Runner Kusutani leads winning women

By Leila Wai
Special to The Advertiser

You go, girls!

Race winner Sayuri Kusutani finished in 36 minutes, 18 seconds. Advertiser library photo • Feb. 19, 2001

The race promotes well-being, exercise and camaraderie among Hawai'i's women, and featured them jogging, walking, sprinting, pushing baby strollers, walking their dogs, singing — one even cartwheeled — and almost all smiling, across the finish line.

Sayuri Kusutani, a graduate student from Hawai'i Pacific University, won the race in 36 minutes, 18 seconds — more than two minutes faster than her nearest competitor.

"I was feeling heavy and I never got my second wind," Kusutani said. "Today, cutting the finish-line tape was a very good thing."

Kusutani, 43, said that winning this race was an early birthday present (her birthday is March 30) to herself, after coming up short in recent races.

Deirdre Tennant finished second in 38:33, and Susan Burr third in 39:51.

Kusutani wasn't the only winner of the day. Several groups were highlighted during the award ceremonies. They included:

• Ten women who participated in every race since its inception 26 years ago, including Ann Arnone, 64, from Honolulu. "I can't not do it now after 26 years," she said. "And I hope to do it another 26 years.

"It's an amazing thing to stand at the starting line with nothing but women there. It's yada, yada, yada. It's very loud, very exciting, very warm and different. I've run marathons for 26 years also and it's a very different scene. There's something special with running with all women."

Arnone has worn the race T-shirt from the first year for every race. It bears the signature of Grete Waitz, a nine-time winner of New York City Marathon, and serves as an "inspiration" for Arnone.

• A grandmother, mother, and daughter trio: Lynn Kugle, 61, of Hawai'i Kai, and Bronwyn and Lauren Kugle — ages 34 and 13 — of Kailua.

"It's been so much fun for the family," Lynn Kugle said. "The first time we had to hold her (Lauren) hand and pull her along, and offer to carry her. Now she takes off in front of us. It's really great."

Said Bronwyn Kugle: "It's something we can all do together and look forward to. It's good to promote healthy living and it's good to be together. It's time to talk and share."

There were also some inspirational moments, including a group from Iolani School that pushed the wheelchair of Ann Kang.

Kang, a teacher and girls varsity volleyball coach at the school, suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — a life-threatening nervous disorder commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

"I know that Ann really enjoyed doing this race; it is one of her favorites and she says it is the only race she'll do," group organizer Doreen Nakamura said.

"It was really fun. I think alone it would have been hard but as a group it was fun. We had a lot of fun just talking, laughing and joking. The energy was there. You can see a lot of ladies out there and it is really uplifting.

"Hopefully, next year we'll do it again."