By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
The front pack of yesterday's field in the Honolulu Symphony
Fun Run takes off down Kahala Avenue.

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Salter, Graybill orchestrate
quick victories in Opus 17

By Jack Wyatt
Special to the Star-Bulletin

For music lovers Brian Salter and Rachel Graybill, yesterday's Honolulu Symphony Opus 17 Fun Run was no concert at Ft. Ruger Park.

"Along Kahala Avenue the wind was right in my face. It blew any chance of a fast time," said Salter, 24, the men's division winner.

"But I couldn't let that bother me. I just kept on charging, never looking back," he said after winning his first symphony run in his first try.

Graybill, 27, who finished first among women for the second consecutive year, also had her shot at a record run dashed by the breeze.

"The wind was bad but the run was just the hard workout I needed to sharpen my skills before next week's New Zealand marathon," the assistant University of Hawaii running coach said.

Salter, a former Moanalua High School and Hawaii Pacific University running standout, turned the wind-swept, four-mile course in 20 minutes and seven seconds, finishing 45 seconds ahead of Jonathan Lyau, 31.

The golf course groundskeeper led the race from start to finish.

Graybill, who led her division unchallenged, was timed at 23:15, finishing 55 seconds ahead of triathlete Heather Jorris, 28.

Both division winners reside in Honolulu. The footrace drew 2,795 runners and walkers, down from the 7,000 to 9,000 participants recorded during Hawaii's running boom of the 1980s.

What motivates people to pay the $18 to $25 entry for a jog through posh Kahala when they can run the route for free any other time of year?

Most participants received a designer race shirt, enjoyed post-race entertainment, while gorging themselves on free food and drink.

"Best prizes by drawing of any fun run in the state," said Manoa's Tipper Shaw, who walked the course with her cocker spaniel. Race leaders received free symphony tickets.

"The possibility of winning concert tickets kept me on pace," said runner-up Lyau, who won last year's men's division.

Rachel Leber, Angela Rosa and Debbie Smuda, members of the UH women's cross-country team, used yesterday's run as the final workout before summer break. "A no pressure, fun contest," said team leader Leber, who finished eighth.

Seven Radford High School harriers took part despite the pressures of competing in high school track.

"There's no holding these kids back. They'll run any time any place," said Rams' coach Ron Pate.

Brigitte McMahon-Huber, a Swiss National Triathlon Team member now living in Honolulu, turned the course in a respectable 30 minutes despite being seven months pregnant.

"I'm fit, feel great and was careful not to fall. And my doctor gave me the go-ahead," said the winner of many local multi-sport events.

Led by Star Oliver, 18, among girls and Nicandro Ortiz, 17, among boys, 44 Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Program members took part.

Steve Locey flew in from Kauai to run. "The competition was here today. I love this race," he said after his seventh place men's finish in 21:56.

For Candy Smiley of Kailua, a former race winner, yesterday's run was all family fun.

"My boys -- Keoni, 10, and Tino, 8 -- are heavily into ball sports, you know Little League baseball, soccer and basketball. I thought a run would be a welcomed change," she said.

Smiley, 39, a state 10-K women's champ during the 1980s, finished sixth among women in 26:11. Tino and Keoni arrived just minutes later.

"I'm one proud mom," she said.

Like the battery ad, Kalihi's Naoto Inada, who turned 76 today, just keeps going and going and going.

"I just couldn't get up to speed today. Could it be that age has finally caught up to me?" he said.

Inada turned the course in approximately 30 minutes, a mark many younger participants would kill for.

Kailua's Pam and Marcus Gillespie borrowed a high-tech tandem stroller, piled their youngsters, Tanner, 2, and Kayla, 4, inside and proceeded to cruise the course.

"A nice long walk in a crowd," said Pam Gillespie after the one-hour and 19-minute trek. And that's what yesterday's symphony fun run was all about.