4:39 a.m. - Morning! About 20 minutes until the start of the race. Some of the men's elite runners are preparing next to me in a parking lot next to Borders. I slept through three alarms and had to run to catch one of the final buses out of Waikiki that takes you to the start at Ala Moana.

5 a.m. - We're off! The fireworks just signaled the start of the race. The elite wheelchair racers started minutes earlier.

Mile 5 - Akemi Ozaki Ishige of Japan leads the women's pack, followed right behind by fellow countrywoman Kaori Yoshida. Right behind are Russians Alevitna Biktimirova and Olga Romanova and a pack of about 10 men. Significant downpour before the fourth mile and into the fifth. First heavy downpour was about 10 minutes before the start. Roads are very slick and runners were warned of potential flooded areas in Waikiki. We are now at the Honolulu Zoo.

Mile 7 - Consists of the climb up Diamond Head Road. Same four women in the pack and men. Mile eight continues on the road.

Mile 10 - Entering Kalaniana'ole Highway and we just passed Kahala Mall. Same pack of runners with Ozaki Ishige in front. The last two miles had two downhills on 18th Avenue and Kilauea Avenue. Race time is 1 hour, 5 minutes. Still no sun.

Mile 13 - Halfway through just past Aina Haina Shopping Center. Time is 1:16.10. Romanova has dropped out of the pack. First wheelchair racer was on his way back to the finish as we were on mile 11.

Mile 15 - Runners just entered Hawai'i Kai. Yoshida moved to the front of the pack after the halfway point. Biktimirova has moved up to Yoshida. Pack of men has dropped to about six. Japan's Masazumi Soejima has won his third straight men's wheelchair title.

Mile 17 - Right before mile 17 past Safeway on Keahole Street, Biktimirova made a move on the slight rise by the shopping center. Ozaki Ishige is about 30 meters back and Yoshida is about 70 meters behind her countrywoman.

Runnners now headed back on Kalanianaole.

Mile 20 - Ozaki Ishige caught up halfway through mile 17 and is now with Biktimirova and one Japanese male runner. Rest of the pack is gone, including the really tall Dane who went ahead. I think he runs cross country for one of the local Division II colleges.

Mile 22 - On Kealaolu in Kahala now. Biktimirova pulled ahead past Kalani High School and before the turn into Kahala Mall. Ozaki Ishige about 30 meters back.

Sports staffer Mark Edison, who's running today, said 'hello' not long ago as he passed us.

Mile 24 - Just went up the hill on Kahala Avenue. Biktimirova is on Diamond Head Road now, about 30 seconds ahead of Ozaki Ishige. Biktimirova was about 15 seconds ahead midway through mile 23.

Finish - Biktimirova has won the women's race.