Honolulu Marathon am 13. Dezember 2015: Honolulu is ready to go!

honoluu-mar-2015-logoTraditionell trafen sich am gestrigen Freitag die Eliteathleten des Honolulu Marathon zu einer Foto-Session am Strand des Outrigger Hotels. Wie immer war die Stimmung bestens und das Wetter sowieso. Für einen Marathon werden Temperaturen und Luftfeuchte allerdings wieder am Limit sein: 22°C und 83 % zum Start um 5 Uhr früh, beim Zieleinlauf gegen 7:15 Uhr sollen die Temperaturen auf 27°C angestiegen sein. honolulu-2015-elite-beachDie diesjährigen Elite-Athleten am Strand des Outrigger Hotels.  (c) Honolulu Marathon

Im letzten Jahr kam der Sieger Wilson Chebet aus Kenia wegen Visa-Problemen erst einen Tag vor dem Lauf an, gewann aber trotzdem in 2:15:35. “Mister Amsterdam Marathon” lief dort im Oktober als Fünfter 2:08:45, fühlt sich aber aktuell in besserer Form als vor einem Jahr: “My training this year has gone even better than in 2014 and I am entering Sunday’s race riding a wave of confidence. I’ve been doing my speedwork and long runs. Everything is OK and I feel good. The course is tough and I know it’s challenging… But I will try my best.”

honolulu-2015-chebetVorjahressieger Wilson Chebet ist auch dieses Jahr in Honolulu am Start.  (c) Honolulu Marathon

Seine wesentlichen Konkurrenten sind der Masters-Weltrekordhalter Kenneth Mungara, das Halbmarathon-As  Stephen Kosgei, Benjamin Kiptoo, Felix Kiprotich, Robert Kwambai, Daniel Limo, Nicholas Kemboi sowie Daniel Abera. Details zu den Läufern finden sich im Anhang zu diesem Beitrag aufgelistet (Quelle: Veranstalter).

Der Streckenrekord von 2:11:12 ist mittlerweile 11 Jahre alt. Der soll attackiert werden. Das Wetter und die Erfahrungen der letzten Jahre zeigen aber, dass dies wohl eher in den Bereich sehr optimistischen Wunschdenkens anzusiedeln ist.

Auch bei den Frauen ist die Vorjahressiegerin wieder dabei und auch die Favoritin auf den Sieg, der mit einer eindrucksvollen Zeremonie im Kapiolani Park gefeiert wird. Joyce Chepkirui (KEN) wird Konkurrent vor allem Zhang Yingyang (CHN) und Aheza Kiros (ETH) bekommen.

Elite Athlete Bios MEN (Quelle: Honolulu Marathon)

#1 Wilson Chebet, 30, Kenya

Personal Best: 2:05:27, Rotterdam, 2011

Key 2015 Results: 3rd Boston Marathon 2:10:22; 5th Amsterdam Marathon 2:08:45
At Honolulu: 1st 2014 2:15:35
Best Known For: Three straight victories at Amsterdam Marathon (2011, 2012, 2013); second place at 2014 Boston Marathon where he chased American Meb Keflezighi in the final kilometers, but fell 11 seconds short.

#2 Benjamin Kiptoo, 36, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:06:31, Paris, 2011

Key 2015 Results: 6th Hannover Marathon 2:11:09
At Honolulu: 4th 2014 2:16:37; 5th 2011 2:19:21
Best Known For: Winning 2009 Rome Marathon in 2:07:17, the still standing course record; Winning Paris Marathon in 2011 in his personal best 2:06:31. Coached by Gabriele Rosa, Italy’s famed marathon coach (coach of this year’s NYC Marathon winner Stanley Biwott)

#3 Felix Kiprotich, 27, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:06:39, Seoul, 2015

Key 2015 Results: 2nd Seoul Marathon 2:06:39
At Honolulu: No record
Best Known For: Winning 2014 Rennes Marathon in France; taking second at Seoul Marathon in 2015. Coached by Gabriele Rosa, Italy’s famed marathon coach (coach of this year’s NYC Marathon winner Stanley Biwott)

#4 Kenneth Mungara, 42, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:07:36, Prague, 2011

Key 2015 Results: 1st Milan Marathon 2:08:44; 1st Brisbane Marathon 2:08:42
At Honolulu: No record
Best Known For: Being the masters (40+) world record holder for the marathon (2:08:42). Worked as a barber before turning to running as a career. Three-time Toronto Marathon winner (2009, 2010, 2011). Runs very well in hot, humid weather (won Singapore Marathon in 2014)

#5 Nicholas Kemboi, 32, Qatar
Personal Best: 2:08:01, Valencia, 2011

Key 2015 Results: 2nd Hapalua Hawaii’s Half-Marathon 1:04:09; DNF Prague Marathon
At Honolulu: No Record
Best Known For: Being 2013 Prague Marathon champion. Kenyan-born, but became Qatari citizen in 2005.

