Schnack running alone

Two items at the bottom of many people's to-do list are at the top of Cynthia Schnack's agenda tomorrow.

Schnack will run the 2004 Honolulu Marathon and then, instead of spending the rest of the day in rest mode, she'll get some of her Christmas shopping out of the way.

"It's a tradition for me and my twin sister (Carolyn Schnack) to do our Christmas shopping after the race," said 41-year-old Cynthia, who has won 10 kamaaina women's championships as the first finisher born in Hawaii. "It's a good warm-down. I'll get home around 8:30, get showered, eat some breakfast and go, instead of doing nothing for the next 10 hours."

Carolyn, who has won two kamaaina awards, isn't running this year.

"She gave birth to a child six months before last year's race and still ran last year," Cynthia said. "I think it was a matter of pride. This year, she's in shape, but not winning shape."

Cynthia is recovering from a pelvic stress fracture and pulled muscle and is nervous about defending her title, but looking forward to it, all the same.

She's been real consistent throughout the years.

"I'm usually around 2:58 on the dot," she said. "Sometimes in the rainy years, I'll do around 3:01."

She plans on marrying fellow Punahou graduate Rick Lee in February.

"We're shooting for the time of the Punahou Carnival," Cynthia said. "It's something we've always looked forward to. That way, our friends (living away from Hawaii) can come back for both the carnival and the wedding."

Schnack looks forward to seeing many friends and family stationed along the course.

"The people out at Kahala are really something," she said. "They'll be out there eating breakfast and cheering everybody on.

"And I know I'll see my good friend on Kalanianaole Highway and my older sister Margie and her kids at Diamond Head and my parents at the Aloha gas station in Kahala. It really keeps you going, knowing they'll be there."

On the men's side, Jon Lyau is trying for his 13th straight kamaaina award.

Rabbit boy: Defending champion Jimmy Muindi's 22-year-old brother, Nicholus Muindi is here to be a pacesetter. He's being groomed as a possible elite marathoner in the future.

Oldest woman: Oregon's Gladys Burrill, 86, is believed to be the oldest women's entrant since the Honolulu Marathon began in 1973.

But there's no way to tell for sure because records of the event's previous 31 races aren't complete.

Burrill is a great-grandmother who overcame polio as a child.

She'll be rapid-walking the 26.2-mile course.

Repeat?: Japan's Eri Hayakawa is trying for her second victory in a row in the women's race.

In the wheelchair division, Krige Schabort, a native of South Africa living near Atlanta, is going for his seventh Honolulu victory.

Presidential: Marathon president Jim Barahal will oversee his 18th race. Since he took over, the race has tripled in size and its impact on the Hawaii economy has grown to $88.6 million, according to a Hawaii Pacific University study of the 2003 race.

Numbers: Last year's race had 25,283 entrants. As of last night, this year's entries reached 24,637. Late entries are accepted through today at 6 p.m. at the Hawaii Convention Center.

In 1995, a record 34,434 entered.