The JAL Honolulu Marathon 2026 starts on Sunday 13 December 2026 at 5:00 am Hawaii time (3:00 pm UTC). The start line, on Ala Moana Boulevard, closes at 5:30 am, and the finish is at Kapiolani Park. There’s no qualifying time and no cut-off. The international entry fee is $320 until 3 December 2026.
Checked on against the official sources cited (honolulumarathon.org, thebus.org).
Running the Honolulu Marathon, or coming to watch it? Either way, online guides get the same details wrong. The start is on Ala Moana, not Kapiolani Park, which is the finish. The $255 fee you’ll see on many sites isn’t the rate for someone entering from abroad. A free shuttle exists, but few guides mention it. This article covers the times, fees and rules published by the organizer, then the data from the State of Hawaii for your stay.
Times are given in Hawaii time (HST). 5:00 am HST is 3:00 pm UTC on the same day, Sunday 13 December.
1. The route, from the start to the Diamond Head crater
Ala Moana Boulevard, Waikiki, Diamond Head
The course starts on Ala Moana Boulevard, runs through downtown, passes near Iolani Palace, then enters Waikiki. It loops around Diamond Head, follows Kahala and Hawaii Kai, and comes back past Diamond Head to the finish at Kapiolani Park. According to the official event description, the route is mostly flat, apart from the crater. The highest point is near mile 9, at 124 feet, or about 38 meters.
There are 16 water and sports drink stations, with medical support. PF 30 gels are handed out at miles 9, 12, 15 and 20, at a spot that can vary by about 800 meters. Personal earphones, food and water are allowed. Skates, bikes, walking poles and animals are not, and strollers are only permitted on the Start to Park 10K, the non-competitive race that starts at the same time.
There’s no cut-off time. You can walk or slow down, as long as officials have no reason to pull you off the road for your safety. Runners report that the climb toward Diamond Head, late in the course, is the hardest section. That’s a first-hand account, not an official figure.
- No qualifying time, no lottery, no cut-off time.
- 16 water stations, PF 30 gels at miles 9, 12, 15 and 20.
- Bib worn on the front, in view of the official photographer.
On race morning, the course passes the foot of Diamond Head. If you’re supporting a runner, or want to climb the crater the same Sunday, a hike shuttle leaves from Waikiki according to the Viator listing, which says entrance tickets are included. Access to the trail on the morning of 13 December is not confirmed: don’t book that slot until the DLNR confirms it.
2. Registering, collecting your bib, dropping your bag
Registration: $320 for international entrants until 3 December
The official registration page shows four price windows. For an international entrant, the international rate applies: $320 between 13 October and 3 December 2026, then $460 on site at the expo. The $255 fee you’ll see on many sites is for residents of Hawaii, the United States and Canada. The page doesn’t state a currency. We take US dollars as the working assumption, to be confirmed when you pay. Some press reports say places have sold out. The official page we checked reads « Register for 2026 » and doesn’t confirm this, so check availability on honolulumarathon.org before you pay.
| Category | 2 June to 7 Sept 2026 | 8 Sept to 12 Oct 2026 | 13 Oct to 3 Dec 2026 | On site (expo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii residents | $195 | $235 | $255 | $460 |
| US and Canadian residents | $215 | $235 | $255 | $460 |
| Active US military and students | -10% | -10% | -10% | $360 |
| International (including France) | $260 | $310 | $320 | $460 |
Source: honolulumarathon.org, « How to enter » page, accessed 24 October 2026.
Entries are non-refundable and non-transferable, unless you bought booking protection when you registered. It’s handled by a third-party provider, and we couldn’t find its price on the pages we checked. A bib can be transferred to someone else, or to the Virtual Beachfest, from the « Manage Registration » page.
Bib pickup and expo
Pickup takes place at the Hawaii Convention Center, 1801 Kalākaua Avenue, Honolulu. Each runner must come in person, with the confirmation card emailed during race week and an ID in the name of the registration. No one can pick up a bib on your behalf, not a relative or a friend. Packages are not mailed and are not handed out on race day.
| Day | Date | Hours | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | 10 December 2026 | 10:00 am to 6:00 pm | Hawaii Convention Center |
| Friday | 11 December 2026 | 9:00 am to 7:00 pm | Hawaii Convention Center |
| Saturday | 12 December 2026 | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | Hawaii Convention Center |
Source: honolulumarathon.org, event page, accessed 24 October 2026.
