Tolosa and Biktimirova splash their way to Honolulu victories
International Association of Athletics Foundation, Monaco - Dec 9, 2007

This city of 800,000 welcomed the warm sunshine which greeted them yesterday morning. It was a much needed respite from more than a week of rainy weather, some of it accompanied by winds so strong they uprooted a few of Oahu's oldest trees. But the rains were back again this morning, and the downpour which began just minutes before the 35th Honolulu Marathon started at five o'clock set the tone for today's race where Ambesse Tolosa of Ethiopia and Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia splashed their way to victories and $40,000 in prize money.

For Tolosa it was his second win here in as many tries. Like last year, he used a patient approach, not taking the lead until the important climb up Diamond Head Avenue at the 38km mark. It was there he found himself in exactly the same position as last year: trailing five-time Honolulu Marathon champion, Jimmy Muindi of Kenya, by one step.

"He's a very challenging competitor," Tolosa said of Muindi after the race ...