Titus Ekiru and Vivian Jerono Kiplagat win 2018 Honolulu Marathon

Titus Ekiru won the 46th Honolulu Marathon this morning with the second fastest time in the history of the event, finishing in two hours, nine minutes and one second.

Vivian Jerono Kiplagat won the women’s race, also after building a big lead in the second half of the race and finishing unchallenged. Her time was 2:36:22. Sheila Jerotich was second in 2:42:09.

Ekiru and Kiplagat each won $25,000 for their first-place finishes.

Kiplagat, 27, won her fourth of five international completitions in 2018, including the Buenos Aires Marathon where she was first in 2:29.03.

This is the fifth year in a row where Kenyans have won both the men’s and women’s marathons at Honolulu.

>> Click here for more photos from this year’s Honolulu Marathon.

At around the 17-mile mark, Ekiru pulled away from countryman Vincent Yator, who finished third in 2:15:31. Reuben Kipropkerio surged past Yator to finish second in 2:12:59.

Last year, Ekiru was fourth in his Honolulu Marathon debut and Lawrence Cherono won in a record time of 2:08:27.

This is the second marathon victory of 2018, for Ekiru, 24. He also won the Ciudad de Mexico Marathon in 2:10:38. Ekiru was also first in the San Diego Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon, posting a personal best 1:01:02 for 13.1 miles.

Ben Williams was the first Hawaii resident finisher, completing the course in 2:33:18 for seventh overall.

Paulina Carlson of Kaneohe was the first female Hawaii resident finisher with 2:53.50.

In the wheelchair division, Masazumi Soejima won hias 12th Honolulu Marathon and sixth in a row with a time of 1:39:12.

A total of 32,767 entrants signed up for today’s marathon, the Start To Park 10K and Saturday’s Kalakaua Merrie Mile.