Bag drop: Saturday only, never on race morning
Bags are dropped on Saturday 12 December, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, under the « Clothing Check-In » tent at Kapiolani Park, which is the finish area. They must be clear, official, and labeled with your bib number. There’s no bag drop at the start on race day. Bags not collected by 3:00 pm go to a charity, so don’t leave anything important in them. You collect your bag at the finish, at Kapiolani Park. Collection hours are not published on the pages we checked.
3. Race morning: shuttles, drop-off and the 5:00 am start
Two ways to reach the start line
The start is on Ala Moana Boulevard, at Queen Street Extension. Everyone starts at 5:00 am and the start line closes at 5:30 am, so get there well before. The simplest option is the free shuttle. It leaves from the Honolulu Zoo between 2:00 and 4:00 am and drops off at the corner of Atkinson Drive and Ala Moana Boulevard. Seats are limited, and the organizer can’t guarantee you’ll arrive in time for the start. Allow a generous margin.
By car, drop-off is on Waimanu Street before 3:40 am, then at Pensacola/Kamaile Street or Piikoi/Kapiolani Boulevard after 3:40 am, to avoid closures. A few street spaces exist within four to six blocks. Parking is banned at Ala Moana Shopping Center, the Ward Center Theatre and Whole Foods, and access to Ala Moana Beach Park is limited to authorized vehicles. The organizer hasn’t published the 2026 road closure times. The 2025 traffic notice started at 3:30 am, which doesn’t mean the same for 2026.
To reach the start area, use the access roads behind the start line: Piikoi Street, the back entrance off Atkinson Drive, or Waikiki. There’s no access from the front of the start line.
The weekend, hour by hour
| Date | Hawaii time | UTC | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 12 Dec | 7:00 am | 5:00 pm | Kalakaua Merrie Mile | Waikiki |
| Sat 12 Dec | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | 8:00 pm to 3:00 am (13 Dec) | Bag drop | Kapiolani Park |
| Sun 13 Dec | 2:00 to 4:00 am | 12:00 to 2:00 pm | Free shuttles | Honolulu Zoo |
| Sun 13 Dec | 3:40 am | 1:40 pm | Drop-off point changes | Waimanu Street, then Pensacola/Kamaile |
| Sun 13 Dec | 5:00 am | 3:00 pm | Marathon and Start to Park 10K start | Ala Moana Boulevard |
| Sun 13 Dec | 5:30 am | 3:30 pm | Start line closes | Ala Moana Boulevard |
| Mon 14 Dec | 12:00 am | 10:00 am | Virtual Beachfest opens | Online |
Source: honolulumarathon.org, FAQ and « Getting to the start » page, accessed 24 October 2026. Conversion: Hawaii is UTC-10 all year round.
4. Watching without a bib
Ala Moana at the start, Kapiolani Park at the finish
Spectators don’t need a bib to stand by the road. The 5:00 am start happens in the dark: it’s still dark, crowds are thin, and runners spread out quickly. To get there, walk or take the shuttle. Vehicle access is restricted around the start, and parking is banned at the Ala Moana shopping center and Whole Foods.
The finish at Kapiolani Park is the easiest spot to reach on foot from Waikiki. The park also hosts the finish of the Start to Park 10K, so it’s crowded all morning. On Saturday 12 December, the Kalakaua Merrie Mile starts in Waikiki at 7:00 am. It’s a different race to watch, on Kalakaua Avenue, the day before the marathon.
Guides and a few first-hand accounts mention fireworks at the start, on Ala Moana. The organizer doesn’t mention them on its pages, so don’t count on them in your plans. According to a 2025 guide from the agency Jam’s World, crowds also gather on Kalakaua Avenue, near the Duke Kahanamoku statue, around the fourth or fifth kilometer.
For another marathon seen from the sidewalk, the spectator guide to the New York Marathon covers viewpoints and routes.
5. Staying on Oahu: where to sleep, how to get around, sites to book
Sleep near the start or finish, get around by bus
December is peak season in Hawaii. The statewide average occupancy reached 76.1% in December 2025, at an average rate of $449.12 a night, according to the state’s DBEDT hotel statistics. These figures cover all hotels in the islands and don’t give a price for Waikiki. The published Waikiki figures are annual ($268.69 a night in 2023). Book early, and compare race week with the weeks either side.
