Harold (Ky) Cole

Kāne Ng-Osorio on June 12, 2026

Harold (Ky) Cole dominated running in Hawaii (road and track races) from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s, rarely losing a race.  Cole set records and then proceeded to repeatedly break his own records at every distance from 1 mile to 25 kilometers.  The following is an example of one year of Cole’s racing results: 

1/3/1965 – 1st place, Hawaiian AAU 10-mile race.  Winner for 2nd straight year in a time of 50:31, breaking the record he set in the preceding year. 

2/14/1965 – 1st place, Hawaiian AAU 15.5-mile race.  Set new record of 1:21:56, breaking his own record. 

2/28/1965 – 1st place, Hawaiian Road Runners Club 15-K race.  Set new record of 48:19. 

3/27/1965 — 1st place, 3-mile race, All-Comers Track & Field at Cooke Field.  Time of 15:10.4 broke his own record set in 1962. 

4/3/1965 – 1st place, 3-mile race, All-Comers Track & Field at Cooke Field.  Time of 14:52.5 broke his own record set the prior week.   

5/20/1965 – 1st place, 6-mile race, Hawaiian AAU Track & Field Championships at Alexander Field. 

7/4/1965 – 1st place, Hawaii Road Runners’ Club 10-mile Race at Kapiolani Park. 

8/7/1965 – 1st place, Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club 4.5-mile Cross Country Race at Kapiolani Park.  Set new record of 23:31. 

10/2/1965 – 1st place, 4.3-mile cross country race at University of Hawaii. 

10/16/1965 – Fastest time at Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club 12-mile Handicap Race.   

10/30/1965 – 1st place, Mid-Pacific Roadrunners Club 2-mile Cross Country Race at Kapiolani Park. 

11/17/1965 – Honored as Outstanding Long Distance Runner at the Annual Hawaiian AAU Banquet.  Champion in 5-mile, 10-mile, 15.5-mile and marathon races. 

12/5/1965 – 1st place, Hawaiian AAU 5.2-mile Road Race. 

12/23/1965 – 1st place, Hawaiian AAU 10-K Race at Kapiolani Park.  Set new course record of 32:30. 

Cole ran in the 1950s and 1960s, which was before the “running boom”.  Although the number of racers was not large, the regular reporting in the newspaper of each race during that time indicated that distance racing was highly respected in Honolulu.  Track meets were as prevalent as road races.  The day after each road race or track meet, there was a news article that described the race and the leaders, accompanied by the race results.  There were even articles announcing each upcoming race and who was expected to be among the leaders. 

Cole’s nickname, Ky, is a nod to his hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky.  Cole first came to Hawaii as a member of the U.S. Marine Corp at the age of 20 in the mid-1950s.  After finishing his military service, he returned to Kentucky.  However, his love for Hawaii and its running scene resulted in his quick return to study at and run for the University of Hawaii.  Cole met and married June, a local girl.  After graduating from UH, he became a history teacher at Kalani High School.  Ky and his wife, June, raised Lars, Scott and Kyla in Hawaii, with the whole family running in road races. During that time, there were multiple running families.  The three Cole children all eventually ran for Kalani High School.  After retiring, Ky and June moved to Kentucky.  Cole passed away in 2015. 

Rita Denniston (Mihaly) 

Kāne Ng-Osorio on June 12, 2026

In early 1990, The Honolulu Advertiser proclaimed Rita Denniston the “top woman endurance athlete” of the decade. She was a dominant force in local races in the 1980’s, placing first or second in races from 10Ks to ultramarathons:  

  • She won the Hawaii Women’s 10K three times: 1985 (36:19), 1988 (36:58) and 1989 (36:35) and placed second twice (1983 and 1987). 
  • Denniston won the kamaaina or Hawaii resident award in the Honolulu marathon FIVE times: 1983 (2:54:46, 5th female), 1984 (2:45:09, 3rd female, Hawaii state record), 1986 (2:49:34, 6th female), 1987 (2:52:26, 5th female), and 1988 (2:47:42, 3rd female). 
  • She won the women’s division in the 1986 ultramarathon Run to the Sun (5:53:52), setting a course record. 

