calculated, it was Waikoloa’s Daniel Hill who once again emerged victorious for the fifth straight year. Hill completed the course in a blazing time of 34 minutes and 17 seconds. Kailua-Kona’s Tina Eakin, the top female finisher, delivered an impressive performance by claiming second place overall with a time of 38:36. Volcano’s Todd Marohnic rounded out the podium with his time of 41:17.
Following Marohnic in the men’s division was Keaau’s Joe Wedemann who earned third place with a solid time of 41:24. On the women’s side, Nadia Leach and Cary Craig took the second and third podium spots by posting times of 41:49 and 43:53, respectively.
The Bike Works Big Island Time Trial Championships certainly delivered an exciting finale to the Hawaii Cycling Club’s 2024 season. From seasoned competitors to beginning cyclists, the event truly captured the spirit of competitive cycling on the Big Island. As HCC looks forward to an exciting 2025 year ahead, be sure to visit their website at www.hawaiicyclingclub.com for more information and a calendar of events.