HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Honolulu Marathon is days away, and although there’s a new global title sponsor, the company has supported the race for decades.
Japan Airlines (JAL) is taking over as the global title sponsor, but its partnership with the marathon began 42 years ago.
“They’ve been with us since the 80s,” said Dr. Jim Barahal, Honolulu Marathon president. “It’s been (an) amazing relationship. It’s definitely the longest-running corporate event combination partnership anywhere in the world.”
“The beautiful thing about it is this year, for the first time, Japan Airlines will be the title sponsor, so we’ll be called the JAL Honolulu Marathon,” Barahal added. “We’re very excited about that.”
Barahal said it’s part of a long-term contract that is an incredible commitment, not just to Honolulu, but to Hawaii.
“It’s an incredible commitment on the part of Japan Airlines, not just to the Honolulu Marathon, but to Hawaii, which is very important to them,” he said. “They love Hawaii, of course, they fly so many people back and forth. But this is a strong statement. And what an amazing commitment on the part of this company to say we believe not only in the Honolulu Marathon, but in Hawaii and the relationship between Japan and Hawaii,” Barahal said.
The feeling from Japan Airlines is very mutual.
“I feel really happy, or all the Japan Airlines employer happy to be a global title sponsor of Honolulu Marathon,” said Genen Nishimura, director of administration for Japan Airlines. “It’s been a very long term relation, and that is very unique connection between Hawaii and Japan.”
“I believe Honolulu Marathon helps Japanese people to enjoy learning, or like marathon, become very popular in Japan because of this big JAL Honolulu Marathon,” he added.
When JAL began sponsoring in 1985, they only had 2,361 participants from Japan.
The airline said that in five years, that number quadrupled, and the off-season for Japanese tourists became the peak season.
One of the reasons people like the Honolulu Marathon is that you don’t have to qualify, and it’s open to the public. Plus, there are the people, the aloha spirit, the beautiful view all around, and you don’t have to rush.
“I think one of the biggest uniqueness of Honolulu Marathon is that there is no time limit,” Nishimura said. “So everyone can run their own pace, and they can enjoy their own way, so everyone can feel like, ‘Okay. I can maybe attend next year, I can participate.’”
“Everyone can enjoy their own way, even including volunteers,” he added. “Everyone can have a role to participate, and I feel that makes the Honolulu Marathon very unique.”
Even Japan Airlines employees are here to work and enjoy being with their families during the marathon weekend.
JAL employees will be manning aid stations and assisting Japanese participants with their packet pickups, along with assisting their customers.
They’ll also be out on Saturday’s Kalakaua Merrie Mile, and Sunday’s the Start to Park 10K.
“The Marathon itself is a community,” Barahal said. “It’s a community of people (who) have done the Honolulu Marathon for 53 years. It spans generations. It’s been over half a million local people (who) have done the marathon. It’s part of the fabric of this community, and I think it brings the community together and creates a healthier community in so many ways, physically, emotionally.”
Whether the participants are flying down Kalakaua Avenue, jetting down Diamond Head Road, or landing at the finish line, the partnership between JAL and the Honolulu Marathon will continue for years from now.
“It really is a great thing that is made possible by the support of this community,” Barahal added.
Watch our Honolulu Marathon coverage on Sunday live online here, and on K5.
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