As much as they love running, thousands of Japanese residents just can't find a way to run to the Honolulu Marathon.

High cost of travel, a fuel surcharge to cover high oil prices and lack of flights have already contributed to a decline in Japanese entrants for December's Honolulu Marathon.

In preliminary figures released yesterday, total entries have dropped by more than 4,000 — more than half from Japanese entrants — which likely will put a dent of $15 million to $20 million in the $100 million in economic impact the race usually generates.

Previous economic studies of the Honolulu Marathon found that Japanese entrants bring at least one person with them to Hawai'i, spend $270 to $280 a day and stay for five days.

"All of a sudden, you don't have 2,800 to 2,900 Japanese — and they are the highest spenders," said Hawai'i Pacific University professor Jerry Agrusa, who did the previous studies. "This is a big injection of yen, cash, into the economy, especially now with the significant decrease in tourism.

"Will they spend as much as last year? We'll have to see."

There are 13,670 Japanese entries for this year's race, compared with more than 16,000 who had signed up by last November for the 2007 race.

Japanese entrants accounted for more than 17,000 of last year's 27,827 total entrants. The Honolulu Marathon, the third-largest race in the U.S., generated nearly $109 million last year, including $3.7 million in state taxes.

That figure is expected to be $85 million to $90 million this year.

"It's a larger tourism issue in terms of flight capacity from Japan, which has been going down in the last few years," said Jim Barahal, president of the Honolulu Marathon Association. "We do have, essentially, waiting lists — for lack of ability for finding a way to get here.

"We expect to see most of the economic impact is coming from Japanese visitors and Mainland and foreigners."

Flights earlier this year were more than $700, plus an additional $300 to $400 fuel surcharge. That fuel charge, which Agrusa said was somewhat of a deterrent, has since dropped.

LOVE OF RUNNING

Japanese entries have long accounted for more than 60 percent of the marathon's entries. It's an event that has appealed to the Japanese, particularly the race's lack of a time limit.

Some marathons ask participants to leave the course if they haven't finished within a certain time.

Here, Barahal said, first-time entrants, who make up two-thirds of Japanese participants, have the confidence of knowing they can finish. And Japan is enjoying a boom in marathon running.

"It's very well known, our relationship with Japanese runners," Barahal said. "The Honolulu Marathon is very famous in Japan, more famous than New York or Boston. It seems to be a place to be able to finish a marathon."

Barahal still expects a late rush of entries, hoping for 1,500, with 1,000 of those coming from Japan.

FEWER LOCAL ENTRANTS

Last year's timing fiasco, which resulted in missed finishers, incorrect results and nearly two months of video review, apparently has not affected the entry numbers or loss of sponsors. In fact, Barahal said, the feedback is that the marathon handled the situation well.

"There was no fall from that except it was problems last year that I don't want to happen again," Barahal said. "It's not responsible for the drop in numbers."

The marathon raised its early entry fee for Hawai'i residents from $20 to $30, and as expected, entries dropped by 1,500 compared with November 2007.

U.S. Mainland entries have dropped slightly, while international (non-Japan) entries are up. Still, the focus is on Japan.

"The yen is doing OK. They are going to spend money," Agrusa said.