honolulu marathon

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.

The race began in 1973. During its formative period (1973-1978) the Honolulu Marathon doubled in size every year―a rate that has been equaled only once. That growth, like the growth of long-distance running itself, came about not from an interest in competition, but from a quest for personal longevity and an enhanced quality of life.

At the forefront of the growth of the Honolulu Marathon was the iconoclastic cardiologist Dr. Jack Scaff, one of the first physicians to prescribe running as therapy for heart disease. In 1977 Sports Illustrated's senior writer and Olympic marathoner Kenny Moore wrote a feature story about the race. That article was soon followed by the book "The Honolulu Marathon," by journalist Mark Hazard Osmun; the book was a revelatory chronicle of the then-unfolding social craze called the "Running Boom," as exemplified in the Honolulu event.

Over time, the race grew and changed, luring large corporate sponsors and paying substantial prize money to the winners. Once, in 1995, the Honolulu Marathon enjoyed the distinction of being the world's largest marathon when it drew 34,434 entrants.

Unique to the Honolulu Marathon among American marathons is its popularity among runners from Japan, where there are very few marathons open to all entrants. In recent years, the majority of entrants have been visitors from Japan. The marathon is popular enough that the Honolulu Marathon Association maintains an office in Tokyo to process entries. Japan Air Lines is the title sponsor of the race, and three of the four supporting sponsors are Japanese companies (the only American sponsor is Nike).

In 2006, 17,905 of the total 28,635 entries were from Japan, which made up nearly 62.5 percent of the field.

Special traffic controls are in effect until 5 p.m. today in the Downtown, Kakaako, Ala Moana, Waikiki, Diamond Head, Kahala, Aina Haina, Niu Valley, and East Honolulu areas for the 2007 Honolulu Marathon.
The closures started at 12:30 a.m., with one or more lanes closed and/or coned until the athletes complete each section of the course today.

Tow-Away Zones are in effect from 1 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The route runs along Ala Moana, to Nimitz Highway, right onto Nuuanu Avenue, right onto King Street, right onto Kapiolani Boulevard, right onto Piikoi Street, left onto Ala Moana Boulevard, right onto Kalakaua Avenue, left onto Monsarrat Avenue, right onto Paki Avenue, left onto Diamond Head Road, right onto 18th Avenue, right onto Kilauea Avenue, right onto Waialae Avenue, to the H-1 Freeway (eastbound), to Kalanianaole Highway (all lanes makai/ocean side), left onto Hawaii Kai Drive, right onto Keahole Street, right turn back to Kalanianaole Highway (westbound), left onto Kealaolu Avenue, right onto Kahala Avenue, to Diamond Head Road, left onto Kalakaua Avenue to the Finish Line at Kapiolani Park.

The following throughways will be closed or restricted today, so expect delays or plan ahead to take a different route and avoid the traffic.


Ala Moana Boulevard from Atkinson Drive to Ward Avenue will be detoured from until 8 a.m.

H-1 Freeway in both directions from the Waialae Avenue off-ramp/22nd Avenue to Ainakoa Avenue. H-1 traffic will be detoured from 3:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Kalakaua Avenue will be detoured left onto Paoakalani Avenue from 8:30 a.m.
Kalakaua Avenue mauka side (i.e., toward the mountains) between Monsarrat Avenue and Poni Moi Road from 4:30 a.m. until the marathon is over. The makai lanes will be contra-flowed for two-way traffic at about 9 a.m. Limited to resident traffic only; patrons of the Outrigger Canoe Club and Elks Club must enter via Kapahulu Avenue.


Kapahulu Avenue makai bound will be closed at Kuhio Avenue at 1:30 a.m. Local traffic will be allowed after 9 a.m.

Monsarrat Avenue from Kalakaua Avenue to Paki Avenue from 4:30 a.m. until event over (Limited to tour buses). No Parking - Tow-Away Zone, both sides of Monsarrat Avenue from Kalakaua to Paki Avenue.

Paki Avenue from Monsarrat Avenue to Kalakaua Avenue from 4:30 a.m. for the duration of the Marathon. Local Traffic Only - access to Dia.m.ond Head Tennis Courts from 9 a.m.

