Rachel Portner

Kāne Ng-Osorio on November 16, 2023

Rachel Portner started running in Ann Arbor Michigan in 1975 and fell in love with running right away. She was coaxed into running her first race, a 5-miler, which she ended up winning with a time of 29 min.

In 1981 Rachel moved to Hawaii with her family and quickly became one of the fastest female distance runners in the state. As a mother of four children, she always put her family first. But through her discipline and dedication to her sport, she somehow found the time for training.

Rachel qualified-for the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials at the Detroit Marathon, with a time of 2:50:41. She then went on to run her personal best marathon at the trials in Olympia, Washington in 2:46:51. Her two best Honolulu Marathons came in 1984 and 1985. She ran a 2:49:33 in 1984, 6th overall female and a 2:53:08 in 1985, 2nd overall female.

Most of Rachel’s road races were distances between 10K and the marathon, where she had great success. But she also enjoyed an occasional trail race and even an ultramarathon. She is a 5-time winner of the Kilauea Volcano Wilderness Marathon, and a 2-time winner and women’s record holder of the Run to The Sun; she was the first overall finisher (men and women) in 1993.

Rachel also had a passion for coaching. She wanted to help others have the same positive experience that she had with running. She coached the intermediate students at Punahou for two years, and then worked with Duncan MacDonald coaching at the varsity level for the next four years. She then accepted a position of head coach at Sacred Hearts Academy and coached four more years.

Rachel is married to Bernie Portner and they have four children. Maya, Talia, Liat, and Elan.

Running Achievements:

First place finishes:

6:12:0658.26 kmKahuluiRun to the Sun
3:46:29MarathonVolcanoKilauea Volcano Wilderness
3:43:08MarathonVolcanoKilauea Volcano Wilderness
5:39:0858.26 kmKahuluiRun to the Sun (Overall)
3:38:26MarathonVolcanoKilauea Volcano Wilderness
3:40:23MarathonVolcanoKilauea Volcano Wilderness
3:19:44MarathonVolcanoKilauea Volcano Wilderness
3:12:51MarathonKailuaWindward
36:1010 kmHonoluluWomen’s 10K

PRs:

36:10:0010KHonoluluWomen’s 10K
2:46:51MarathonWashingtonUS Olympic Trials

Coaching:

  • Punahou Intermediate students, 2 years
  • Punahou Varsity students, 4 years
  • Sacred Hearts Academy, head coach 4 years

John Salmonson

Kāne Ng-Osorio on November 16, 2023

John Salmonson was an accomplished runner who placed the utmost value on leadership, mentoring, and inspiring other runners to achieve what may have been thought impossible. Winning races was not a priority for John; sharing his love for running, particularly trail running, and encouraging others were his greatest achievements.

Johnʻs running lifetime was shared with his wife, PJ. They were married following their completion of the Vermont 100-mile race in 1989. They participated in all of life’s events together thereafter.

John arrived in Hawaii in 1974 from Santa Cruz to start his new business that continues to thrive today under the reigns of his son, Eric. John began running during his early years in Hawaii and completed his first Honolulu Marathon in 1981. In typical “Big John” fashion, he coached and trained a small group of close friends to complete the 1982 Honolulu Marathon together, then literally, tethered together as a bunch of reindeer for the Reindeer Run in 1985! Soon after, he tried trail running and quickly was pulled to the lure of ultra running.

John accumulated over 100,000 lifetime miles of running in Hawaii and around the globe on his many adventurous runs. Other marathons completed include Maui, San Francisco, Pikeʻs Peak and Volcano. Ultramarathons are where John excelled and felt most comfortable. John completed distances from 50K to 100 miles, 8-day relays, and 10-day running adventures, including the Lewis and Clark relay across Washington State, the Golden Circle Super Marathon (10 marathons over 10 days) in Russia and Haleakala Run to the Sun several times. John started the tradition of running your age in miles on your birthday by running home from Haleiwa on his 40th. Later, when John planned more birthday runs in places like Molokai, Maunakea, Mauna Loa, Kalalau, Lanai, and Saddle Road, there was always a big gang there to support him, learn from him, and celebrate the beauty of running together in the natural environment.