Nationally, Denniston competed in two U.S. Olympic Trials marathon distance, in 1984 (2:44:15 PR) and 1988 (2:48:06). She was also competitive internationally, placing first or second female in three Manila International Marathons and second female in the 1987 Vancouver International Marathon. Plus, placed 1st female in the 1988 Hiroshima International Peace 30K (1:54:30). 

Denniston brings the same passion and discipline she gained from years of running to her everyday life, with a firm belief that body, mind, and spirit work together and one should never give up. The Honolulu Advertiser highlighted her unwavering dedication and persistence in running, regardless of challenges.   

Denniston was born the fifth child out of seven in Los Angeles and raised in Torrance, California before moving to Kauai at 17. She works for a large resort on Maui as the Marketing Supervisor and has lived in Haiku Maui for the past 26 years. She has two children and two grandchildren. 

Jack Karbens

Kāne Ng-Osorio on June 12, 2026

Jack Karbens is being inducted into the Hawaii Running Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport of running in Hawaii.  He has served as president and in other key positions with the Hawaii Masters Track Club since 1973.   

Jack’s most significant contributions were promoting, organizing and administrating track and running events.  He competed, coached and inspired many athletes of all ages to train and commit to lifetime physical fitness.  At local, regional and national track and road races, he did not care if he came in first or last, just have fun, finish and give 100%.  His notable competitions are as follows: 

  • 2003, U.S. national masters outdoor pentathlon championship (200 meter run, 1500 meter run, long jump, javelin, and discus) 60-64 division, 1st place. 
  • Starting in 1973, completed 11 Honolulu Marathons, 50 decathlons, 70 track pentathlons, 50 throws pentathlons, 30 Hawaiian Scottish Games, and two Waikiki Rough Water Swims.  The marathons, and hundreds of other road races, including the Hana Relays, were run for fun.  Track workouts were three times per week for 50 years.  Member of Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club since 1973. 
  • Honolulu Marathon best time: 3 hours, 43 minutes. 

Jack taught accounting and business subjects at the University of Hawaii, Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific University for 49 years.  He is a retired CPA with a doctorate (EdD) from UH. 

Matthew Holton 

Kāne Ng-Osorio on June 12, 2026

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. 

Steve Jenness 

Kāne Ng-Osorio on June 12, 2026

Steve Jenness was a gifted runner with the heart and soul of a teacher and mentor: his real gift wasn’t just how fast he ran, but how well he taught others to do the same. Jenness achieved success as a runner in high school, college, and post-college, and later became a dedicated and inspirational high school coach for 35 years.  

Jenness demonstrated a remarkable talent for running early in life, running the Honolulu Marathon — his first race ever — at the age of 14 (3:22) and improving his time to 2:47 the following year. He was an exceptional runner at Kalaheo High School, winning the OIA cross country championship in 1976 and 1977.  On the track, he won six OIA championships.  At the state track championships, he won the mile race in both 1977 and 1978 and the two-mile race in 1978. 

Jenness attended the University of California Riverside on a track scholarship.  In 1982, he was an All- American at 1500 meters, with a best time of 3:44.72.  In addition, Jenness was a four-year letter winner in Cross Country and Track. After college, Jenness won many road races in Hawaii in the 1980s and 1990s.  

Jenness led the Kamehameha Schools boys’ cross-country and track programs to sustained excellence, demonstrating a rare ability to develop talent, motivate athletes, and build a winning culture. He served as head cross-country coach from 1988 to 2020, earning Coach of the Year honors 15 times. In track, he was distance coach from 1985 to 2015 and head coach from 2016 to 2019. Between 1997 and 2015, his teams captured 13 state championships, along with four runner-up and two third-place finishes, scoring under 100 points every year during that span. He also coached 18 individual state champions across cross-country and track. 

Jenness is a retired firefighter and was recently appointed to the new City and County of Honolulu Ocean Safety Commission. He resides in Hawaii with his wife Cynthia. 

