Honolulu Marathon is ready to host 14,000 runners this weekend

Rain or shine, the Honolulu Marathon is on at 5 a.m. sharp Sunday with no capacity limits.

Dr. Jim Barahal, chief executive officer of the Honolulu Marathon Association, has dealt with more than a year of much uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic — but took a leap of faith that the race could be staged this month.

Despite the detection of the omicron variant in Hawaii, plus financial loss due to a drastic drop in runners from Japan, Barahal is determined to move ahead, pointing to the overall event as a symbol of triumph over adversity.

Barahal said he feels confident that outdoor activities are safe, based on guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that the marathon, which has about 14,000 registered participants across three events over the weekend — down from about 35,000 in 2019 — also will be safe.

“We’re excited,” he said. “We think a lot of people in the community are going to celebrate with us. When the gun goes off and fireworks go up in the sky, we’re going to send a signal that Hawaii is back.”

Dozens of marathons around the world have been staged this year, he noted, including major races in Boston, London and New York City. Last year’s Honolulu Marathon, along with scores of other races, was staged virtually, with participants submitting images from completed runs.

Some 10,000 participants are signed up for the 26.2-mile race, which starts on Ala Moana Boulevard and ends at Kapiolani Park. Most are local runners, while only a few hundred will be coming in from Japan. The rest are signed up for the Kala­kaua Merrie Mile on Saturday and the Start to Park 10K on Sunday.

Historically, according to Barahal, half of early registrants do not show up, so organizers are expecting about 7,000 participants. “This is going to be primarily a local event,” he said, adding that he believes it will be the largest since the pandemic started.

There is going to be a financial hit, he admitted, with at least an 80% decline in revenue. The marathon gets no funding from the city, state or visitor industry.

There was no significant boost in registrations after Hawaii opened up to international travelers last month, according to Barahal, who did not expect one with the short window of time. There will be about 400 runners from Japan this year compared to 17,000 in past years. Mizuno and Japan Airlines have stayed on as sponsors.

“We’re ready to go. We have budgeted the event, we have cut where we need to, but nothing that compromises safety,” he said, adding, “To not do it two years in a row would threaten the existence of it.”

The marathon’s largest fixed costs, which include securing the course with special duty officers, barricades and the use of timing chips, will still be covered, he said, but some bells and whistles such as the video screen and photo bridge at the finish line have been dropped.

There will still be malasadas for finishers, but no live entertainment along the route or at Kapiolani Park.

The marathon is now open to fully vaccinated participants and those who show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of the event. Barahal estimates about 90% of registered runners are fully vaccinated.

Participants older than age 12 need to bring photo ID and proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test when picking up race packets at the Honolulu Marathon Expo at the Hawai‘i Convention Center on Friday and Saturday.

Masks will not be required while running, and under the most recent easing of restrictions, staggered starts are no longer limited to 200 participants at a time. Runners will be separated based on projected times, but the goal is to get as many on the course as quickly as possible, Barahal said.

posted Thursday December 9th
by Nina Wu