[6] [7] At the forefront of the growth of the Honolulu Marathon was cardiologist Jack Scaff, one of the first physicians to prescribe running as therapy for heart disease.

In 1977, Sports Illustrated's senior writer and Olympic marathoner Kenny Moore wrote a feature story about the race.

Moore postured that, like the growth of long-distance running itself, the race's success came about not simply from an interest in competition, but from a quest for personal longevity and an enhanced quality of life.

Over time, the race grew and changed, luring large corporate sponsors and paying substantial prize money to the winners.

[10] The same year, Ethiopian Ambesse Tolossa was disqualified as the men's champion because the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency found he had a banned substance in his system.

[17] On Dec. 12, 2010, the 43rd Sustainment Brigade, home stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado, now deployed to Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, organized a satellite run on the base.

Starting near Ala Moana Beach Park across from Ala Moana Center, the course progresses west along the waterfront toward downtown Honolulu, then loops through downtown and bends back east through Waikiki, around Diamond Head, and out toward the eastern suburbs of Honolulu, winding through Hawaii Kai before doubling back toward the finish line at Waikiki's Kapiolani Park.

[7] Although the difficulty of the course precludes world-record pace performances, winners of the Honolulu Marathon have used it as a stepping stone to greater achievements.