Breaking News
Local Sports

Lee, Domaoal win at 50th Maui Marathon

By Dakota Grossman 3 min read

KAANAPALI-- With a wide smile and arms raised high in celebration, Andrew Lee crossed the finish line of the 50th annual Maui Marathon as the overall champion.

"It was so cool, it was really beautiful to see sunrise running by the lighthouse," said Lee on Sunday morning after completing the 26.2-mile course in a time of 2 hours, 52 minutes, 38 seconds. "It's just cool, I mean, this is the 50th one, so I'm really excited to have etched my name into the record book for the anniversary."

The event, which finally returned after a two-year hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic, included the marathon, half marathon, 10- and 5-kilometer run/walk, and a four-person marathon relay.

Lee's wife, Elizabeth Su, ran the 10K and then greeted her husband at the finish line.

"I had this planned on the calendar for, like, four or five months," said Lee, a Michigan native who had been staying in Hawaii since New Year's. The couple had to make their way to the airport after the race. "I'd been looking forward to it."

While Lee had a plane to catch, Gina Domaoal also had a good reason to hurry along the marathon route -- her 2-year-old son was waiting for her at the finishing chute.

Domaoal surprised herself with a win in the women's race in 3:06:22.

"I wanted to get back because my son is here with my in-laws and I wanted to make sure I got back as fast as I could," Domaoal said with a laugh.

This was the Atlanta native's first-ever marathon, making the win that much sweeter, she said.

"I found some (training) online, did some speed, tempo and built up to 22 (miles)," Domaoal said. "My husband ran as well, but we realized we weren't going to run together."

The second place female finisher was Lilly Fisher, who crossed the line in 3:13:58, followed by Chrissy Parks (3:18:47).

Sunday's marathon started in Kahului at the Old Sugar Mill on Maui Veterans Highway and led runners toward West Maui, following along the coastline on Honoapiilani Highway until they reach the finish fronting the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel.

The morning's cool temperatures and overcast skies were appreciated by many runners and walkers, though the wind picked up about two hours into the marathon and was followed by hot pockets of sunshine.

"It was beautiful. I didn't expect how warm it would get on the second half, but it was beautiful," Domaoal said.

Though enjoying the route, Lee found himself chasing the front runner and then was chased himself by eventual second-place finisher Nicholas Gallo of Boston, who ran a time of 2:54:13. Brendan Fitzgibbons finished third in 2:56:00.

"I felt good until running through Lahaina and then around there, I could have really used a banana or orange or something, but everyone is so nice and the aid stations were so great and it was really beautiful," Lee said. "I was nervous this guy was chasing me. I passed him around mile 19."

Gallo, who was just a minute off Lee at the halfway mark after the pali, said he tried to stick with Lee, but "my quads were barking."

Still, Gallo said after the race that "it's a beautiful course, it's really nice."

* Dakota Grossman is at dgrossman@mauinews.com.

Starting at /week.