Jonathan Cross

Jonathan Cross is being inducted into the Hawaii Running Hall of Fame for his running prowess and his contributions in enhancing the sport of running in Hawaii. Ever since he set foot in Hawaii more than 40 years ago, Jon Cross has been actively involved with running, either as a participant or as a supporter.

Jon ran for the University of Michigan in the 1970’s and was the two-time record holder in the 6-mile event. He still holds the indoor 6-mile record for the University of Michigan. In 1973, Jon ran the 6-mile event in the NCAA Track and Field Championships, one of only six freshmen in the nation who qualified. These achievements were the impetus behind his ranking of 17th in the nation in the 6-mile run by Track & Field News in 1974.

Jon excelled in other distance races as well, including the 1979 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:29:37. In Hawaii, Jon competed in many of the local races, setting course records along the way, including:

• 1982 Norman Tamanaha 15k Champion in course record time (still 4th on all-time list)
• 1982 Symphony 4-mile champion in course record time
• 1982 Wahiawa Pineapple Run champion in course record time
• 1982 Pepsi Challenge 10k, 3rd place
• 1983 Barber’s Pt RRCA 20k Champion in Hawaii State record
• 3 x Run for Diamonds 5-mile champion

Jon’s involvement in the Honolulu Marathon Association forever changed long distance running in the State. His contributions in this regard are noteworthy and substantial. He has been a member of the Honolulu Marathon Association since 1984 and Race Director of the Honolulu Marathon for 25 years. Jonathan has served as the Elite Athlete Coordinator (with Jim Barahal) since 1984. Before that time, only a few race directors, Cross and Barahal among them, believed that Africans could run well in longer distances, such as a marathon. He was instrumental in cultivating and recruiting elite African runners to run the Honolulu Marathon, which forever changed the face of “the people’s race” and thrust the local marathon onto the international arena. Participation by African and international runners is now one of the hallmarks of the Honolulu marathon, which, under their leadership, became one of the largest and most popular marathons in the world.

Jon has lived in Hawaii for 43 years and continues to practice dentistry in Kaimuki. He has two sons, ages 29 and 23, who are both bilingual in Japanese. Unable to run due to a foot injury, Jon enjoys swimming, lifting weights, and using exercise equipment. He also enjoys playing musical instruments, especially the ukulele and banjo.