Honolulu's Lyau 118th at Boston Marathon

Advertiser Staff

Jonathan Lyau finished the Boston Marathon in 2:36:22, and was first among 22 Hawai'i residents to complete the race. Advertiser library photo • Feb. 19, 2002

Lyau, a wholesale candy distributor, completed the 26.2-mile event held each year on Patriots Day in 2:36:22.

Mina Casey-Pang, 28, a Honolulu social worker, was the first woman runner from Hawai'i to finish with a time of 3:15:45.

But according to Lyau and Casey-Pang, the best performance by a Hawai'i runner was turned in by 67-year-old Kit Smith, a retired journalist and former Honolulu Advertiser business writer.

"He had the best performance ... that was unbelievable," Casey-Pang said of Smith's time of 3:47:08.

Said Lyau: "He's calling us and congratulating everybody and he's the one who should be congratulated. We asked him his time and we were blown away."

"Jonathan and Mina, they are the stars. They're very generous to say I deserve mention," Smith said.

It was Smith's third-best marathon time. His best came 17 years ago in the Honolulu Marathon.

"It shows that you don't need to give up vigorous athletics when you turn to your senior years," Smith said. "That's why this was very satisfying."

All told, 22 Hawai'i runners completed the race, according to results posted on bostonmarathon.org.

"It was comfortable for the Hawai'i guys," Lyau said. "It was in the 50s and cloudy, pretty much steady the whole way. Everyone was happy it didn't warm up."

All posted times were overall times, not net or chip times, which measures the time from the instant the runner hits the starting line.

Going by net time, Casey-Pang said she ran a career best (3:12).

"The terrain changes so much during the race and you can never keep a steady pace," said Casey-Pang, who started running while in college. "You get excited going the downhill."

Lyau said running downhill takes a toll on your quadriceps, but "it's hard to hold back in the beginning and it feels too comfortable (going downhill)."

So by the time Casey-Pang hit the 17- to 21-mile mark named "Heartbreak Hill," she said she had no legs left to get up the hill.

"I thought about walking in mile 24," Casey-Pang said. "You can't walk with this big of a crowd. They won't let you."

Lyau and Casey-Pang said they were pushed by the enthusiastic throng.

"The crowd is just incredible," Lyau said. "You have people cheering the whole way."

Lyau said runners had their names on the front, along with where they were from.

"People were calling my name or just calling Hawai'i and that helped," Lyau said.

"It was wall-to-wall" people every step of the way, according to Casey-Pang. "They yell your name throughout the whole race. That's what makes this race unique."

Hawai'i finishers

Overall finish, name, city, official time

• 118, Jonathan Lyau, Honolulu, 2:36:22.
• 154, John Smith, Honolulu, 2:38:48.
• 217, Christian Friis, Honolulu, 2:42:06.
• 290, Clint Iizuka-Sheeley, Honolulu, 2:45:36.
• 1,032, Blake Gidden, Honolulu, 2:58:17.
• 1,956, Gregory Matson, Honolulu, 3:09:06.
• 2,029, Doug Caldwell, Honolulu, 3:09:41.
• 2,769, Mina Casey-Pang, Honolulu, 3:15:45.
• 3,320, Herman Rafol, Kailua-Kona, 3:19:39.
• 3,601, Tomoko Iizuka-Sheeley, Honolulu, 3:21:42.
• 4,938, Teresa Allman, Kailua, 3:30:47.
• 5,351, Carlos Fuentes, Waikoloa, 3:33:32.
• 5,699, Mickey Campaniello, Honolulu, 3:35:42.
• 5,860, Kathleen Ross, Kailua, 3:36:45.
• 5,956, Gary Augustin, Honolulu, 3:37:16.
• 7,345, Lyda Liu, Kamuela, 3:46:23.
• 7,467, Christopher "Kit" Smith, Honolulu, 3:47:08.
• 7,622, Kelli Lyau, Honolulu, 3:48:15.
• 8,149, Joe Sileo, Honolulu, 3:51:44.
• 9,858, Suzie Martinson, Honolulu, 4:03:44.
• 13,456, Jeannette Vidgen, Kona, 4:58:53.
• 13,907, Rick Vidgen, Kona, 5:10:47.