Traffic is an enemy to many.

It is a friend to a chosen few.

When it came to a young Polina Babkina, the answer to thwarting the congestion on the road came in the form of an unexpected companion: running.

She ran to and from school, to the tennis courts, to go shopping — sometimes in heels — all because it was the quicker way to get around in Sochi, Russia, a coastal resort town home to Babkina, Maria Sharapova and the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Now 24, the once-aspiring tennis pro has made great strides in another sport. In just six months, Babkina has become one of the top female long-distance runners in Hawaii and is one of the favorites in Monday’s Great Aloha Run.

In her one season as a graduate student at Hawaii Pacific, she earned all-conference after finishing second at the PacWest championship and all-region honors after placing 16th at the West Regional.

Four weeks after her collegiate eligibility ran out, Babkina was still running, taking third among women in the XTERRA World Trail Run Championships, a 21K event at Kualoa Ranch that was her longest run to date and professional debut.

Six days later, Babkina popped off a 3:03.10 in the Honolulu Marathon, tops among female Hawaii residents, 12th among women and 89th overall.

"That was a great experience," Babkina said of her 26.2-mile debut. "I was surprised. I didn’t do any training for it.

"One of the top runners told me that if you want to feel something, you have to do a marathon. If you want to just be in something, you can run something shorter. It is now my passion."

It also could be her path to the Olympics, where Babkina has set her sights on qualifying for the marathon, representing her native Russia or — if the paperwork clears in time — running for the U.S.

The Olympic Trials qualifying time is 2:47 and "it is totally within her range," said HPU cross country coach Jorge Medina, who has become Babkina’s trainer and unofficial manager. "She’s already had some great results and, now that she is training for it, I would not be surprised if she qualifies, if not for 2016 then for 2020.

"She is such a workhorse, always comes ready to go. She loves running and is always up for a challenge. Of course, we’re looking for local sponsors so that all she has to worry about is running."

Medina first met Babkina at West Alabama, where he was the assistant cross country coach and she was on a tennis scholarship. She so excelled at running drills that Babkina was encouraged to join the Tigers cross country team, where she became the No. 2 runner and eventually set the school’s record for the 6K distance.

The two reunited last fall at HPU, where Babkina would be running as a graduate student. At her suggestion, Medina applied and was hired for the vacant head coaching job with the Sea Warriors.

"When we first met, she was a tennis player trying to convert to being a runner," Medina said. "She trained with us in the morning, then trained with tennis in the afternoon. That got my attention.

"Her form was not the best but that was only mechanics. She has a natural stride. She glides. It was a lot of work to do both sports but she was committed to that and to school. She had one of the best GPA’s on either team. School was first for her and I admired that."

"I would say that I didn’t have any free time," the 5-foot-5, 103-pound runner said of her time at West Alabama. "It was all school and athletics.

"Now I have a little more time, am able to train twice a day. I love it here. This will be my first (Great Aloha Run) and I’m looking forward to it. My goal, of course, is to win but I also want to do my best."

Babkina, who started serious tennis at age 11, said that her background in the sport has helped her with the mental and physical discipline required in long-distance running.

"I think I have talent but I think it’s more about dedication, hard work and love for sports," she said. "My goal is the 2016 Olympics. I’m hoping to make it but I’m going to take it step by step."

REC CENTER

Hawaii dominates SUP opener

Maui’s Kai Lenny won the Sunset Beach Pro Championship and Hawaii standup paddlers swept the top three spots of the Standup World Tour opener off Sunset Beach.

Lenny, who finished second in this event last year, scored 15.5 points to easily claim the title. Oahu’s Robin Johnston finished second (9.95), edging Kody Kerbox of Maui (9.93) in the event that finished Wednesday. Tahiti’s Poenaiki Raioha, the youngest rider in the finals at 15, was fourth (8.0).

Brazil’s Nicole Pacelli won the inaugural Turtle Bay Women’s Pro with part-time Hawaii resident Candice Appleby second. Hawaii’s Vanina Walsh was third and Hannah Fenton fourth in the first stop of the Women’s Pro Tour. Raioha took the title in the Na Kama Kai Youth Challenge followed by France’s Benoit Carpentier, Hawaii’s Mo Freitas and Tucker Ingalls of California.

21st Panaewa Stampede in Hilo

Famed rodeo clown JJ Harrison will be part of the entertainment at the 21sth Panaewa Stampede this weekend on Hawaii island.

The event begins at noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday at the Panaewa Equestrian Center in Hilo. Competition is in bull riding, roping barrels with cowboy poker and bull runs also slated. Advanced tickets are $5, $7 at the gate. Children under 12 are free.

» hawaiirodeostampede.com.

Amateur boxing card at Palolo

Boxers from four islands are expected to compete in an event Saturday and Sunday at Palolo District Park gym.

Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Hawaii island are on the card that begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $12 Saturday and $5 Sunday for the event that is co-sponsored by Palolo and Kawano boxing clubs.

» amateurboxingofhawaii.com.

Lacrosse meetings, practice set

The Aloha Youth Lacrosse Association is holding a parent informational meeting and player practice Sunday at Kapiolani Park.

Practice runs from 2:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. with the parent meeting from 2:45 p.m. until 3:15 p.m. on the mauka side of the park near the Paki Avenue parking lot.

Players are being sought for the spring season, which opens March 3, and for the high school boys season, which begins April 1. The league is open to youth grades 1 through 12, regardless of experience.

» alohalax.org.

Warrior Dash at Dillingham

Warrior Dash, billed as the world’s largest running series, makes its Honolulu stop on Feb. 23 at Dillingham Ranch in Waialua.

The 5K course includes 12 obstacles, fire pits and mud, and is run over 15 heats, starting at 9 a.m. It is also a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The entry fee is $100 through Tuesday. Parking fee is $10.

» warriordash.com.

ODKF scholarships deadline

Applications for the Outrigger Duke Kanamoku Foundation, a program that awards scholarships for Hawaii college-age athletes competing in water sports and volleyball, is March 1.

A new funding source this year is a partnership between SunWest Foods and ODKF. A portion of the sales of its Old Style Hawaiian Rice is being donated to ODKF, including $2,400 from the initial launch of the program.

Last year, the foundation awarded 61 scholarships and grants totaling $130,950 to athletes, teams and nonprofit organizations.

» dukefoundation.org.