Honolulu resident Jonathan Lyau picked up his 13th award for the top kama'aina male finisher, despite suffering a foot injury during the race.

Lyau, 41, ran his 24th Honolulu Marathon in 2 hours, 48 minutes and 36 seconds and finished 47th overall.

"I developed a foot problem, and my heel was too loose, so I wasn't wearing the right shoes," he said.

Lyau won the kama'aina award 13 of the past 14 years, missing out on the win last year.

Jacob Puzey was the top Hawai'i male resident, finishing in 2:33:44. Puzey, 24, is from Hermiston, Ore., but attends Brigham Young-Hawai'i, where he competed in cross country.

He was the 13th male and 16th overall finisher.

Puzey stuck with women's winner Lyubov Denisova of Russia, because he knew her winning time would be close to what he wanted to run.

"She helped me a lot," Puzey said. "I tried to let her draft a lot."

Denisova pulled away in the 15th mile.

Puzey will graduate from BYUH with a degree in anthropology Saturday. He was met at the finish line by wife Jen and six-week-old son Cairo.

"I think Hawai'i is an incredible place with lots of athletes, so I feel proud to represent Hawai'i," Puzey said.

The top women's kama'aina runner was Rani Tanimoto, 31, of Kealakekua, in 3:17:49. Tanimoto was the 26th female finisher and 283rd runner overall.

The top women's Hawai'i resident was Shelley Grisbrook, 42, of Kailua, in 3:08:43. Grisbrook was the 14th female and 174th runner overall.

RUNNING IN IRAQ

Not all the marathon finishers started the course in downtown Honolulu. Some started in Iraq.

About 175 raced in Iraq on a base in the Sunni Triangle. The 25th Infantry Division's Spc. William Smallwood finished first in 2:53 and Maj. Beth Hoffman, of Wahiawa, won the women's competition in 3:40.

"Finding the time (to train) because of work and being busy is difficult," said Hoffman, who ran her third marathons. "It meant a lot to me that we were running for the soldiers who have lost their lives over here."

HU COMES THROUGH

Honolulu-born actress Kelly Hu, 38, finished the race in 4:56:19, and raised $40,000 for Reef Check Hawai'i.

But she had to skip the U2 concert the night before and has to cook dinner for "In Case of Emergency" co-star Jonathan Silverman.

"Right now I'm on a high and I'm tempted to say 'yes' only because I'm full of adrenaline right now," Hu said after the race. "Ask me tomorrow."

She was going to the U2 concert at Aloha Stadium on Saturday night, but decided to rest up for the early-morning race.

Hu, a Kamehameha Schools alum, went on-line and e-mailed friends to raise money for Reef Check Hawai'i, an organization involved in restoring and maintaining coral reef health.

In addition, she said: "I offered to cook dinner for whoever sponsored me the most money."

Her producer came up with $5,000 and "just the other day" Silverman offered $20,000.

SOEJIMA ROLLS TO WIN

Japan wheelchair racer Masazumi Soejima won his second straight wheelchair title.

Soejima won in 1 hour, 29 minutes and 22 seconds. Georgia's Krige Schabort, 43, was second in 1:37:42 and Byung Hoon Yoo, 34, of Korea was third in 1:47:53.

John Greer, 42, of Honolulu was the top Hawai'i finisher. He completed the race in 2:30:11 and was the sixth wheelchair finisher. Christine Greer, 34, also of Honolulu was the top female in 2:51:31.

THE HONEYMOONERS

Koh and Ayumi Kidena are celebrating their honeymoon in Hawai'i, and commemorated it by wearing bride and groom costumes for the Honolulu Marathon.

The Kidenas, from Chiba Prefecture in Japan, were married in June but postponed the ceremony and honeymoon so they could spend it with friends in Hawai'i and run the marathon.

"We both liked the marathon, so this is a good idea," Koh Kidena said.

Koh, 34, wore a dress shirt, bow tie and jacket, and Ayumi, 32, wore a dress and veil made especially for the race.

"It's not good to run the marathon," Koh Kidena said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com and Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.