1999

Muindi bests fellow countrymen
Outraces Hussein and Kimaiyo for first marathon win
Bogacheva retains women's title

The 1999 Honolulu Marathon came down to the same three Kenyan men for the second year in a row.

Jimmy Muindi sprinted past 1998 champion Mbarak Hussein in the last 20 meters inside Kapiolani Park to win the first marathon of his five-year career in 2 hours, 16 minutes, 45 seconds.

It was the 27-year-old Kenyan's sixth attempt at the Honolulu Marathon. He had finished fourth here in 1994, third in 1995, second in 1996 and 1997, and third in 1998. "I am very happy," said Muindi, who won $15,000 for the victory. "It's a new start for me."

Irina Bogacheva of Kyrgyzstan retained her women's title with a 2:32:36 finish, a surprisingly fast time under the circumstances. There were 21,211 official finishers.

"This was such an essential win for Jimmy," said Muindi's manager, Zane Branson "The time was not impressive today, but people know that to win here is not easy," he said.

Erick Kimaiyo, the winner in 1996 and 1997, also bolted past Mbarak Hussein to finish second in 2:16:47, while Hussein came in third, eight seconds later. The three set a 5:13-mile pace.

Muindi said he liked the conditions better this year. "It's rainy and it's cool. Oh, I really like it," said Muindi. "But it was very slow going out and it was windy."

Bogacheva was visibly disappointed that stomach problems she suffered on Diamond Head caused her to miss breaking the course record by 23 seconds. The race record of 2:31:01 was set by Carla Beurskens in 1986 but Beurskens established a slower record when the course was changed in 1992. "I run by myself after first mile," said Bogacheva, who held the lead from that point. "No one to help me."

Greg Meyer, the 1983 Boston Marathon winner who broadcast the women's race, said Bogacheva's complaints seemed well-founded because not only did she lead the women almost all the way, but she could not seem to even find a man on the course who would help pace her.

"She made her own race," Meyer said. Meyer said that Russian Svetlana Zakharova, the 1997 winner, moved up to Bogacheva's shoulder at 13 or 14 miles but the Kyrgyzstani woman gradually moved farther and farther ahead. Bogacheva had the fastest winning time here since 1993, when Beurskens clocked 2:32:20.

Muindi's 2:16:45 was the slowest winning time since 1995, when Thungwane won in 2:16:08.