Asayech Ayalew Bere braves wind, cruises to win at Honolulu Marathon

Asayech Ayalew Bere did the work herself.

With no competitors to pace with or block the wind, the 23-year-old Ethiopian traversed the last 13 miles of a windy Honolulu Marathon course exposed to the gusty conditions. But the early gap she built over the rest of the field proved insurmountable, and Bere finished Sunday’s race in 2 hours, 30 minutes, 58 seconds for her third career marathon win.

“I (tried) to do my best to run a good time,” Bere said through her coach and translator Yirefu Birhanu.

Bere is the first Ethiopian champion since Ehitu Kiros in 2013. Abebech Afework Bekele, her training partner in Ethiopia, was second in 2:34:39 and Japan’s Eri Suzuki was third in 2:47:42.

Bere and Bekele ran together with a few male runners through the early part of the race.

Bere separated from Bekele after 7 miles on the climb up a windy Diamond Head Road. Bere was tucked behind Masaki Asari, a male entrant from Japan, for the next 6 miles before separating at the half-marathon mark in Aina Haina.

“It’s better for them to help each other until so many miles,” said Birhanu, who coaches Bere and Bekele. “It’s very hard to work the weather, the wind.”

Aside from the headwind, there were other mishaps on the run into East Honolulu. She mistakenly crossed over on Kalanianaole Highway and picked up her fuel bottle at the aid station meant for her route out of East Honolulu. Professional runners have their own liquid bottles at certain aid stations along the course.

>> RELATED: 2022 Honolulu Marathon results

>> RELATED: Conditions prevent a Honolulu Marathon record, but Asefa Mengstu wins

>> RELATED: Third generation Barahal completes improbable Honolulu Marathon run

>> PHOTOS: Honolulu Marathon

There was also a spectator who fell onto the course in Hawaii Kai, missing her by a few seconds. None of those mishaps seemed to deter Bere. She glanced back a few times and saw no runner in sight.

Brihanu, who has brought athletes to Honolulu, knew about the course’s humidity and hills. But the wind altered the racing plan on Sunday.

“I was not expecting a wind like this,” Brihanu said.

Bere finished second at the Eindhoven Marathon in The Netherlands on Oct. 9 in a personal best time of 2:22:52. She won the Linyi Marathon in China and the Lisbon Marathon in Portugal in 2021.

“She’s improving and becoming stronger,” Birhanu said.

Suzuki also finished third in Honolulu in 2018. Unlike the Ethiopians ahead of her, Suzuki isn’t a professional runner and works for a sports association. Suzuki won a half marathon earlier this year in Japan, which earned her a return trip to Honolulu.

“(I) love Hawaii and the atmosphere,” Suzuki said through a translator.

Defending champion Lanni Marchant of Canada was sixth in 3:02:15. Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei was the last repeat winner in 2016 and 2017, when she set the course record of 2:22:15. She’s gone on to win the Chicago and London marathons twice and was the silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics.