IAAF photo
Sonia O'Sullivan is the reigning 5,000 meter world champion
and the world record holder at 2,000 meters.
O'Sullivan, the reigning 5,000-meter world champion and the top female track athlete of 1995, agreed last month to compete here, Honolulu Marathon Association president Dr. Jim Barahal said.
"She's definitely the top female track and field runner in the world and the top middle distance runner," Barahal said. O'Sullivan, who has the best 3,000-meter time and the second-best 1,500-meter time of 1996, is expected to arrive here tomorrow or Thursday.
Her personal best mile time - 4 minutes, 16.71 seconds (1994) - is the fifth fastest time in women's running history.
A purse of $38,000 will be at stake for the women's and men's elite races and runners can earn $1,000 for every second they go under certain time standards. In the women's field, that is 4 minutes, 25 seconds. In the men's, it is 4 minutes.
The event, sponsored by Nike's P.L.A.Y. (Participate in the Lives of American Youth) program, will be held for the third year on Kalakaua Avenue.
The event offers track fans in Hawaii their only chance each year to see some of the sport's top professionals. It ushers in the Honolulu Marathon, which will begin at 5 a.m. on Sunday.
O'Sullivan is the European 3,000-meter record holder, the 2,000-meter world record holder and owns a personal best of 3 minutes, 58.85 seconds in the 1,500 meters. She has also proved to be dangerous at the longer distances, having clocked 32 minutes, 12 seconds in the 10,000 meters.
The 27-year-old native of County Cork is on the rebound from a disappointing Olympics experience last summer. Developing severe stomach problems during the competition, she dropped out of the 5,000 meters and finished next-to-last in her 1,500-meter heat.
"When you consider she was athlete of the year in 1995 and she was doing unprecedented things in the 1,500, 3,000 and 5000 (ranked No. 1 in each event), it's heartbreaking that illness kept that star from shining at the Olympics," ESPN commentator Toni Reavis said.
But Barahal said O'Sullivan was such an intimidating factor that some of her 5,000-meter Olympic rivals, such as Portugal's Fernando Ribeiro, avoided her by moving to the 10,000 meters.
"She's a very determined athlete and she is such a well-liked heroine back in Ireland," Reavis said. "She's like the Mary (Decker) Slaney of old in that sense, with a tremendous range of abilities."
Slaney, 37, also is in the field along with Austrian 1,500-meter bronze medalist Theresia Kiesl, and U.S. Olympians Suzy Hamilton, Regina Jacobs and Juli Henner.
Jacobs is the defending women's champion. She ran 4:30.48 here last year.
Slaney retains five U.S. track records from 800 to 3,000 meters, including the mile. Her 4:16.71, clocked in 1985, is the fourth fastest women's mile of all time.
In the Waikiki Men's Mile, 10 of the 13 entries are sub-4-minute milers. The others who aren't milers have clocked 3:35.0 or better in the 1,500.
Defending champion Phillamon Hanneck of Zimbabwe is back, along with Ireland's top miler, Marcus O'Sullivan, Kenya's 1,500-meter bronze medalist Stephen Kipkorir and American standout Bob Kennedy.
One-mile benefit races for children ages 7 to 12 will begin at 2:30 p.m. and the elite women's and men's races will follow.