Stein Rafto

Kāne Ng-Osorio on June 12, 2026

Dr. Stein Erik Rafto’s life reflects a remarkable blend of athletic excellence, academic achievement, professional accomplishment, and lifelong service to his community. 

Born in Tacoma, Washington, Rafto came with his family to Hawaii in 1963 when his father was stationed at Lualualei. The family made the five-day ocean voyage aboard the MSTS Barrett, beginning a lifelong connection to the islands. He grew up in Makaha, graduating from Makaha Elementary and Waianae Intermediate before attending Mid-Pacific Institute. 

At Mid-Pacific, Rafto quickly distinguished himself as both a scholar and athlete. Graduating in 1974 as salutatorian, he served as junior class president, was inducted into the National Honor Society, and earned the alumni-sponsored college financial grant and book award. A two-time Scholar-Athlete and Athletic Department MVP, Rafto excelled in competition while maintaining academic excellence. 

Under coach Johnny Faerber, Rafto became one of Hawaii’s premier young runners. He won five HHSAA state championships—two in cross-country, two in the mile, and one in the two-mile. Among his standout performances were a 4:18.9 mile and a 9:25.0 two-mile to win the 1974 state championships. He also set meet and course records, including the HHSAA cross-country course record of 10:37, and captured the AAU 3-mile championship in 14:17.7, establishing a Cooke Field record. 

Decades later, Rafto continued supporting his alma mater when Mid-Pacific president Joe Rice asked him to re-establish the M Club, the school’s athletic booster organization. Serving three years as president, he helped raise more than $1 million to support Mid-Pacific athletic programs. 

Shortly after graduation from Mid-Pacific, Rafto traveled to Norway to connect with his father’s family heritage. During a six-week stay, he continued running and qualified for the Junior National Championships. 

Rafto went on to attend Harvard College, graduating cum laude in Biochemistry in 1978. His undergraduate research thesis received one of only three summa honors in the department, and his work was published in the journal Biochemistry. At Harvard he earned 10 varsity letters—four in cross-country, three in indoor track, and three in outdoor track—while also serving as cross-country captain and distance section captain for track. He received All-Ivy League and All-Eastern honors, including a standout performance at the Ivy League Cross-Country Championships and competition in the NCAA Division I Cross-Country National Championships. He was also the recipient of the J.D. “Don” French ’56 Cross Country Award. During his time with the program he helped lead track team fundraising efforts, raising over $11,000 for Friends of Harvard Track & Cross Country. 

Rafto has remained deeply connected to Harvard throughout his life, serving as class marshal for the 30th, 35th, and 40th reunions and as his class’s “medical officer,” organizing health-focused symposiums. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he founded and served as chief medical officer for the Harvard COVID-19 Initiative, coordinating more than 150 volunteer professionals who provided free confidential consultations to alumni during the first two years of the pandemic. 

After graduating from Harvard, Rafto moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he coached distance runners at Mt. Tamalpais High School and the Marin Racers. 

He later returned to Hawaii and attended the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), graduating in 1983 with honors in several pre-clinical and clinical disciplines. During medical school he served as a teaching assistant in anatomy and physiology and worked weekends at the Running Room annex at Kaimana Beach Hotel while completing his internship in Hawaii. 

Rafto completed his radiology residency and extended neuroradiology fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he served on the junior staff and conducted innovative research imaging the cat visual system, supported by NIH R-1 grant funding. His academic work included several book chapters, peer-reviewed publications, and numerous scientific presentations. 

Returning to Hawaii, Rafto was co-director of Hawaii’s first high-field MRI facility at Kewalo Basin. He served as a staff radiologist with Kaiser Permanente from 1991 to 2016 where he oversaw site selection, magnet acquisition, installation, training, and management of personnel for Kaiserʻs new MRI. He also served as a JABSOM adjunct professor for 15 years, teaching medical students and residents the fundamentals of medical imaging. In the mid-1990s he served as a neuroradiology consultant at Tripler Army Medical Center. 

