Jimmy Muindi first ran the Honolulu Marathon at age 20. He's now 35, and hasn't missed a year in between. His status as the only elite veteran of the unique course makes him smile.

“;I'm the guy who has every advantage; everything is here,”; he said, tapping a finger on his temple.

Marathon running is a mental game no matter what, but Honolulu is different from other races, he explained. The wind and humidity slow times and alter strategy. And for Muindi, it's always much more than a race anyway.

“;When I come to Honolulu, I'm home,”; he said. “;I don't know how to be if I'm missing coming here.”;

Muindi knows more than the course. As the six-time champion, he understands how to win. He's racked up 13 top-three finishes over the years, an impressive display of consistency and longevity. And he still holds the 2:11:12 course record he set in 2004.

But he'll face challenges from a talented field, including fellow Kenyan (and Muindi's brother-in-law) Patrick Ivuti, 30, who has a personal best of 2:07:46, and won last year's Chicago Marathon in 2:11:11.

Ivuti said he's thrilled to finally arrive in Honolulu for the first time, because he's “;been longing to come here.”; And he won't give anything away to crowd favorite Muindi, even if he is family.

“;When you are coming for a race, you don't come to be No. 2,”; he said simply. “;You come to win. But anything can happen.”;

Everybody in the elite field, he acknowledged, “;is competitive.”;

Samuel Mwangi Gichohi, a 25-year-old pace setter from Kenya, will pull the group through the first 13.1 miles, about half way down Kalanianaole Highway. Ivuti intends to let the pace setter do his job, but also won't hold back. When a tough hill awaits at the end, as it does in Honolulu, the men are more inclined to push harder earlier in the race.

Both Ivuti and Muindi — who also made no secret of his intention to win — run no less than 30 kilometers nearly every day. That's almost 19 miles, a distance that may decrease with tough speed workouts. But both men have struggled through a difficult year.

After an impressive performance in Chicago in 2006, where Muindi finished third in 2:07:51, he came to Honolulu in 2007 and suffered stomach problems, vomiting at various points in the race. He placed second in his slowest time ever, but the winner's disqualification gave him the official victory.

This year, he succumbed to injuries, dropping out of two marathons. Though he ran a “;very slow”; 10K in June in 30:13, he said “;the last month of my training has been very good.”;

Ivuti skipped the Chicago Marathon this year because of an injury. Yet both claim to be healthy and ready for tomorrow.

Muindi's career began as a 3,000 meter steeple chase runner. After winning the World Championships in that event at 19, he went on to post a 27:15 personal record for 10K. Ivuti came to marathons later, having started in 2005 after a successful career with shorter distances and cross-country races — many of which he ran barefoot. His personal record for 10K is 27:05, and he's blasted through a half-marathon in 59:27.

Like many runners before them, Muindi and Ivuti hail from Machakos, a village in Eastern Kenya where running is a way of life. Though neither masks his intention to win, each is a bit more elusive when it comes to the race plan, which changes dramatically with the weather. Athletes as finely tuned as these men have trouble with more strategic races. Because they are accustomed to such a blistering pace in training, Muindi explained that their legs often don't respond to a slower pace.

No matter what happens, however, Muindi said his favorite part of the race is luxuriating in the cheers from outgoing runners along Kalanianaole highway and over Diamond Head on his way back to Kapiolani Park.

“;It's a lot of morale,”; he said. “;You feel like you're flying.”;