Four Academy runners were among 22, 081 finishers in the 41st Honolulu Marathon on Dec. 8.

The annual 26.2 mile course starts at Aloha Tower, goes eastward to Hawaii Kai and finishes at Kapiolani Park.

Junior Pamela Nishida said, “Though it was no easy task to complete, I’m glad I did it. Looking back, I can now say that I ran over 26 miles and finished my first marathon. Not many people can say that they’ve done that!”

Junior Kindergarten teacher Carrie Knebel also ran her first marathon this year.

“I chose to run the marathon because it had been a dream of mine for a very long time. I trained for six months leading up to the marathon, and in the last month of training I averaged 30 miles per week!”

Senior Greer Smith has done this before.

“Many people hope to accomplish one marathon in their lifetime, and I’m able to say I’ve done two within my first 17 years. Though I didn’t train as much this year, my time improved,” said Smith.

Theology teacher Cristina Smith is also familiar with the marathon.

“In the past I’ve run three Honolulu Marathons and the best part is being able to run with my daughter and husband. I love to run, which is one of the reasons why I plan to do a fourth marathon next year,” said Smith, the mother of Greer Smith.

The runners were recognized for their accomplishment at flag on Dec. 13.