Internationally, Rafto helped advance imaging medicine through visiting professorships at Haukeland Regional Medical Center in Bergen, Norway, where he taught advanced neuroradiology techniques and assisted in establishing the region’s first MRI facility. 

He also served the profession through leadership roles including president of the Hawaii Radiological Society, two four-year gubernatorial appointments as the chief physician on Hawaii’s Radiation Safety and Imaging Applications Board, and executive committee service with both the American Society of Neuroradiology and the Western Neuroradiology Society. 

Even while building his medical career, Rafto remained an accomplished runner on Hawaii’s roads. He won the Norman Tamanaha 15K twice, the Honolulu Symphony 4-Miler twice, and the Sports Invitational 4-Miler at Ala Moana Park. In the 1983 Honolulu Marathon, he ran 2:27:57 to win the Kamaʻāina Award as the top Hawaii resident finisher. 

Rafto has also been a generous mentor and coach. Over the years he served as a volunteer and assistant coach for cross-country and track at Punahou School, working with head coaches Michael Georgi, Micah Pavich, and Duncan Macdonald. 

Beyond athletics and medicine, Rafto is widely remembered for his enthusiasm for education and community outreach. For more than a decade he visited elementary classrooms—including Punahou, Kamehameha, Holy Nativity, Aina Haina, and Ewa Beach—during Halloween with his teaching partner “Oscar,” a six-foot skeleton. Using X-rays, a view box, and creative art projects, he introduced students to the world of medicine and the human body. 

He and his wife Haven Young, whom he describes as the rock of their family, raised three children in Hawaii while he pursued his medical career and remained active in the running community. 

Rafto has always embraced adventure with his family, traveling widely and exploring cultures and landscapes around the world. His journeys have included rafting Class V rapids in Idaho and West Virginia, skiing in the Rocky Mountains, riding camels in the Sahara, hiking the Inca Trail, visiting the Norway–Russia border, and celebrating family heritage in Norway with a memorable trip to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer to honor his father’s 70th birthday. 

From Makaha to Mid-Pacific, from Harvard to the world of medicine, and from championship races to mentoring future generations, Stein Rafto’s life reflects dedication, curiosity, and generosity of spirit. His extraordinary accomplishments and lifelong contributions make him a proud and deserving inductee into the Class of 2026 Hawaii Running Hall of Fame. 

Jeannie Wokasch (Parente) 

Kāne Ng-Osorio on June 12, 2026

Most people cross the finish line in pain and exhaustion, and our 2026 Hawaii Hall of Famer Jeannie Wokasch is no exception. However, after handily beating the women’s field, she also managed to cartwheel across the finish line, which soon became her trademark. 

Jeannie Wokasch excelled in races locally, nationally, and internationally. She was recruited to run for the Hawaii Pacific University cross-country team in 1993. She was a well-known presence at races of varying distances in Hawaii, winning many of them. She completed six Honolulu Marathons (1989-1998) finishing among the top eight in all of them. She also received the Kamaaina award (fastest local women’s finisher) in the 1992 Honolulu Marathon (2:49:29). Her six Maui Marathons (1990-1999) resulted in first place finishes in all those races but one, and she finished first in all five Kona Marathons (2000-2006) except one. 

Nationally, Wokasch won top awards in the Big Sur Marathon (1992, 2:51:06, 1st place women/1995, 2:48:25, 2nd place women), San Francisco Marathon (1992, 2:43:58, 5th place women), California International Marathon, Sacramento (1991, 2:45:57, 5th place women), Las Vegas Marathon (1992, 2:47:28, 3rd place women), and Grandma’s Marathon (1993, 2:42:16, 5th place women). Wokasch also competed in the Olympic Marathon Team Trials in South Carolina in 1996 (3:00:25). Internationally, Wokasch competed in marathons in Italy, Vancouver, and New Zealand. 

Wokasch was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota as one of eight children.  

Wokasch’s volunteerism includes assisting at Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club races and four years coaching the girls’ cross-country team at Moanalua High School. 

Wokasch worked as a teacher’s assistant at a Honolulu pre-school and raised three sons, all of whom reside in California. 

