The Honolulu Marathon will take place for the 50th year, starting 5 a.m. sharp on Sunday, Dec. 11, on Ala Moana Boulevard, with thousands of participating runners.
This year is the 50th anniversary of the 26.2-mile Honolulu Marathon, the fourth-largest marathon in the United States after New York, Chicago and Boston.
“We’re very excited,” said Dr. Jim Barahal, chief executive officer of the Honolulu Marathon Association. “There’s only a handful of marathons in the world that are this old. This is a small, select group of marathons that have lasted this long, and I think it’s a real tribute to the community of Hawaii that has supported this event and participated in it.”
The event has made it through multiple generations, he noted, and many now run the marathon to honor their mother, father or grandparent who ran it before them.
“We’re acutely aware of the multigenerational importance of the event, and how long it’s been in Hawaii and all the lives it has touched,” he said. “It’s very amazing to have lasted 50 years.”
As usual, there will be fireworks to launch the marathon at the start line, and malasadas after the finish line.
There are, so far, about 21,000 entries for the marathon, about 6,100 for the Start to the Park 10K and 2,100 for the Kalakaua Merrie Mile. Combined, that’s more than 29,000 participants in all.
That is more than double the numbers in 2021, when about 13,000, mostly residents, signed up and about 9,000 finished marathon events.
In 2019, prior to the COVID- 19 pandemic, there were about 33,000 participants in Honolulu Marathon events.
The marathon took a hit financially in 2021 due to the drop in registrations but was determined to forge ahead with an in-person event after holding the run virtually in 2020.
Barahal said the marathon is not back entirely due to fewer entries from Japan, which is generally the largest market, with about 17,000 participating in past years.
There are nearly 5,200 entries from Japan this year, compared with just about 400 in 2021, 125 of whom actually showed up.
The return of Japan travelers to Hawaii has not returned in full force yet, but Barahal is hopeful the marathon will mark a good start.
“Hawaii tourism from Japan is just starting,” he said. “So the marathon is being seen as a great kick-start for really bringing Japan tourism back.”
Japan Airlines, NTT Docomo and Mizuno are major sponsors of this year’s marathon, which will feature a special 50th-anniversary medal for finishers.
Barahal said there will be a special opening ceremony Dec. 9 in Waikiki to honor people important to the marathon in the past.
Two runners — Jerold Chun of La Jolla, Calif., and Gary Dill of Honolulu — have run every Honolulu Marathon for the past 49 years and plan to run their 50th this year. They will be honored at the ceremony.
Dr. Jack Scaff, cardiologist and Honolulu Marathon founder, died peacefully in late September at his home in Makiki. He was 87.
Scaff started the Honolulu Marathon in 1973, along with the Honolulu Marathon Clinic.
Barahal said he believes Scaff was a real pioneer in understanding the connection between aerobic exercise and cardiovascular health, and that the marathon was a way to get people to train for a goal.
“We’re going to take a pause to celebrate, reflect and honor people who made the event what it is,” he said.
What’s amazing, he said, is that although the start line and course of the marathon itself has changed over the years, the finish line at Kapiolani Park has remained the same.
The 26.2-mile course starts on Ala Moana Boulevard, passes through downtown Honolulu, past Iolani Palace and Waikiki, then up and around Diamond Head, through Kahala and along Kalanianaole Highway to Hawaii Kai and back again to the finish at Kapiolani Park.
“This little white stripe on this road here at Kapiolani Park has been the finish line all 50 years,” said Barahal. “I think when people finish this year, even people running it for a number of reasons, often in memory of relatives that have run the race and are no longer alive, they can envision or understand when they cross that line — that is the same line that their father or grandparents crossed 40, 50 years ago. And I think that’s very cool.”
THE 50TH HONOLULU MARATHON EVENTS
Last day to register for Honolulu Marathon events online is Wednesday at honolulumarathon.org. There are no qualifications to enter, and there is no time limit. Runners still may register in person at the Honolulu Marathon Expo, Hawai‘i Convention Center, Dec. 8-10.
>> Kalakaua Merrie Mile: 7 a.m. Dec. 10
>> Honolulu Marathon: 5 a.m. Dec. 11
>> Start to Park 10K: 5 a.m. Dec. 11
