On her way to winning October’s Amsterdam Marathon, Joyce Chepkirui saw the face of her late manager on the course.

For Sunday’s Honolulu Marathon, she ran in Zane Branson’s memory.

Chepkirui led from start to finish in defending her title at Sunday’s Honolulu Marathon with a winning time of 2 hours, 28 minutes and 34 seconds. The 27-year-old Kenyan ran away from the marathon’s pacesetter by the first mile, held the lead for the entire 26.2-mile race and managed a pace that came close to breaking the 2:27:19 course record.

“Yes, it was my plan,” said Chepkirui, who averaged a 5:40 pace. “On Wednesday, I said I want to run 2:28 and I made it.”

Branson, who passed away in July and worked with Chepkirui for more than five years, was instrumental in bringing the infusion of Kenyans to the Honolulu Marathon. He was the manager of six-time men’s champion Jimmy Muindi. Before flying back to Kenya, Chepkirui and her husband, coach and training partner Erick Kibet will travel to Virginia to visit Branson’s family.

“Yes, I was thinking (of him),” said Chepkirui, who teared up while talking about him.

Chepkirui earned $40,000 in prize money. Kenya’s Lucy Karimi finished second in 2:28:55 and fellow Kenyan Isabella Ochichi was third for the second straight year in 2:29:44. China’s Yingying Zhang was fourth in 2:38:01 and Ethiopia’s Woynishet Girma was fifth in 2:40:26.

“Today I want to thank God that I won again,” Chepkirui said. “I feel happy. It was a great race for me.”

Chepkirui, Ochichi and Karimi broke away from the women’s pack, which included the pacesetter Nicole Sifuentes, off the start. They hit 5:33 at the first mile and ran at an aggressive 5:22 pace through 6 miles. The cool morning weather, with no wind or rain, made conditions ideal at breaking the course record.

“The weather today was great (not like) last year,” Chepkirui said.

Chepkirui didn’t ease off the pace and opened up a 10- to 15-second gap midway through as runners headed into east Honolulu. She looked comfortable with her stride and hit 1:11:43 at the half-marathon mark, believed to be the fastest in race history.

“This morning before the warm-up, I was unable to warm-up,” said Ochichi, who mentioned she wasn’t feeling well prior to the race. “But when we (were) crossing the first half, I thought it was fast but I felt good.”

Ochichi and Karimi caught her after mile 18 on Kalanianaole Highway and the three ran together. Chepkirui and Karimi broke away after mile 21 in Kahala. All three women entered the race after achieving personal best times in the marathon this year.

“I kept pace up to 35 (kilometers) and I said ‘no,’” said Ochichi.

Chepkirui and Karimi made the climb up Diamond Head together at mile 22. By then, the pace was slower compared to the pace they ran in the first half. After the climb, Chepkirui slowly pulled away on the downhill and soon opened a 100-meter gap between her and Karimi. Chepkirui is the first woman to defend her title since Russia’s Lyubov Morgunova went back-to-back in 2000 and 2001.

“I was prepared very well,” Chepkirui said.

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