Three areas stand out. Waikiki is within walking distance of the finish at Kapiolani Park, but that’s where crowds and traffic are heaviest during race week. Ala Moana and Kakaako are close to the start, with a very early shuttle ride on Sunday to plan for. Kahala and Hawaii Kai are quieter, but far from both the start and the finish: they suit recovery after the race better than standing by the road.
A US ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is needed before you travel from France. The fee is $40 according to several sources. A rise to $40.62 on 16 October 2026 is announced by specialist sites, but it’s not verified on the CBP website: check esta.cbp.dhs.gov before you pay.
Buses are the simplest way to get around without a car. TheBus fares for 2026, in effect since 1 July 2026, are below.
| Fare type | Price | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fare | $3.25 | Exact change, no change given |
| 2-hour pass | $3.00 | Two hours, TheBus and Skyline |
| 24-hour pass | $7.50 | 24 hours from the first boarding |
| 3-day pass | $20.00 | 72 hours |
| 7-day pass | $45.00 | 168 hours |
| Monthly pass | $90.00 | From the 1st to the last day of the month |
Source: thebus.org, 2026 fares, accessed 24 October 2026. HOLO card: $2.00 to buy.
The Biki bike-share is best avoided during race week: local press reports a fleet cut to 590 bikes in June 2026. A rental car is useful for Hanauma Bay or the North Shore, but parking in Waikiki is paid. Rental rates vary widely by period, and we found no reliable average for December. Hotel taxes, which the state applies at 11% since 1 January 2026 according to secondary sources, still need confirming on tax.hawaii.gov before you budget.
Diamond Head and other sites to book
According to the extract of the DLNR page we checked, the crater is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. For non-residents, entry costs $5 per person and $10 per vehicle, payable by bank card, and booking is required. Bookings open 30 days in advance, but this rule may be out of date: check the page before you book. For the morning of 13 December, access to the trail is not confirmed: don’t book that slot until the DLNR confirms it.
| Site | Non-resident entry | Booking | Data status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Head State Monument | $5 per person; $10 per vehicle | Required, opens 30 days ahead (per the DLNR extract) | Official page extract, accessed 24 October 2026; to be confirmed on the page |
| Hanauma Bay | Not verified on the official site | To check before you go | 2026 guides contradict each other; no fees used |
Source: dlnr.hawaii.gov, Diamond Head State Monument (search extract, page to be confirmed); Hanauma Bay: 2026 guides contradict each other, official site not checked. Accessed 24 October 2026.
Swimming needs caution. Honolulu Ocean Safety reported Portuguese man-of-war on Waikiki on 8 October 2026, according to the Star-Advertiser. The advice from authorities stays the same: only swim where a lifeguard is on duty, never turn your back on the ocean, and keep children within arm’s reach. For the rest of the week, the six Oahu tours to book complete this plan.
What other guides don’t tell you
Six points checked against official pages are missing or wrong in several guides we reviewed (including the French site runrun.fr, which gives 12 December) and in Google’s AI summary.
- The start is not at Kapiolani Park. It’s on Ala Moana Boulevard, at Queen Street Extension. Kapiolani Park is the finish. honolulumarathon.org, « Getting to the start » (accessed 24 October 2026).
- The start line closes at 5:30 am. Some third-party guides give 5:20 am as the cutoff. honolulumarathon.org, event page (accessed 24 October 2026).
- The $255 fee isn’t for visitors from abroad. It’s the rate for residents of Hawaii, the United States and Canada. The international rate is $320 until 3 December 2026. honolulumarathon.org, « How to enter » (accessed 24 October 2026).
- There’s no bag drop on race morning. Bags are dropped on Saturday 12 December, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, at Kapiolani Park. honolulumarathon.org, « Getting to the start » (accessed 24 October 2026).
- There’s a free shuttle from the zoo. It runs from 2:00 to 4:00 am and drops off on Atkinson Drive, with limited seats. Several guides only list paid options. honolulumarathon.org, « Getting to the start » (accessed 24 October 2026).
- Bibs can’t be picked up by proxy. Pickup is personal and mandatory, with the confirmation card. honolulumarathon.org, FAQ (accessed 24 October 2026).
Practical info before you go
Before 13 December, note the shuttle times (zoo, 2:00 to 4:00 am) and keep the confirmation card from your email, which you need at pickup.
