In Honolulu, Hawaii
The Honolulu Marathon may not be on the World Marathon Majors roster, but this historic race - run annually on Hawaii’s O’ahu Island - is deep in the heart of Kenya’s marathon running history.
Sponsored by, among others, Japan Airlines, the Honolulu Marathon celebrates its 50th anniversary on Sunday having acted as a launching pad for several Kenyan runners, led by ground-breaking legend Ibrahim Hussein.
Race President Jim Barahal Saturday led in a torch-lighting ceremony in the scenic Waikiki shopping area with five torches illuminated to mark the race’s five decades.
Sadly, Ibrahim Hussein, the first Kenyan to make the marathon breakthrough, couldn’t make it to the island for the celebrations due to family visa issues, but he must have followed the proceedings with nostalgia from Ruiru as he monitored Kenya’s cross country trials.
It was Barahal who invited Hussein to run in Honolulu way back in 1985 with the Kenyan legend winning on his debut under windy conditions with a time of two hours, 12 minutes and eight seconds.
He went on to complete a hat-trick of victories after keeping his title in 1986 and 1987, going on to celebrate historic titles in Boston and New York City.
Since his breakthrough, Kenyan men have won 30 of the 49 Honolulu Marathon editions with the country’s women having scooped six of the last 10 titles after Joyce Chepkirui’s breakthrough in 2015.
Kenya’s two-time winner here, Titus Ekiru, holds the men’s course record at 2:07:59 clocked in 2015 while reigning world record holder Brigid Kosgei has the women’s fastest time at 2:22:15 from 2017.
This year, bizarrely, just one Kenyan athlete will line up at the start line at the Ala Moana Boulevard in downtown Honolulu with no Kenyans featuring in the women’s race.
Kapsabet-based Barnabas Kiptum (with a personal best time of 2:04:17) will be the lone ranger and faces opposition from the Ethiopian pair of Asefa Mengstu (2:04:06) and Shifera Tamru (2:05:18).
Kenya’s Lone Ranger in the 2022 Honolulu Marathon Barnabas Kiptum (left) with compatriot Reuben Kerio who is the designated pacemaker during a photo shoot at Waikiki Beach in Hawaii on December 10, 2022.
Photo credit: Ason Suarez | Honolulu Marathon
The drop in Kenyan numbers here has been attributed to several reasons, including visa hitches and injuries to elite entries including 2015 New York Marathon champion and two-time London Marathon runner-up Stanley Biwott who was looking forward to making a comeback after a four-year lay-off.
“I’ve been training with a good group at the Rosa camp in Kaptagat and I feel good. Despite the small number of elite runners and given the fact that there will be just one pacemaker, I’m focused on going all the way,” Kiptum said during a pre-race photo-shoot at the Outrigger Reef Hotel in Waikiki, Honolulu.
Nyahururu-based Reuben Kerio, who has also been training in Kaptagat, is the designated solo pacemaker, thanks to his five-year experience on the streets of Honolulu, and could as well decide to go all the way to a podium place given the limited elite numbers.
Dr Jim Barahal, the President of the Honolulu Marathon, makes his speech during the race’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Waikiki, Hawaii, on December 9, 2022).
Photo credit: Jason Suarez | Honolulu Marathon
The low numbers are also attributable to effects of Covid-19 with the race having run virtually in 2020, only bouncing back last year with a whittled down elite field.
“We are excited to welcome top professional athletes to attack our incredible course records for the 50th anniversary race. At its core the Honolulu Marathon is an athletics competition, whether against others or against oneself, and we are excited to see what transpires,” race President Barahal said in the run-up to Sunday’s competition.
In the absence of Kenyan runners, the Ethiopians should have a field day in the women's race with Abebech Bekele (2:23:33) and Bere Ayalew (2:22:52) expected to complete a 1-2 finish ahead of the other elites, Japan’s Mai Ito (2:24:42) and defending champion Lanni Marchant (2:28:00) a Denver-based Canadian criminal appeal lawyer.
