Wilson Kipsang was content as part of the pack for the first 22 miles of the Honolulu Marathon.

For the last 4-plus, the man regarded as the world’s top runner was clearly in a class of his own.

After patiently biding his time for most of the race, Kipsang put on a breathtaking charge none of the other competitors could match in winning the 40th annual event Sunday morning.

Kipsang took the lead for the first time in the 22nd mile, then pulled away from Markos Geneti of Ethiopia and crossed the finish line at Kapiolani Park in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 31 seconds as a Kenyan won the men’s race for the sixth straight year and the 16th time in the past 17.

He arrived in Honolulu last week having won the London Marathon in April and having claimed the bronze medal in the Olympic marathon in August. He lived up to the ranking by running the second half of the course faster than the first, highlighted by his impressive push through Kahala and around Diamond Head.

"I’m very happy that I managed to run very well in these humid and hot conditions and win it," Kipsang said. "In the Olympics, it was very hot but not humid. But in such conditions this was my first time. Winning and having such a time is good for me."

Kipsang was a late addition to the elite field after Hurricane Sandy shut down the New York City Marathon a little more than a month ago. He claimed the $40,000 first prize in earning his fourth victory in seven marathons in his career. He finished third in the other three.

The humidity and a wind blowing against the runners along Kalanianaole Highway heading toward Hawaii Kai contributed to keeping Jimmy Muindi’s course record of 2:11:12 safe another year. "I was feeling strong and I was really aiming to break the course record if the conditions could have been favorable," Kipsang said.

After the 5 a.m. fireworks sent the runners on the 26.2-mile journey, Kipsang spent much of the race tucked into a pack of nine runners who separated from the field early on, with Geneti, Nicholas Manza and Julius Arile taking turns at the front.

"The guys were running very well, but there was a lot of wind," Kipsang said. "That’s why it was not possible for one person to take the lead. So that’s why we were trying to take control of the pace."

Two-time defending champion Nicholas Chelimo made a brief appearance in the lead entering Hawaii Kai, but dropped back on the other end of the East Oahu loop as the pack was reduced to five.

Kipsang and Geneti were stride-for-stride as they left Arile and Kiplimo Kimutai behind as they made the turn at Waialae Country Club. That’s when Kipsang hit another gear.

"It was not very windy and I felt that led me to try to test and see if the guys could follow," Kipsang said.

None could as he ran the 23rd mile in 4 minutes, 39 seconds. By then a tight race became a blowout, with Kipsang opening a wide margin over Geneti by the time he began the climb up Diamond Head.

"I think he ran a tactical race … and once he went, he went," said marathon president Jim Barahal, who tracked the race from the men’s pace truck. "It was the biggest move I’ve ever seen here, 4:39 through there was pretty extreme."

The throng of citizen runners still making their first climb up Diamond Head crowded the barrier to cheer Kipsang to the finish, where he barely looked winded as he was greeted by his wife, Doreen, and Kenyan ambassador Elkanah Odembo.

Geneti finished 37 seconds later at 2:13:08, followed by Kimutai in third at 2:14:15. The Kenyans claimed four of the top five places.

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