Plans vary by length and data, shown in the shopMarathon entries are non-refundable and non-transferable unless you bought booking protection. A trip cancellation policy can cover the rest of the trip. Check exactly what any contract covers before you book flights and accommodation.
Price depends on your profile and trip length, not quoted in this articleFrequently asked questions about the 2026 Honolulu Marathon
What time does the 2026 Honolulu Marathon start?
The start is at 5:00 am Hawaii time on Sunday 13 December 2026, which is 3:00 pm UTC. The start line on Ala Moana Boulevard closes at 5:30 am. The marathon and the Start to Park 10K start at the same time. Hawaii is 10 hours behind UTC in December, so the start falls on the same date in UTC.
Does the Honolulu Marathon require a qualifying time?
No. The race has no qualifying time and no lottery. There’s also no cut-off time, so walkers can take part, which makes it accessible to first-timers. Officials can still pull a runner off the road for safety reasons. Check the registration deadlines on the official page, since they depend on the price window.
How much does entry cost for an international runner in 2026?
The international fee is $320 from 13 October to 3 December 2026, up from $310 between 8 September and 12 October. On site at the expo, it rises to $460. The official page doesn’t state the currency: US dollars is the most likely reading, to be confirmed at checkout. The $255 figure you’ll see on some sites applies to residents of Hawaii, the United States and Canada.
Where and when do I pick up my race bib?
At the Hawaii Convention Center, 1801 Kalākaua Avenue, Honolulu. Pickup is open from Thursday 10 to Saturday 12 December 2026: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Thursday, 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on Friday and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday. It’s personal and mandatory, with the confirmation card from your email. Nobody else can pick it up for you.
How do I get to the start at 5:00 am without a car?
The simplest option is the free shuttle from the Honolulu Zoo, between 2:00 and 4:00 am. It drops off at Atkinson Drive and Ala Moana Boulevard. Seats are limited, and the organizer can’t guarantee arrival in time for the start. If you drive, drop-off is on Waimanu Street before 3:40 am, then at Pensacola/Kamaile Street or Piikoi/Kapiolani Boulevard.
Can I watch the race without running?
Yes. No registration is needed for spectators. The finish at Kapiolani Park is easy to reach on foot from Waikiki. The start, at Ala Moana, is harder to reach by car: parking is banned at the Ala Moana shopping center and Whole Foods, and access to Ala Moana Beach Park is limited to authorized vehicles. Walk or take the shuttle, and agree on a meeting point.
What’s the weather like on race day?
At the start, around 5:00 am, it’s about 18 to 19 °C. By about 10:00 am it reaches roughly 27 °C, according to the organizer. Secondary sources give daily highs of 25 to 27 °C in December, with high humidity and a wetter season than in summer. The 2025 race started in the rain. Bring water, electrolytes and light clothing that doesn’t hold sweat.
Do I need to book Diamond Head?
Yes, if you’re not a resident. According to the DLNR page extract we checked, entry costs $5 per person and $10 per vehicle, payable by bank card, and booking is required, opening 30 days in advance. The park is open 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. The shuttle on this page lists entrance tickets as included, according to the Viator listing. For the morning of 13 December, trail access is not confirmed: don’t book that slot until the DLNR confirms it.
Sources and access dates
- honolulumarathon.org, JAL Honolulu Marathon event page: dates, start, finish, course, aid stations, expo. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- honolulumarathon.org, FAQ: no cut-off time or qualifying time, gels, Merrie Mile, bib pickup. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- honolulumarathon.org, Getting to the start: shuttles, drop-off, parking, bag drop. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- honolulumarathon.org, How to enter: 2026 entry fees. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- thebus.org, 2026 fares, in effect 1 July 2026. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- dlnr.hawaii.gov, Diamond Head State Monument: non-resident entry and booking (search extract, page not opened). Extract accessed 24 October 2026.
- DBEDT, hotel performance report for December 2025: state occupancy and average rate. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- esta.cbp.dhs.gov: ESTA authorization for travelers from France. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- Star-Advertiser, report on Portuguese man-of-war on Waikiki, 8 October 2026; Jam’s World guide, 2025 (secondary source). Accessed 24 October 2026.
Access dates: 24 October 2026. Dollar amounts are given as the sources display them; the currency of the entry fee remains an assumption.
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