Honolulu Marathon
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The Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December.
On average, about 25,000 runners finish the Honolulu Marathon each year. It has consistently placed among the world's ten largest marathons in terms of total finishers, due largely to the popularity of the race among runners from Japan. In recent years, anywhere from 50% to 60% of the runners come from Japan, and Japan Air Lines is the title sponsor of the race.
Entry to the Honolulu Marathon is open to anyone who can pay the entry fee. Unlike other marathons of similar size, popularity, and stature, there are no qualifying standards to meet, no fixed limits on the number of runners, and no time limit to finish the course (all runners are officially timed).
Starting across from Ala Moana Beach Park, the course progresses west along the waterfront toward downtown Honolulu, then turns east through Waikiki, around Diamond Head, and out toward the eastern suburbs of Honolulu before turning back toward the finish line at Waikiki's Kapiolani Park. Marathoners consider the course moderately difficult because of the tropical weather conditions, with temperatures starting at around 65°F (18°C) and rising to as high as 80°F (27°C), and relatively hilly course compared with other marathons. Nevertheless, the race also remains a popular choice for first-time marathoners.
Many winners of the Honolulu Marathon have gone on to win prestigious marathons such as the Boston Marathon, and some have won medals in the Olympic marathon after winning in Honolulu.
In 2003, a total of 22,161 people finished the race, of which 14,183 were from Japan. Jimmy Muindi of Kenya won the men's race in a time of 2:12:59, while Eri Hayakawa of Japan was the first female to cross the finish line in a time of 2:31:56.
The current race records were both set in 2004. The men's race record of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 12 seconds was set by Jimmy Muindi, while the women's race record of 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 33 seconds was set by Lyubov Morgunova.
External links
- Honolulu Marathon website (http://www.honolulumarathon.org)ja:ホノルルマラソン