Room shortage limits marathon roster

Waikiki renovation will cut revenue from an event race officials think can still grow

When the Christmas decorations come out at Honolulu Hale, everyone knows it's marathon time. But a waiting list of entrants from Japan puts a new twist in this year's race.

The 34th annual 26.2-mile Honolulu Marathon will begin at 5 a.m. Dec. 10, and has 26,790 registrants. That number could rise to 28,000 or 29,000 by race day, Honolulu Marathon Association President Jim Barahal said yesterday in a news conference with Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

About 23,000 -- including those participating in the Race Day Walk -- will come from Japan. But the number would be even higher if potential racers could find a place to stay.

A reduced inventory of hotel rooms because of the 7.9-acre Waikiki Beach Walk renovation has left marathoners competing for beds with U2 fans attending the concert the night before the race. In addition, all flights from Japan in the days preceding the marathon are full.

"Japan Airlines is talking about adding more flights, and that will help a little," said Barahal. "But if anyone has room in their house, talk to me after."

Barahal anticipates a surge in entries next year, after most of the redevelopment in Waikiki is complete.

Jerry Agrusa, a professor of Travel Industry Management at Hawaii Pacific University, added that he hoped for a more coordinated effort next year to avoid booking two major events in the same weekend. With the marathon, "it isn't just the runners," he said. "Each runner brings about two people with them."

In general, "sports tourists are passionate and high-spending," he has said. When calculating into the equation family and friends traveling with the event participant, the Honolulu Marathon accounted for more than $100 million in visitor spending last year.

Despite stiff competition from other marathons -- including the Las Vegas race on the same day -- Barahal thinks the Honolulu Marathon has room to grow. "We're operating out of a small market, but I think we can get bigger."

In 2005 the Honolulu Marathon was the third largest in the United States and the sixth largest in the world. Sixty to 70 percent of the runners are first-time marathoners, a market that is far from "tapped out," Barahal has said in the past.

Right now, the marathon's annual budget hovers around $4 million, with race revenues from entry fees and sponsorships just exceeding that.

"We have to make money," said Barahal, "or else we go out of business." And when marathons fail, it is usually in a "very ugly way," when they have not paid their bills and creditors are calling.

Expenses include about $166,000 paid to more than 400 police officers to shield the race course -- essential for the runners' safety.

Residents from Kahala to Hawaii Kai know to be prepared for inconveniences.

"Our No. 1 priority is to have a secure race course," said Barahal. "By securing the race course as tight as we can, that does create some traffic issues. Hopefully people understand it's just one day out of the year."

World-class runners from Kenya and Russia will compete for $150,000 in prize money, going to the top five athletes in the male and female divisions. First-place awards for both men and women are $40,000, up from $15,000 last year.

Though Barahal would like to work on increasing the prize money even more, he said confidently, "That's pretty good dough for this sport."

'Lost' stars to make appearances at race expo

The Honolulu Marathon Expo at the Hawai'i Convention Center in the days before the race has become far more than a place for competitors to pick up their race packets. The expo, featuring stars from the hit TV show "Lost," runs Wednesday through next Saturday.*

Last year, 50 exhibitors and 63,000 people attended. Many came to greet stars from "Lost," which, like the marathon, promotes Hawaii around the world.

Actress Yunjin Kim (Sun) was on hand yesterday at a news conference. She credits her popularity in Hawaii to the "very large Asian population out here; I think they can relate to Sun and Jin's story.

"It's really nice of the Honolulu Marathon to give me a chance to spend some quality time with the fans, because we never get to do it!" Kim said. "At Sunset on the Beach ... it's physically impossible when you're pulled and you have to do interviews."

The petite, fit Kim said her involvement in the marathon had inspired her to return to running, a sport she gave up in favor of daily swimming when she moved to Hawaii.

"Lost" actor Naveen Andrews (Sayid) will appear from 2 to 4 p.m. next Saturday, and actress Kelly Hu also will sign autographs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. next Saturday.

Other Marathon events:

» Legends 5K Run, 7:45 a.m. Thursday, Kapiolani Park
» Marathon Luau/Concert: 4 p.m. Friday

CORRECTION Tuesday, December 5, 2006 » The Honolulu Marathon Expo will run tomorrow through Saturday. A story on Page A1 Saturday said incorrectly that it would run Monday through Saturday. Please see the applicable Corrections Page for more information.