Harold Chapson

hirunning on December 26, 2022

Harold B. Chapson

(1902-1992)

Harold B. Chapson was a masters athlete who set numerous American and World Records while in his 70s and 80s. In 1989 he held over 40 World Records based on one year age brackets, shattering expectations of what was possible for athletes in these age groups.

Harold was originally from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and contracted polio at age five, which limited the use of his left arm. Nevertheless, he adjusted his running style to adapt to the handicap. He was involved in track and field for more than 60 years, dating back to the 1920s, where he was a track star at Colorado A&M in 1925 and 1926. 

He moved to Hawaii in 1929, teaching shop and agriculture at a junior high school. After he retired in 1964, he began walking for exercise and took up running again in 1968.

He served as president of the Hawaii Masters Track Club in 1976.

Harold Chapson’s mind-boggling World Record track performances include:

  • 400 meters – 68.1 (age 72 on 7/5/75)
  • 400 meters – 75.4 (age 80 on 7/9/82)
  • 800 meters – 2:40.0 (age 75 on 5/14/78 – still an American Record as of 2023)
  • 800 meters – 2:49.4 (age 81 on 8/9/83 – still an American Record as of 2023)
  • 1500 meters – 5:21.1 (age 73 on 8/9/75)
  • 1500 meters – 5:54.5 (age 80 on 7/17/82 – still an American Record as of 2023)
  • Mile – 5:54.0 (age 71 on 11/25/73 – the first man on record, over age 70, to run a sub-six- minute mile.)
  • Mile – 6:43.3 (age 80 on 3/4/83)
  • 3000 meters – 11:46.2 (age 73 on 3/28/76)
  • 5000 meters – 20:51.6 (age 72 on 4/27/75)

Harold passed away in 1992 in Honolulu. The Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club hosts the popular and competitive Harold Chapson Memorial 8K starting and finishing in Kapiolani Park every January.

Connie Comiso

hirunning on March 11, 2022

Connie Comiso, aka Connie del Rosario and Connie Comiso-Fanelli, has been running nearly 45 years and has been called the most prolific female runner in Hawai‘i. She sang and danced hula and Tahitian with the Kailua High School Madrigal Singers. In 1978, at the University of Hawaii (UH) School of Nursing, Connie started running to lose weight. Three months and thirty pounds later, she entered her first race, the Hilo marathon, finishing in 3:47. She started attending the Honolulu Marathon clinic, joined Hash House Harriers, the Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club (MPRRC), and was a walk-on in her senior year to the UH Cross Country team coached by Johnny Faerber. After graduating from the UH School of Nursing, she asked Coach Johnny if he would continue to coach her. He agreed, and the Faerber’s Flyers was born.         

Locally, Connie has won many major road races:

  • MPRRC Outstanding Female Runner of the Year x 16 years; 1985, 1986, 1987, 2001-2013
  • Won the first Great Aloha Run in 1985
  • Honolulu Quarterback Club Senior Female Athlete of the Year Finalist 2005
  • Won Hilo Marathon 7 years in a row; 1980-1987
  • Won Kona Marathon x 2, 2nd x 1, 3rd x 4
  • Won Run to the Sun Ultramarathon x 7; 37.5 miles from sea level to 10,000 feet to the summit of Haleakala Crater on Maui
  • Won MPRRC Marathon Readiness Series Overall Female winner 2004
  • Won Volcano 10 miler x 2 in Volcano National Park on the Big Island, 1980, 1984
  • Won Hawaii State Championships in the 5K, 10K, 15K, 30K
  • Won the Windward Half Marathon x 2, Val Nolasco Half Marathon x 2
  • First Kamaina female finisher in Honolulu Marathon 1991
  • Maui Marathon 2nd and 3rd place overall female x 2
  • Age division winner, Kaua‘i Marathon, 50-54 and 55-59
  • Age division winner, Maui Marathon x 3, 40-44, 45-49 x 3, 50-54 x 1
  • Age division winner, Honolulu Marathon x 1, 30-34, 35-39 x 2, 3rd place 40-44
  • Ran on winning/record setting teams: O‘ahu Perimeter Relays, Hana Relays, Primo Relays and Manoa Relays in Hawaii; Hood to Coast Relays in Oregon.

