Two things bode well for this morning's 37th Honolulu Marathon.

One, the forecast calls for sunny weather.

Two, the turnout has increased.

The past two years, heavy showers made the marathon less than enjoyable. In 2007, rain affected the race's new electrical timing system, causing timing discrepancies and inaccuracies. Last year, rain again slicked the course and the finishing area at Kapi'olani Park, where runners congregate and pick up their finishers shirts, turning parts of the park into mud.

The number of registered runners increased from 23,232 last year to 23,469. The marathon still remains popular with the Japanese, who traditionally account for 60 percent of the field. There are 14,402 Japanese entrants, two fewer than last year. Additionally, there are 3,350 walkers in today's 10K walk. About 2,500 of them are Japanese.

For residents who live along the marathon's 26.2-mile route, road closures and detours will be in effect. For information, see facts below or visit www.honolulumarathon.org

While the marathon contenders will be chasing after a paycheck, some runners are looking to cash in for their favorite charities. Every year, hundreds compete for their designated charity, asking family members, friends, and the public to make a donation.

Greg Ho and Sara Davis, two New Yorkers who are former Hawai'i residents, will be running for Easter Seals Hawai'i. Along with two other co-workers, they raised $50,000 for the Robin Hood Foundation at the New York City Marathon last month. The two have raised about $3,500 so far for Easter Seals Hawai'i.

Ho, a 1970 Saint Louis alum, said Easter Seals was his mother's favorite charity, and when she passed away, she told him do something for it. Ho, 57, did his first marathon last year and decided to do something interesting with it. He raised $26,000 for the Robin Hood Foundation, a New York City organization that targets poverty issues. Davis, 25, spent parts of her childhood on Maui and Kaua'i. Their donation page can be found at www.easterseals.com/site/TR/Events/HIDRHawaiiTributes?pxfid=91915&pg=fund&fr_id=2352