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The Gatorade Player of the Year is an athletic award program that annually recognizes student-athletes not only for outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character in 12 different sports. The Gatorade Player of the Year award is the most prestigious award in high school sports and has been in existence for more than 30 years.

Play It Forward is Gatorade’s cause marketing platform, which empowers every one of the Gatorade Player of the Year award winners to choose a local or national youth sport organization to receive a $1,000 grant from Gatorade.

Emily Naylor of Oahu was recently honored with the Gatorade Female Hawaii Cross Country Player of the Year and was awarded the $1,000 grant. She named The Kauai Marathon Youth Running Program as the beneficiary. Jeff Sacchini, founder of The Kauai Marathon stated, “We were equally thrilled and surprised when we heard that Emily chose our Youth Running Program to receive the $1,000 grant. We know that it will positively affect so many student athletes on the Garden Island.”  Tyler McCandless, Kauai Marathon and Half Marathon Champion and the coordinator of the Youth Running Program went on to say, “We know that Emily has a very bright future in this sport that we all love and we are very thankful for her generosity.” Click here to read Tyler’s full interview with Emily.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow the conversation on Twitter #GatoradePOY. For more on Gatorade Play it Forward, the Gatorade Player of the Year, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit PlayerOfTheYear.Gatorade.com

The 12th Annual Kauai Marathon and Half Marathon takes place on Sunday, September 6th beginning at 6:00 am. Both events begin on Poipu Road in front of the Poipu Shopping Village. The first 11 miles are run together before the half marathoners veer off into Kukui’ula Resort to their oceanfront finish while the marathoners continue up Koloa Road to the neighborhoods of Lawai and Kalaheo before heading back down to Poipu. The marathon finishers’ party and awards ceremony is located on the oceanfront lawn at the Koloa Landing Resort beginning at 8:00am. Race participants as well as supporters can enjoy food, refreshments and live entertainment until the early afternoon. The online registration deadline for this world-renowned event is on September 2nd at 11:59 Pacific Standard Time. Race packets, bibs, and participant bags must be picked up at the Wilcox Health Sports and Fitness Expo at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa on Friday, September 4th or Saturday, September 5th. For more information, or to register for this spectacular event, please visit thekauaimarathon.com.