Matthew Holton 

Matt Holton ran competitively in Hawaii since first starting cross country in middle school at Seabury Hall in Maui. He transferred to Maui High School in his junior year.  As a senior, Holton was third overall in the 1995 Cross Country Championships and was integral for Maui High’s team winning the 1996 State High School Track Championship. 

After competing at a high level on the mainland in longer distance events, he returned to Maui in 2005. Holton consistently won races on Maui and earned spots on Team Hawaii for the Hapalua Half Marathon an impressive eleven times. At the Honolulu Marathon, he placed as First Kamaʻaina Finisher in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2022. His PRs include a 2:23 marathon, a 1:06 Half Marathon, and a 30:01 10K. 

Throughout his life, Matt Holton has been an inspiration for others, demonstrating that hard work and focus can lead to great success in distance running. He was always open to sharing his knowledge and experience with others as a teammate and coach, or training partner. He loved interviewing elite athletes and covering world class events as a videographer, and he assembled an incredible library of running history on his YouTube channel. Matt traveled to Iten, Kenya for over a month to learn more about the training and culture that has produced such amazing, high-level runners.  Matt is the author of a book entitled Mindful Miles, a book on the philosophy of running (2024). 

Besides being a competitive runner, Matt was an artist, running coach, sports journalist, and author. 

Matt Holton passed away in his home in Volcano, Hawaii on January 14, 2026. He was 47 years old.  Matt is survived by his partner Cristina Pineda, parents Steve and Doreen Holton, and sister Jessica (Morgan) Gerdel.