Diamond Head Road, Kahala and Kealaolu Avenues will be controlled by police when the volume of runners would interfere with the safe movement of vehicles and runners. "Local Traffic Only," "Race in Progress," and "Proceed When Directed" signs will be posted.

18th Avenue from Diamond Head Road to Kilauea Avenue until runners clear the area. Traffic will be detoured at Diamond Head Road and Makapuu Avenue. Local Traffic Only access to Diamond Head Crater only will be restricted to Civil Defense, FAA, and National Guard personnel only.

Kilauea Avenue from 18th Avenue to Waialae Avenue, all eastbound lanes will be closed at 4 a.m. until runners clear the area. Westbound lanes will be contra-flowed to permit two-way traffic. Expect a slow down. Vehicular traffic exiting the lower Kahala area must cross Kilauea Avenue at Hunakai Street. Expect delays until 11 a.m.

Kalanianaole Highway from Ainakoa Street to Hawaii Kai Drive makai side (i.e., toward the ocean) will have restricted access from 2:30 a.m . The mauka side of the highway will be contra-flowed for two-way traffic. West bound Kalanianaole Highway traffic will be detoured onto Ainakoa Street to Malia Street to Kilauea Avenue. Local traffic should expect delays.

Hawaii Kai Drive makai lanes from Kalanianaole Highway to Keahole Street from about 2:30 a.m. until the area is clear. The mauka side lanes will be contra-flowed for two-way traffic. Expect slow downs.

Kalanianaole Highway will be closed to through traffic from Hawaii Kai Drive to Keahole Street from about 3:30 a.m. until the area is clear. Traffic will be detoured onto Hawaii Kai Drive via Kawaihae to Lunalilo Home Road. Maunalua Bay boat ramp traffic must enter from the Koko Head end.

Keahole Street makai bound lanes from about 2:30 a.m. until the area is clear. Traffic will be contra-flowed in the mauka bound lanes for two-way flow. Entrance and exit from the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, COSTCO, etc. will be permitted. Expect slow downs.

Kealaolu Avenue from Waialae Avenue to Kahala Avenue from about 5:30 a.m. until the area is clear. Local Traffic may be permitted - only by direction of officers - at Aukai Avenue. Entry and exit by Aukai only - ALL OTHER roadways will be closed and vehicular traffic will be turned around.

Kahala Towers, Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and Waialae Country Club traffic will be permitted via Aukai Avenue and Pueo Street when safe to do so.

Some bus routes will be canceled and/or detoured. Bus riders may call TheBUS at 848-5555 or visit the Oahu Transit Services website for details


[edit] Course
Starting near Ala Moana Beach Park across from Ala Moana Center, 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, winding through Hawaii Kai 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 a relatively hilly course compared with other marathons. Nevertheless, the race also remains a popular choice for first-time marathoners.


[edit] Satellite races in Iraq and Afghanistan
The Honolulu Marathon has been popular with U.S. military personnel stationed in Hawaii. With many Hawaii-based troops deployed abroad, the marathon coordinated with the military to organize satellite marathon races on U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan on the same day as the main race, with finishers receiving the same T-shirts and medals. The first such race was held in 2004 at a U.S. base in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan. In 2005, the marathon organized a similar race at Camp Victory in Baghdad.


[edit] Finishers
In recent years, on average, about 25,000 runners finish the Honolulu Marathon each year, and it has consistently placed among the world's ten largest marathons in terms of total finishers. 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 receive an official time and certificate).

Over the past 34 years, more than 585,000 runners have started the Honolulu Marathon, with over 482,000 finishers, for a finishing rate of over 82%.[1]


[edit] Winners
Although the difficulty of the course precludes world-record pace performances, winners of the Honolulu Marathon have used it as a stepping stone to greater achievements. For instance, three-time winner Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya would later go on to win the Boston Marathon three times; and 1993 winner Bong-Ju Lee would later go on to win the silver medal in the 1996 Olympic Marathon in Atlanta.


[edit] Men