HONOLULU — Fortunately for him, Yemane Haileselassie knows the correct way to fall.
If he did not, he might not have made it to the starting line of Sunday’s Honolulu Marathon and Start to Park 10K, along with 27,204 others.
And you can’t win what you don’t start. Haileselassie captured victory in the 26.2-mile race in his Honolulu debut, finishing in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 59 seconds.
Two days prior, the former steeplechase Olympic finalist for Eritrea slipped on a wet floor near the pool at his Waikiki hotel. But Haileselassie, 26, emerged unscathed, and less than 48 hours later he’d won in just his second time racing the marathon distance.
He fended off and outlasted Reuben Kerio of Kenya, who was third here in 2023, and 14 seconds behind Haileselassie on Sunday.
In the women’s race, Kenya’s Cynthia Limo, 34, proved that her Honolulu victory last year in her first marathon was no fluke, as she bettered her winning time of 2023 by nearly two minutes to 2:31:13.
Limo and Haileselassie each earned $25,000 for their wins. Haileselassie also gets a $1,000 bonus for breaking 2:12.
“In my mind, I’m saying Honolulu is a good place for me, ever since I got off the plane last year. … I am very grateful,” said Limo, who won last year while grieving the death two weeks prior of her manager, Owen Anderson. “This year I proved I could do it again. Next year? I don’t know.”
As expected, Sandra Tuei and Judith Korir of Kenya and Ethiopian Fantu Gelasa battled Limo for most of the race. But it was just Limo and Tuei after 21 miles, and, with a sustained charge starting with about a mile left, Limo got her repeat — the first at Honolulu since Brigid Kosgei in 2016 and ’17.
Last year’s men’s winner, Paul Lonyangata, was at the starting line. But he dropped out before the 10-kilometer mark due to an undisclosed injury.
There were plenty of other elite runners for Haileselassie to tangle with, though, including Barnabas Kiptum of Kenya and Kensuke Horio and Kei Tsuboi of Japan. Kerio tried to separate by blasting out a 4:38 11th mile.
Haileselassie maintained contact, and when the time was right, at the 30K mark, he surged past him.
“The marathon is a great test of mental strength, and physical,” said Haileselassie, as he tended to a nasty-looking blister on his right foot after his victory. “But all racing is the same.”
The steeplechase is a 3,000-meter race with hurdle-like barriers and a water obstacle to deal with each lap.
Haileselassie was among the world’s best at it, but now he has fully embraced the marathon. He debuted at the grandaddy of them, Boston, in April and turned in a time of 2:14:44 for 16th place.
“Second marathon,” said his coach, James McKirby said after Sunday’s win. “Not bad, huh?”
At age 26 or 27, Haileselassie may have a bright future ahead in the marathon. But, since he is in America as a refugee from Eritrea, he can’t leave the U.S. to compete elsewhere. It’s a long arduous and not guaranteed path to citizenship, and even to the refugee Olympic team. He must qualify for what is called an I-94 card, McCurdy said, adding that can take eight to 10 years.
The 52nd Honolulu Marathon and its ancillary events — the concurrent Start to Park 10K and Saturday’s Kalakaua Merrie Mile — attracted a record 36,122 registrations this year.
Marathon president Dr. Jim Barahal said last week that Honolulu will benefit even more from a worldwide running boom when Japan’s economy rebounds.
“We’re not done growing,” he said. “The minute the yen gets to a reasonable level the Japanese will be back in big numbers.”