Kenya's Patrick Ivuti battled the rain and wet conditions to win his first Honolulu Marathon, finishing more than three minutes ahead of his nearest competitor today.

Ivuti led a Kenyan top-five sweep, finishing in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 14 minutes, 35 seconds. Stephen Njoroge Kinuyanjui was second in 2:17:41 and Pius Muasa Mutuku third in 2:17:51.

"I've never run in conditions like this," Ivuti said. "Most of the times, I don't push in the race. But today's race, I pushed because of the rain."

Japan's Kiyoko Shimahara, 31, won her first Honolulu Marathon women's race in 2:32:36. Kaori Yoshida, also of Japan, was second in 2:34:35. Kenya's Alice Timbilili was third in 2:37:31.

Masazumi Soejima of Japan repeated as wheelchair division winner.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Hideki Okajima barely cracked the top 7,000, finishing in 6:08:35. About 62 percent, or 14,406, of the runners were from Japan — including Okajima, who wore No. 37, his number for the Red Sox. Okajima was running in his first marathon and wasn't out to set any records, setting a leisurely pace and taking nearly three hours to reach the midpoint.

Rain, which has inundated the Islands the past few days, greeted runners at the start of the race and made for wet road conditions. The rain subsided and blue skies prevailed by mid-morning. Approximately 23,000 were expected to start the 26.2-mile race, which finished at Kapi'olani Park.

Ivuti, 30, was among a pack of Kenyans before separating himself near the middle of the 26.2-mile route along O'ahu's south shore. He was all by himself for the last nine miles and cruised to his first victory since the 2007 Chicago Marathon.

Ivuti, the 30-year-old brother-in-law of six-time winner Jimmy Muindi, earned $42,000 for the Honolulu victory, including a $2,000 bonus for finishing below 2:15. Shimahara received $40,000.

Muindi finished fifth in this year's Honolulu Marathon in 2:21:43. Joseph Mutiso Wambua was fourth in 2:19:38.

Muindi was awarded his sixth Honolulu title last year as a result of winner's Ambesse Tolossa's disqualification. Tolossa had a banned substance in his system, according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Muindi set the Honolulu course record of 2:11:12 in 2004.

Russia's Lyubov Denisova set the women's record of 2:27:19 in 2006.