That last half-mile stretch down Kalakaua Avenue from the Dillingham Fountain to the Kapiolani Park finish line used by many races has seen as many triumphs as disappointments. The end is in sight — literally — with the clock at the finish line coming into view right around the tennis courts and Waikiki Aquarium.

It was there that Stephen Marthy saw not only the clock but the chance for triumph and $5,000. The 25-year-old Army first lieutenant sprinted past Christina Wong and Kim Kuehnert on the closing 500 yards of the straightaway to win Sunday’s second Hapalua Half-Marathon.

Marthy, given an 11-minute head start on the field, was the first to finish the soggy 13.1-mile course with a handicap time of 1 hour, 1 minute and 46 seconds. Wong and Kuehnert, part of the Team Hawaii wave given the largest head start (25 minutes), were seconds behind, Wong at 1:01:50 and Kuehnert at 1:01:59.

"It kind of went through my mind coming up Diamond Head," Marthy said of potentially winning $5,000. "I had run a couple of Army 10-milers, but had never run this distance.

"I liked the format."

The unique format featured 24 of Hawaii’s top runners, who were given head starts ranging from seven to 25 minutes in what was called "The Chase." The two dozen were trying to finish ahead of three pros from Kenya, the trio starting the race at the same time as the remaining field of 2,266.

Team Hawaii took the top 15 places and all of the $11,000 in prize money. Kenya’s Patrick Makau, the reigning world marathon record holder, and compatriot Nicholas Manza crossed virtually together, Makau 16th in 1:05:28, Manza 17th in 1:05:29. Kenya’s Jimmy Muindi, six-time Honolulu Marathon champion, was 26th in 1:14:03.

Without the handicap, Makau and Manza would have been 1-2 and Honolulu’s Allen Wagner third at 1:09:29. With his seven-minute handicap, Wagner’s 1:02:29 placed him fourth overall.

A torrential downpour soaked those in the 6 a.m. mass start. That he was 14 minutes into the race when the rain really start coming down was a blessing, Honolulu’s Jonathan Lyau said.

"I think we had a little bit of an advantage at the start when it didn’t start pouring until after we went," said Lyau, fifth overall in 1:02:47. "But that’s what ‘The Chase’ is all about. It gives the local guys a chance."

The head start came with one disadvantage. Both Wong and Kuehnert ran alone for much of the race, Kuehnert ahead of Wong by 34 seconds at the 5K mark and 40 seconds after 10K.

"That was the really interesting part," said the 23-year-old Wong, who ran competitively for Punahou and Amherst. "It was definitely a challenge, not knowing where everyone else was. And the rain was a struggle, stepping in these huge puddles on Kalakaua.

"I finally caught up with Kim in the last few miles around Diamond Head. We pretty much ran together from then. She kind of pulled me along and I wouldn’t have been that fast without her."

And having to settle for second and $2,500?

"When (Marthy) went past us, we said, ‘He’s looking good’ and we knew we couldn’t catch him," said Wong, who crossed the same finish line first in the HPH Women’s 10K a week earlier. "So I just went for my PR (personal record). And I got it, so I’m pretty happy. It was just my fourth half-marathon."

The 24-year-old Kuehnert, a former cross country runner at Hawaii Pacific, said the challenge was in focusing.

"I didn’t wear a watch and I didn’t look back," she said, after earning $1,000. "I was focused forward and ran my race.

"Christina and I went back and forth after she caught up, then I caught her and then she caught me. It’s a competitive race, but it’s also more fun."

Makau used Sunday as a tune-up for next month’s London Marathon, where first place is worth $55,000.

"The goal for today was looking ahead to the marathon — that is my race," said Makau, who has eight sub-one-hour half-marathons to his credit. "Today’s course was good, I think my time was good and (the format) was good."

Notes

One finisher of note was Ali Vincent, the first female winner of "The Biggest Loser," who was timed in 3:06:14 … The "Joggin’ for Frogmen," one of 27 fundraising relay teams, had raised $32,966 before Sunday’s start for the family of Navy SEAL Matt Leathers, who was lost in last month’s training exercise off Kaena Point. All but $10,000 will go to his widow and three children, all under age 10.