Posted on: Friday, April 15, 2005

Hawai'i's best will take on the Boston Marathon

By Kit Smith
Special to The Advertiser

Fifty-four runners from Hawai'i — possibly the largest contingent ever — are expected to participate in the 109th Boston Marathon on Monday, hoping for friendlier weather than a year ago.

Eleven of those 54 did Boston 2004, their bodies and performances punished by highly unusual spring temperatures in the mid-80s.

The number of Hawai'i finishers has increased each year, from 14 in 2001, to 22 in 2002, 23 in 2003 and 34 last year.

This year's large amount is notable because it takes a qualifying time to enter this most prestigious of all marathons — ranging from 3 hours and 10 minutes for a male 18 to 34 years of age, to 5 hours and 30 minutes for a female 80 and older.

The event, limited to 20,000 runners, is held annually on Patriots' Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts.

Hawai'i's No. 1 male entrant, based on past times, is Mike Ferreira, 40, of Kane'ohe. He didn't run Boston 2004, but recorded a 2:46:49 in last year's Honolulu Marathon.

That placed him second among Hawai'i runners, topped only by Jonathan Lyau, who isn't doing Boston this year.

Among Hawai'i women entered, Sayuri "Lily" Kusutani, 46, ranks No. 1. She recorded a sub-par (for her) 3:16:13 in the heat of Boston last year — a personal worst for any marathon — and was so "completely down and depressed that I considered never running the Boston again," she says.

But after doing 2:53:48 in the Honolulu Marathon nine months later — good for eighth place among all women — "I thought the only way to kick that terrible memory would be to challenge Boston again," she says.

Laura Schoenrock Rebmann, 31, is another returnee from Boston 2004. She managed a 3:35:34 in the heat, only 5 minutes slower than her personal best (in Honolulu 2003).

"But even after training in Hawai'i, the heat at high noon (when the race starts) was really something. At the end I took five bags of saline at Massachusetts General (Hospital), where the hallways were overflowing with runners," she said.

Mark Houghton, 48, had planned to do the 2004 race as his third Boston, "but my work (as a Hawaiian Tug & Barge/Young Brothers executive) and an Achilles injury kept me from it. Given the heat, I'm glad I didn't run!"

He, like others, is attracted to Boston "because it's the oldest marathon and attracts the very best runners." He'll be shooting for a personal record Monday, to beat the 2:55:20 he did in Chicago in 2003.

Houghton also was lured by "the unparalleled fan support," provided by perhaps a million people along the 26.2-mile course from rural Hopkinton east to downtown Boston.

The University of Hawai'i's Dean Smith, 60, will be doing the race — his first Boston — thanks to eased qualifying times (as of 2003) for senior runners. He had to beat 4 hours to qualify and managed that in Honolulu 2004, his seventh and best Honolulu Marathon.

"At mile 17 or 18, I began to realize this is doable," he says. He achieved "negative splits" — a faster second half than first half — to finish in 3:58:26. The lure of Boston, he says, made the difference.

Smith lived in Boston for five years so knows the marathon hoopla well. In terms of onsite media coverage, the Boston Marathon is topped only by pro football's Super Bowl as a single-day sporting event.

The most senior runner from Hawai'i will be Mollie Chang, 72, a retired high school teacher. She did Boston 2004 and won her 70-plus women's age division in 5:29:23.

Kusutani, the speediest Hawai'i woman, was thrilled to be accepted for the Elite Women's Start, to occur before the general start at noon. Only EWS runners will be eligible for prize money.

"For me, this was a big decision because if I drop back from the elite group, I will have to go alone.

"I have to be a good challenger and competitor."

Kusutani, a native of Japan, came to Hawai'i in 2001 to run for the Hawai'i Pacific University cross country team. She works as a tour guide for the USS Missouri Memorial Association at Pearl Harbor.

Honolulu Champions

Three Honolulu Marathon champions will be in the Boston women's elite field.

They are:

• Lyubov Morgunova of Russia, who won three times (2000, 2001, 2004) and is a two-time course record-holder;

• Eri Hayakawa of Japan, who is the only Japanese citizen to win the marathon (2003);

• Svetlana Zakharova of Russia, who won twice (1997, 2002).

Kit Smith, 70, a former Honolulu Advertiser business writer, has run in the Boston Marathon twice, but won't run this year.

4280 Eric Wortmann, 44, Kalaheo