Updated at 6:43 a.m., Monday, April 16, 2007
Honolulu Marathon wheelchair champ a Boston winner
Associated Press
BOSTON — Masazumi Soejima won his first Boston Marathon men's wheelchair race today and denied six-time winner Ernst Van Dyk a record-tying seventh straight title.Soejima, 36, of Japan, took the lead for good at the 4-mile mark and steadily pulled away, winning in 1 hour, 29 minutes, 16 seconds.
Krige Schabort was second in 1:36.27, with Van Dyk falling back to third in 1:37.10.
Soejima has won the Honolulu Marathon the past two years. Schabort won the seven prior Honolulu Marathon titles.
Van Dyk, 34, the course record holder at 1:18.27, was trying to match Jean Driscoll's record of seven consecutive wins. Driscoll won the women's wheelchair race from 1990-96, and won her eighth Boston in 2000.
The women's wheelchair race went to Wakako Tsuchida, of Japan, who won in 1:53.30. Amanda McGrory, of Champaign, Ill., was second in 1:58.01. Third went to Sandra Graf of Switzerland.
Tsuchida last won the Honolulu Marathon in 2005.
