Two top contenders to win Sunday’s Honolulu Marathon put in around twice as much roadwork as even their fellow elite competitors.

A lot of it just happens to be behind a steering wheel.

Yemane Haileselassie and Amanuel Mesel are world-class athletes who run hundreds of miles a month training in the Flagstaff, Ariz., area. They also log as many or more miles as ride-share drivers.

Flagstaff is home to Northern Arizona University and its strong cross country programs. The 7,000-foot altitude adds to Flagstaff’s allure for serious runners. Mesel, like Haileselassie, is a two-time Olympian. He said he’s often recognized by passengers and some ask for selfies and autographs.

Mesel said he’s had some fares that cover the 145 miles from Flagstaff to Phoenix. The trip takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes. That’s the same amount of time Paul Lonyangata took to run the 26.2-mile Honolulu course to win the race last year.

Haileselassie and Mesel both said they are confident that Sunday could be the day for one of them to win here, despite the presence of Lonyangata.

Haileselassie said he expects a tactical race, which could be suited to his vast experience at shorter distances.

“Anyone who lines up on the line with us can win it,” Mesel said. “You can’t underestimate anyone.”

Some may have made that mistake with Cynthia Limo here last year. She won her marathon debut in 2:33:01.

Limo is also back to defend her crown. Her fellow Kenyan Judith Jeptum Korir and Fantu Shugi Gelasa of Ethiopia are expected to be among her top challengers. Officials were happy to add another Kenyan star, Sandra Chebet Tuei, to that list when word came this week that she had resolved visa issues and would be at the starting line Sunday.

For those who favor shorter races, the Start to Park 10K begins and ends Sunday in the same general areas as the marathon — but it is 20 miles shorter.

And, on Saturday morning, 12 Olympians are among the elite competitors at the Kalakaua Merrie Mile, which starts a few minutes after a citizen runner mile.

A record total of close to 40,000 have signed up for the three events.

Haileselassie and Mesel have done well earning prize money in road races. But they both drive long hours because they need steady income to support themselves and to send to families they haven’t seen in years and don’t know when they will again.

Haileselassie and Mesel are from Eritrea. But they left and have been allowed to live in the U.S. while working toward citizenship because the government in Eritrea is one of the most oppressive worldwide, according to evaluations by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations.

Both hope to become naturalized U.S. citizens, and eventually reunite with their families. In the meantime, they train, race and drive, and pay taxes on their earnings.

Mesel has been in the U.S. since 2020, when he was granted asylum after finishing third in the Houston Marathon. In 2022, Haileselassie joined him in Flagstaff after finishing seventh in the steeplechase at the World Championships in Eugene, Ore.

They left Eritrea to escape a dictatorship where many freedoms, including those of speech and religion, are non-existent. There are no elections, and people are forced to serve indefinite terms in the military.

“Of course, it’s not very easy,” Mesel told Rich Sands, in an article for Race Results Weekly. “But when you decide to do that it’s because you believe it’s what is best for you, that you are finding something better. It was both a scary and optimistic decision at the same time.”

There were more than 580,000 Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers worldwide in 2023, according to a UN Refugee Agency report.

“Their story really is an American story,” said James McKirdy, who coaches Mesel and Haileselassie. “My first ancestor came here in 1625. It’s the same thing for them now, 400 years later. … Their stress is a different stress than what we have.”

McKirdy coaches a diverse group of athletes from several different countries in Flagstaff, including six from Eritrea. One of them, Filmon Ande, was second in the Honolulu Marathon last year, 19 seconds behind Lonyangata.

Ande’s mother has been imprisoned in Eritrea because he left the country, McKirdy said.

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HONOLULU MARATHON

5 a.m., Sunday, start at Ala Moana Blvd./Queen Street, finish at Kapiolani Park

START TO PARK 10K

5 a.m., Sunday, start same as marathon, finish at Kapiolani Park near marathon finish

KALAKAUA MERRIE MILE

7 a.m., today, start at Monsarrat Avenue, finish at Queens Beach

Expo and packet pickup: Today, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Hawaii Convention Center (also late registration)