The Honolulu Marathon is an international event, attracting more than 17,000 runners from Japan, a high-spending group that tourism officials are eager to lure to the islands.

The Japanese influence on the race is readily apparent.

Schedules, flyers and maps of the course are written in both English and Japanese.

Thousands of runners pouring out of buses at the Honolulu Marathon Expo chat in a foreign tone.

The race, which started Sunday morning, had both miles and kilometers marked clearly for those trudging along the 26.2-mile course.

This year, Japanese entrants made up 62 percent of the 29,000-person field.

Their participation makes the marathon Honolulu's biggest event, pumping more than $100 million into the local economy.