Russia's Lyubov Morgunova, 33, planned to do away with her competition right from the start of yesterday's 32nd annual Honolulu Marathon. Perfect weather conditions set the stage for her to also do away with the course record she set in 2000.

With a blistering pace that averaged 5 minutes, 37 seconds per mile, Morgunova hammered the 26.2-mile course, knocking exactly one minute off her record of 2:28:33 as she broke the tape in 2:27:33.

An emotional Morgunova said her third Honolulu Marathon win "was a huge victory for me ... I'm so happy I cannot hold my tears."

Last year's champion, Japan's Eri Hayakawa, 23, despite an early mishap, finished 38 seconds behind Morgunova, clinching second place in 2:28:11.

"My strategy was to start strong and maintain it," Morgunova said through an interpreter. Morgunova and Hayakawa took an early lead, right behind designated pacesetter, Olga Romanova, 24, of Russia.

By the time Romanova dropped out at the halfway mark at 1:13:40, Morgunova began taking a commanding lead with Hayakawa 42 seconds behind.

Japan's Eri Hayakawa, who was the second woman finisher, is assisted after the race. Hayakawa suffered a bruised hip and injured her left knee and shoulder when she tumbled early in the race. Oscar A. Hernandez • Special to The Advertiser

After her record-setting performance in Honolulu in 2000, Morgunova returned to the Islands in 2001 for her second victory here. She took time off to have a baby in 2002.

Last December in Moscow, on her way to Honolulu, Morgunova's car was struck by another driver. No one was seriously injured but Morgunova suffered an injured hip and never made it to the Honolulu Marathon in which Hayakawa became the first Japan woman to win.

Hayakawa's runner-up finish yesterday was also a personal triumph. At about the four-mile mark in front the Renaissance Ilikai Hotel where, ironically, Hayakawa was staying, the 86-pound runner took a hard tumble to the asphalt as she reached for a cup of water from a volunteer. With a badly bruised left hip, bloody left knee and shoulder, Hayakawa swiftly recovered from her fall to stay with Romanova and Morgunova.

"When it happened, it was like I was falling in slow motion," Hayakawa said through an interpreter. "I felt a moment of discouragement but when I saw my coach (Susumu Nakajima) I told myself 'I have to (finish).' "

Her injuries required medical attention at the finish line.

Hayakawa may have felt as if her fall had been in slow motion, but her recovery was anything but, as she also finished the race in record time. If she had won, she would have claimed a course record by 22 seconds.

After Hayakawa, the Russians also dominated. Along with Morgunova, four other Russians led the way. Last year's runner-up, Albina Ivanova, 27, placed third in 2:32:44. Alevtina Ivanova, 29, (no relation to Albina), was fourth in 2:35:48, and Tatyana Petrova, 21, came in fifth in 2:36:34.