Her personal best times:

  • One mile: 5:04 in the Cherry Street Mile in Tulsa OK
  • 5K: 17:34 in the Terry Fox 5K in Philadelphia
  • 10K: 37:17 in the Hawai‘i State Championships in Kaneohe
  • 15K: 57:20 in the Hickam State Championships on Hickam AFB
  • 10 Miles: 1:04 at Runners Life 10-Miler at Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa, HI
  • Half Marathon: 1:21 in the Val Nolasco Half in Hawai‘i Kai and Ichinoseki, Japan
  • 30K: 2:01 in the Honsport State Championships in Honolulu
  • Marathon: 2:53 in the Manila International Marathon
  • Ultramarathon 37.5 miles: 6:00 in Haleakala Run to the Sun, Maui, HI

On the Mainland and Internationally, Connie was invited to compete in or qualified for: San Francisco Marathon (x 2), NYC Marathon (x 2), Boston Marathon (x 2), Philadelphia Marathon (2nd overall female), Broad Street 10 Mile in Philadelphia (x 2, age division winner), Jamaica Marathon (x 2), Jamaica 10K, Vancouver, BC International Marathon (x 2, 3rd and 4th female overall), Manila International Marathon (x 2, 3rd and 4th female overall), Ichinoseki, Japan Half Marathon (x 15, 2nd female overall x 1), Anchorage, Alaska All Women’s 10K representing Hawaii.

Coaching experience:

  • Assistant Cross Country Coach at UH with Head Coach Johnny Faerber x 2 years;
  • Assistant Cross Country Coach with PAC-5 x 2 years
  • Assistant Cross Country Boy’s JV/VARS, Head Coach Michael Georgi at Punahou HS x 10 yrs
  • Assistant Cross Country, Track Coach Girls intermediate, JV, VARS, Sacred Hearts  x 9 years currently

Sponsorships include: Nike Hawai‘i (x 10 years), Running Room (x 5 years), Fleet Feet (Philadelphia x 2 years; Hawai‘i x 2 years), Runners HI (x 5 years), Hawaiian Airlines (x 2 years), Honolulu Club (x 1 year), Gold’s Gym (x 3 years).

Literary and media contributions: Runners Life Magazine (x 10 years), Hawai‘i Race Magazine (x 5 years), MDA co-chair in the Love Run Program (x 2 with Super Bowl champ Russ Francis & Kelly Beck), ABC TV and KITV-4 Color Commentary coverage for Diet Pepsi 10K, Tinman Triathlon and Honolulu Marathon (x 4 years), KKUA AM radio Weekend Running Report with Connie (x 2 years).

Club contributions: Started Faerber’s Flyers Women’s Running Club in 1980, later in 2000, club became co-ed; started Beer & Nachos Track Club in 1983; first woman to join Honolulu Hawai‘i Hash House Harriers in 1980; member of Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club (x 40 years; lifetime member x 25 years; ; current Board member, and Social Director x 4 years); Board member of the Hawai‘i Running Hall of Fame.

Race Director and Emcee: Johnny Faerber All Men’s 10K (x 10 years, later became coed, current race director); Hawaiian Style 8K (x 10 years); Race Against Violence (x 10 years); Mahalo to Tesh 5K (to honor and thank photographer Uriel Teshima for his thousands of pictures he took and mailed to runners for 25 years); Aloha for Japan 5K (benefit for the victims of the Sendai Tsunami in 2011). Connie has her BSN in Nursing from UH, is a Certified Case Manager, Certified Childbirth Educator, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Hypnotherapist. She works at Kapi‘olani Medical Center and coaches at Sacred Hearts Academy. She lives in Manoa with her running husband/surfer Craig Knohl and their dog, Casey. She has a 26-year-old son, Gary Fanelli Jr, and 26-year-old stepdaughter, Nasia Knohl, who all run.

Jonathan Cross

Kāne Ng-Osorio on November 15, 2023

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.