The M2O has just announced two big things, firstly registration is open from March 1st and secondly, we have already written about it: The Foilers will be moved to a different date and according to the PR below, the race course will also be changed. The topic of the race course already came up last year. The start and finish line was a challenge for the participants: The start is a flat water start in the lee of Molokai and the finish line at Port Lock in Honolulu is at the end of a 500m stretch with offshore winds. There was much debate as to whether the finish line should remain at the China Wall or whether the SUP Foilers should finish the course like all other paddlers. It was decided to leave the foilers on the same course, but the wingers finished the course out to sea.
Since things are changing this year and the foil race will be a separate race, it only makes sense to adjust the race course to accommodate the foil racers. The course hasn’t been officially announced yet, but chances are the start line will be a little more favorable for downwind starts and the finish line will be moved another 5 miles towards Honolulu to finish off Diamond Head. We are now waiting for the official news to be released and are excited to see what comes of it.
This is the offical PR:
HONOLULU, HI (February 29, 2024) – MolokaĘ»i-2-OĘ»ahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O) will return to the shores of Moloka’i this summer to celebrate the 25th edition of the race. The event will feature an international field of traditional paddleboarders (Prone), stand-up paddleboarders (SUP), and FOIL divisions. Â
Online registration for the July 28th Prone and SUP Paddleboard divisions opens tomorrow Friday, March 1st at 8 am HT (Hawaii Time) and closes Sunday, March 17th at 11:59 HT.
The FOIL divisions of the M2O will be showcased on a separate day and a new course. Registration will open March 15th for the Sunday July 21strace. Look for more info and announcements on the FOIL divisions in the next week.
The M2O is a 32-mile race across the Ka’iwi Channel that connects the Hawaiian Islands of Moloka’i and O’ahu. The prestigious race attracts over 250 of the world’s best paddlers from 25+ countries to attempt the ultimate paddling feat — the crossing of one of the world’s most unpredictable bodies of water.
In response to the high demand for race entries, a registration window will be used to allocate entries for the international field of athletes with previous M2O race experience and new athletes interested in racing M2O for the first time. Allocation of entries for both categories will be done on a first come basis with the start list posting by April 1st. All entries received after this window or outside of a potential sell out during the registration window will be placed on a waitlist.
“All of us are ready to celebrate the 25th edition of the race. It’s been quite a journey to get back to channel racing and we are all looking to 2024 to help define what is possible with the growth of FOIL and the amazing young athletes permeating the ranks across all our divisions,” said Shannon Delaney, Executive Director of the M2O. “Last year we crowned all new world champions and with a shift to 2 separate days of racing the event can capture more stories and footage form the channel and more opportunities to engage with local community of Moloka’i.”
Solo and team competitors are encouraged to review all information prior to registering with detailed information available on the official event website Molokai2Oahu.com. Athletes can link directly from the site to registration.
The Virtual Edition 5.0 will open early April.
That was the first race after the pandemic.
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