The purpose of this study was to assess the economic benefits from Japanese
participants of the 2008 Honolulu Marathon. The island of Oahu has hosted the Honolulu
Marathon since 1973 and has continued since the race conception. With the rapid
development of sporting events throughout the tourism industry, Honolulu has created a
popular event for sport tourists. Data for this study was comprised of participants from the
2008 Honolulu Marathon through surveys that were administered to Japanese participants
while attending the Honolulu Marathon Expo. The instrument consisted of 18 questions
regarding accommodations, length of stay, as well as the amount of money that was spent by
marathon participants on their lodging, food, souvenirs and other miscellaneous items while
attending the marathon activities in Honolulu. Examination of these results is necessary for
determining the economic effects that Japanese participants of the Honolulu Marathon have on
the state of Hawaii