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Dec-8-2005
Legends Lead 400 In Honolulu Fun Run Today
by David Monti
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
Some of distance running's greatest legends turned up at Kapiolani Park this morning to lead about 400 runners at the inaugural Legends 5-K, a fun run put on by the organizers of the Honolulu Marathon.
After announcer Toni Reavis had introduced 1983 BAA Boston Marathon champion, Greg Meyer; two-time Olympic Marathon medalist, Frank Shorter; three-time BAA Boston Marathon Champion, Cosmas Ndeti; and Olympic bronze medalist and Common Wealth Games gold medalist, Ian Stewart; he encouraged the other runners to use the legends to inspire them to run their best.
"I urge you to beat as many of them as you possibly can," said Reavis who is always quick with joke. "And beat them badly."
Meyer, now 50, was the leading legend, finishing fourth in about 17:30 (being a fun run, neither official times nor finish positions were recorded). Down 20 pounds (9 kg) from last year, Meyer, who ran shirtless, was happy with his performance, but found the tropical conditions a bit difficult.
"Coming from two degrees (Fahrenheit/-17°C) it seemed pretty hot to me,"
said Meyer who lives in Michigan. That northern state has seen an early onset of winter weather.
Ndeti, his face much rounder than when he ran competitively, ran about 18 minutes he said, showing your editor his still-running watch. Stewart, who said later "I like it hot," did not reveal his finish time. He pointed out that when he won the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Morocco in
1975 it was 90°F (32°C). Shorter's finish time was not available, but he finished well behind your editor who ran 21:38.
The Legends 5-K replaced the Diamond Head Duet, which was run on the same one and one-half loop course around the perimeter of the park, but was scored using the combined times of male/female couples. Honolulu Marathon President, Dr. Jim Barahal, liked the new format of a fun run.
"I'll keep it," he said, hoping to expand it by offering on-line preregistration next year. Runners could only sign up for this year's race in person at the park in a one hour window before the 7:45 a.m. start. The run had no entry fee, but athletes were required to sign a standard race waiver.
After the run, the legends made their way to the Honolulu Marathon expo at the Hawaii Convention Center and continued to sign autographs there.
Shorter was particularly popular, especially with the Japanese runners.
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