FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Defending Champions Muindi, Biktimirova Lead Honolulu Marathon Field
$150,000 guaranteed prize purse with $40,000 to each race champion
HONOLULU - (December 11, 2008) - Defending champions Jimmy Muindi of Kenya
and Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia lead the professional field for Sunday's
36th Honolulu Marathon.
Muindi, 35, who has run the Honolulu race every year since 1994, will seek
his sixth victory. He finished second last year, but was awarded the title
after defending champion Ambesse Tolossa of Ethiopia was disqualified after
testing positive for a banned substance. Muindi finished 4th in the 1994
run and hasn't placed lower than third since then. He set the course record
of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 12 seconds in 2004.
Muindi's chief rival is expected to be his brother-in-law, Patrick Ivuti of
Kenya, who won the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in a swift 2:07:46.
The field also includes Hailu Negussie of Ethiopia, the 2005 winner at
Boston.
Muindi hasn't been running well for the past year or so, and hasn't had a
good race for a while, said co-race director Jon Cross. But his familiarity
with the course will make him hard to beat, Cross said. And Muindi says his
training has been going well, and he believes he can earn victory number
seven.
Biktimirova, 26, is favored to repeat as the women's race winner. She has
run well this year, with close runner-up finishes in Boston and Chicago.
She finished in 2:33:06 last year, her second Honolulu run. She is expected
to be chased by Kiyoko Shimahara of Japan, who was third in Chicago in
October, a minute or so behind Biktimirova.
Veteran marathon observers say Alice Timbilili of Kenya has looked strong
recently and could challenge for first place. Cross also says three-time
Honolulu winner Lyubov Morgunova of Russia can't be counted out. The field
includes 2005 winner Olesya Nurgalieva of Russia and her twin sister,
Elena.
Lyubov Denisova of Russia set the women's record of 2:27:19 in 2006.
The guaranteed prize purse equals $150,000 with $40,000 for each race
champion. There are also time incentives plus $15,000 for a new course
record.
About 23,000 runners are expected to register for the 36th Honolulu race,
which begins amid fireworks at 5:30am. The course begins along the Honolulu
waterfront and continues through the downtown area, Waikiki, and East
Honolulu to the Hawaii Kai turn-around and back to Kapiolani Park in
Waikiki.
For more information, visit: HonoluluMarathon.org
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