#6 Robert Kwambai, 30, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:08:18, Xiamen, 2015

Key 2015 Results: 4th Xiamen Marathon 2:08:18; 3rd Yellow River Marathon 2:13:26
At Honolulu: No Record
Best Known For: Winning 2012 Padova Marathon in Italy; winning 2013 Linz Marathon in Austria

#7 Stephen Kosgei, 29, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:08:05, Rotterdam, 2012

Key 2015 Results: 1st Beach to Beacon 10-K 28:29; 3rd Lisbon Half-Marathon 59:58
At Honolulu: No record
Best Known For: Running fast half-marathons. Has Half Marathon personal best of 58:54(!), and has broken the one-hour mark four times since 2012. Coached by Gabriele Rosa, Italy’s famed marathon coach (coach of this year’s NYC Marathon winner Stanley Biwott). Probably best athlete in the field, but hasn’t yet reached his potential in the marathon.

#8 Daniel Limo, 32, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:08:39, La Rochelle, 2011

Key 2015 Results: 1st Los Angeles Marathon 2:10:36; 1st Warsaw Half-Marathon 1:00:52
At Honolulu: No record
Best Known For: Long marathon career beginning in 2008 in Venice. He’s run 16 marathons, but only one victory (Los Angeles, 2015). Strong half-marathoner with 59:55 personal best

#9 Daniel Abera, Ethiopia
Personal Best: 2:08:52, Hengshui, 2012

Key 2015 Results: None
At Honolulu: No record
Best Known For: Running marathons in China. Has competed in Hengshui, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

#10 Samuel Ndungu, 27, Kenya (Pacemaker)
Personal Best: 2:07:04, Lake Biwa Marathon, 2012

Key 2015 Results: 1st Lake Biwa Marathon 2:09:08; 3rd Chicago Marathon 2:10:06
At Honolulu: No record
Best Known For: Has run under 2:10:00 in the marathon five times. A very consistent racer both on the track and on the roads. Has three career marathon wins, twice at Otsu (2012 and 2015) and Lisboa 2014

#11 Florian Neuschwander, 34, Germany
Personal Best: 2:20:29, Bonn, 2013

Key 2015 Results: 4th at XTERRA Half-Marathon Trail Running World Championships (Dec. 6 on Oahu)
At Honolulu: No record
Best Known For: His thick curly hair and intricate tattoos on his right arm

Elite Athlete Bios – WOMEN (Quelle: Honolulu Marathon)

#F1 Joyce Chepkirui, 27, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:24:11, Amsterdam, 2015
Key 2015 Results: 1st UAE Healthy Kidney 10-K 32:33; 1st Amsterdam Marathon 2:24:11 PB; 10th Boston Marathon 2:29:07

At Honolulu: 1st 2014 2:30:23
Best Known For: Winning both Commonwealth Games and African Championships 10,000m titles in 2014. All purpose road racer who is still learning the marathon. At Honolulu last year, she attacked the course record, splitting the first half in 1:13:07, but wobbled through the second half in 1:17:16. With last year’s Honolulu Marathon winnings, she built a small apartment complex called “Aloha Estates” in her hometown of Iten, Kenya.

#F2 Woynishet Girma, 29, Ethiopia
Personal Best: 2:27:51, Amsterdam, 2010

Key 2015 Results: None
At Honolulu: 5th 2014 2:33:20; 2nd 2013 2:36:10; 2nd 2012 2:32:22; 1st 2011 2:31:41
Best Known For: Winning at Honolulu on her first attempt in 2011, beating defending champion Belainesh Gebre who dropped out. Wears her hair in very intricate braids. Has no results in 2015, so no way to know her fitness.

#F3 Zhang Yingying, 25, China
Personal Best: 2:22:38, Xiamen, 2008

Key 2015 Results: Bronze and gold medals at World University Games in 10,000m and half-marathon, respectively
At Honolulu: No Record, but is first Chinese elite here since 1998.
Best Known For: Setting world junior marathon record (since broken) at Xiamen in 2008, and winning the Chinese national championships at just 18 years-old. Competed in both the 5000m and 10,000m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hasn’t broken 2:30 in the marathon since 2008.

#F4 Aheza Kiros, 30, Ethiopia
Personal Best: 2:24:30, Dubai, 2013

Key 2015 Results: DNF Nagoya Marathon (no other results)
At Honolulu: 4th 2013 2:41:32
Best Known For: Being a top track runner (PB’s of 14:56.33 for 5000m and 31:06.93 for 10,000m), who moved to the roads with greater success at distances shorter than the marathon. She was twice second at the BAA Half-Marathon in Boston

#F5 Lucy Karimi, 29, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:27:07, Dubai, 2015

Key 2015 Results: 1st Milan Marathon 2:27:35
At Honolulu: No record
Best Known For: Winning Milan Marathon in 2015 last April in 2:27:35 only 79 days after running 2:27:08 PB at Dubai.

#F6 Isabella Ochichi, 36, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:30:20, Cape Town, 2015

Key 2015 Results: 1st Cape Town Marathon 2:30:20 PB; 2nd Gothenburg Half-Marathon 1:09:45
At Honolulu: 3rd 2014 2:32:22
Best Known For: Being superb track runner in her prime, which culminated with a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics at 5000m. She also has two world cross country championships bronze medals (2002 and 2005) in the old short course event. She’s never really made a strong transition to the marathon like other track runners.

#F7 Nicole Sifuentes, 29, Canada (pacemaker)
Personal Best: N/A

Key 2015 Results: Won Canadian 1500m and 5000m titles
At Honolulu: Paced in 2014
Best Known For: Winning bronze medal at 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships at 1500m. Went to the University of Michigan and was Big 10 1500m champion. Was a semi-finalist in the 1500m at the 2012 London Olympic Games.