When running was no longer possible for John, he led the trail running movement in Hawaii and commanded that HURT develop events for the people of Hawaii. John boldly moved forward directing both road runs and trail runs. He directed many races such as the Schofield 50 Miler, Capitol 50 Miler, Honolulu City Lights, HURT 100, HURT Trail Series races, and Haleakala Run to the Sun for its final seven years. When John was the race director, everyone benefitted from his endless optimism and can-do spirit. More than a few HURT 100 finishers have John to thank for believing in them and inspiring them.

John supported and mentored many young and novice Hawaii ultrarunners in their attempt to conquer big races all over the world.  Anyone needing training plans, advice, and encouragement would go to John, who was always generous in sharing his wisdom and experience. John gave generously of his time and experience to Hawaii’s young runners by coaching at Mid Pacific for three years.

Most important to John was sharing his love of trail running, inspiring runners to go beyond their perceived limits, provide support and fellowship, and to develop a community-concious running group. HURT was born out of that love and devotion to the running community, his desire to give of himself, and his respect for Hawaii’s aina. HURT remains the ohana that John envisioned, with his protégées carrying on in his memory and perpetuating HURT’s mission to enhance long distance running and trail runs and to provide fellowship and support among Hawaii’s running community.

Running accomplishments:

  • 4 x Western States 100 finisher – PR 24:36:00
  • 3 x Run to the Sun 36-mile finisher – PR 7:28:39
  • 3 x American River 50-mile finisher – PR 9:06:32

John now rests on the trails that he so loved, and his family couldn’t imagine any better place for him to stay in eternity. The thousands of people that he has introduced to trail running and have received his encouragement over his lifetime feel his spirit there and hear his voice saying,
“We Wouldn’t Want it to be Easy”.

Jack Scaff

hirunning on January 9, 2022

1935 – 2022

Dr. Scaff is a well-known cardiologist, author, lecturer, and race organizer, and widely-recognized as the “Father of Running” in Hawaii. Born in New York City in 1935, he moved to Hawaii in 1969 to begin his private medical practice.

As a pioneer and a visionary, Dr. Scaff was one of the first physicians to prescribe running as therapy for heart disease, directing the first cardiac rehabilitation program in the islands. He has prolonged and saved many lives by combining his knowledge of cardiovascular disease and long distance running.

Dr. Scaff proposed and founded the Honolulu Marathon (1973) and co-founded the Honolulu Marathon Clinic (1974), which he directed for more than 35 years. The Honolulu Marathon Clinic’s rich history is a testament to his fierce dedication and generous spirit. For more than 35 years, each Sunday morning for nine months a year, he and his clinic staff donated their time and expertise to encourage, train, and inspire neophyte athletes to do what only one percent of the population ever attains.

Other notable achievements:

  1. Founder and President of the Honolulu Marathon Association (1973- 1981)
  2. Started first out-patient Cardiac Rehabilitation Program/Honolulu in 1973 and went on to train the first Americans with a heart attack to complete a marathon (Honolulu Rim of the Pacific Marathon, 1973 and Boston Marathon, 1974)
  3. Subsequently, a medical study conducted on the benefits of recreational long distance running published by Dr. Rudy Dressendorfer, Dr. Jack Scaff, et. al., in the New York Academy of Sciences on “Metabolic Adjustments to Heart Patients During Marathon Running”, was recognized by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) as one of the greatest cardiovascular achievements of the 20th century.
  4. Became the first person in Hawaii to become a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine
  5. Appointed as a Senior Aviation Medical Examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Canada and Japan.
  1. Co-founder with the Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club (MPRRC), of the Primo 50-mile Fun Run Hawaii Kai (2/24/1976-1985) and later the Ultras (100 miler, 100km, 50 mile, 50 km) and relays.
  2. Race Director/Finisher of the Great Hawaiian Footrace (312 miles) in 1979, 1982, and 1985
  3. Co-Founder/ Director of the Great Aloha Run President’s Day (1986- 2002)
  4. Inducted into the Honolulu Marathon Association’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1996
  5. Director of the H3 Run, sponsored by the State of Hawaii, which was the largest first-time footrace with 17,000 entrants (1997)
  6.  Inducted into the Hawaii State Sports Hall of Fame (2003)
  7.  Wrote a book on running titled “Your First Marathon, the Last Word in Long Distance Running” (2011)
  8. Recognized by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii as a “Living Treasure” of Hawaii (2011)
  9. Additionally, Dr. Scaff completed 40+ marathons, three Great Hawaiian Footraces (312 miles) and a 50-miler

Dr. Scaff is retired and lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, with his wife Donna.