The People's Race Inc.: Behind the Scenes at the Honolulu Marathon by Michael S. K. N. Tsai
English | November 30th, 2016 | ISBN: 0824866746 | 217 pages | EPUB | 8.09 MB
The Honolulu Marathon debuted in 1973 as the shared vision of a maverick cardiologist bent on proving the benefit of long-distance running for cardiac patients and an impetuous mayor eager to prove Honolulu the equal of the top cities in the country. Over a span of forty-plus years, the race matured into one of the largest marathons in the world, a $100 million economic engine for its home state, and a launch pad for some of the most dominant long-distance runners in modern history. From its modest start as a community event for local amateurs, the race now regularly attracts 30,000 entrants—more than half from Japan—and boasts elite fields led by Kenyan and Ethiopian professional runners, each hoping to earn a share of a $150,000 prize purse.