Posted: December 13, 2007

Athletics (RWire): Tolossa Defends Honolulu Marathon Title

Biktimirova wins women's crown; three complete all 35 editions By Ron Staton HONOLULU - (December 9, 2007) - Ambesse Tolossa of Ethiopia won the 35th Honolulu Marathon for the second consecutive year on Sunday, with a relatively slow time of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 26 seconds. His winning time last year was 2:13:42. Five-time winner and course record holder Jimmy Muindi of Kenya was second for the second consecutive year, finishing almost a minute and a half behind Tolossa. His time was 2:18:53. Alvetina Biktimirova of Russia was the women's winner in 2:33:07. Heavy showers fell briefly shortly before the 5:00am start and again about 10 minutes into the race. But the rain stopped early in the race, and the runners had mostly ideal conditions - no wind and cool temperatures. Tolossa, 30, said he was happy to win again, and said, "Now Honolulu is my home." He and Muindi were part of a pack of six runners that set a fast pace for the first nine miles, with an average pace of less than five minutes per mile. After the pace slowed, the pack was reduced to Tolossa, Muindi, Lawrence Saina of Kenya and pacesetter Boniface Mbuvi of Kenya. After the 18 mile mark on the Kalanianaole Highway return, Saina dropped back and Mbuvi followed a short time later. While Tolossa and Muindi were expected to make a move on the return, that never materialized, and the two were running a pace of about 5:20 per mile. Muindi, 34, was expected surge on the Diamond Head hill, but it was Tolossa who made the move and opened a wide lead. Muindi said after the race that he vomited at the start of the hill as Tolossa made his move. He said he was feeling stomach distress during the second half of the race, and was unable to respond. "Every time I tried to take on water, I felt like vomiting," he said. "My legs were strong, but my stomach was not." It was Muindi's 14th consecutive Honolulu race. Biktimirova, 25, ran with the lead women's pack, but moved out front around the 15 mile mark. Akemi Ozaki caught up a couple miles later, but the Russian woman took the lead for good around 22 miles. Biktimirova said that after the 30K (18.6 miles) mark, she felt she would win. "I felt good during the race, but humidity was the main problem," she recounted. Japan's Ozaki was women's runner-up in 2:34:22. Three complete all 35 editions Only three people - Jerold Chun, Gary Dill and Gordon Dugan - have completed every Honolulu Marathon since its inception in 1973. Chun, a former Honolulu resident who now lives in LaJolla, Calif., finished in 4 hours, 32 minutes and 55 seconds. The 48-year-old Chun is a professor at the Scripps Research Institute. He and his siblings were part of the "Hunky Bunch" formed by their father, the late Dr. Hing Hua "Hunky" Chun, a Honolulu physician. Dill, a Honolulu commercial fisherman, finished in 6:53:23. He predicted a difficult race because his training was interrupted by a fishhook injury. Dugan, a 74-year-old retired University of Hawaii civil engineering professor, ran 7:19:31. Dugan has walked the past few marathons because of angina and knee problems. The three were inducted into the Honolulu Marathon Hall of Fame last Thursday. Marathon Association President Jim Barahal said it was "an extraordinary accomplishment" by the three. He said including them in the Hall of Fame also symbolizes that the Honolulu Marathon is a "people's race." 35th Honolulu Marathon - Honolulu, HI, Sunday, December 9, 2007 MEN 1) Ambesse Tolossa, ETH, 2:17:26, $41,000 2) Jimmy Muindi, KEN, 2:18:53, $16,000 3) Eric Nzioki, KEN, 2:21:32, $10,000 4) Boniface Mbuvi, KEN, 2:22:59, $6000 5) Aleksey Aleksandrov, RUS, 2:24:36, $3000 WOMEN 1) Alevtina Biktimirova, RUS, 2:33:07, $42,000 2) Akemi Ozaki, JPN, 2:34:22, $18,000 3) Tatiana Petrova, RUS, 2:35:56, $11,000 4) Kaori Yoshida, JPN, 2:43:21, $6000 5) Mina Ogawa, JPN, 2:47:32, $3000 Full results and more at: HonoluluMarathon.com. Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director (805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016 Ryan@RunningUSA.org www.RunningUSA.org. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest