That’s a lot of miles for a malasada

And they’re off!

Well, not officially till 5 a.m. Sunday from Waikiki. But Honolulu Marathon participants have been active in a raft of precursor events this week, including the big expo at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

More than 21,000 are expected in this year’s marathon with registration slightly ahead of last year, a positive development given earlier thinking that the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan might keep many from participating.

An added treat this year: Finishers won’t be getting just the traditional shell lei and certificate at the finish line at Kapiolani Park; they’ll also be rewarded with a freshly made malasada. Way to pump the energy back up.

We’ll believe it when we see it, maybe

We’ve remarked a lot about the Abercrombie administration’s penchant for secrecy, particularly with judicial nominations. So it’s welcome news that Gov. Neil Abercrombie is looking to make the state budget process more transparent by releasing quarterly reports on state spending.

Never mind that he’s also doing it to tweak the Lingle administration, whom he has accused of passing off "jury-rigged numbers" as fiscal soundness.

In announcing the plan, Abercrombie said he feels entitled to ask people "to give credit where credit is due." He was referring to his handling of the budget, but we’ll apply it to opening up the state’s books. Great idea, governor.