This is one of the harder ways to run up Mauna Kea. Though there is a road the whole way to 1/8 mile from the top, your greatest hurdle besides the distance and elevation will be the wind. The prevailing winds come from Hilo through the saddle and blow right down into Waikoloa (We jokingly refer to the area as Waiko-BLOW-a). So you will face a headwind from 5-35 mph for 41 miles until you reach the Mauna Kea Access Road.