The Honolulu Marathon is expected to generate record revenue for Hawaii this year with one of the biggest races in its 40-year history.
Entrants for the Dec. 9 marathon are already up by nearly 4,000 from last year’s final count, and the direct and indirect revenue from the race is projected to reach between $125 million and $130 million, up from just over $100 million in 2011, according to Jim Barahal, president of the Honolulu Marathon Association.
The number of entrants is set to exceed 30,000 for the first time in 10 years, he said.
"It’s going to be one of the biggest fields we’ve ever had," said Pat Bigold, the marathon’s media director. "It will be only the seventh time we’ve gone over 30,000, which is difficult to do. That puts us in the category of a mega-marathon."
The field will also place Honolulu back on the list of the world’s 10 largest marathons. It was the 12th largest in the world last year and sixth largest in the United States based on the number of finishers, according to Running USA. There were 47,133 finishers at last year’s New York City marathon, a world record, compared with Honolulu’s 19,102.
"It is by far the biggest economic generator of any sporting event in Hawaii — three times bigger than the Pro Bowl, which generates between $30 million and $35 million," Bigold said.
As of Monday there were 26,302 registered runners compared with 22,615 entrants last year.
That includes 13,045 Japanese, already ahead of last year’s race day total of about 12,000. Hawaii entries are up as well at 11,212. Last year there were 8,201 local entries. The entry deadline is Dec. 8.
Kaimuki entrant Lynn Arakaki, 42, who ran her first marathon last year, said the high-profile race has helped to put Hawaii on the map for runners worldwide.
"It’s a worldwide event now, so I think it really helps with the tourism. It puts us right up there with those other national and international marathons," she said. "It brings in so many visitors and so much money, and it’s great for our economy. It’s really important to encourage a healthy lifestyle as well."
The last time the marathon surpassed 30,000 runners was in 2002 when entrants totaled 30,428. The race saw a record 34,434 participants in 1995.
Barahal is projecting the race will be 50 percent larger than last year with a 35 percent boost from the Japanese market.
"For us to kind of climb back into this range is pretty exciting," he said. "For Honolulu to achieve those numbers, it’s a major accomplishment, which is why we focus so much on the Japan market. We could never have a mega-marathon just based on Hawaii."
The strong numbers would help cap what will likely be a record year for tourism in Hawaii.
Through the first eight months of 2012, total visitor arrivals grew 10 percent to 5.38 million, and spending was up 20 percent to $9.59 billion. Experts expect Hawaii to host 7.8 million visitors this year who will spend $14 billion. That will top the 2007 record of 7.52 million visitors and $12.62 billion in spending.
The U.S. economic recovery and the addition of more airline seats have helped push up tourism this year.
The weakness of the dollar compared with the yen and more flights are boosting Japanese tourism. The market comprises about 80 percent of total marathon revenue, said Jerry Agrusa, professor of travel industry management at Hawaii Pacific University, who has reported on the economics of the marathon for the past decade.
"Previously there was more demand (for flights from Japan to Hawaii) than there were spots," Agrusa said.
"There’s been pent-up demand. Because of the tsunami last year, people didn’t travel as much. Now they’re saying it’s time to move on with life. Part of the recovery for Hawaii is the recovery of Japan. We benefit directly because they’re our largest international market."
