When she's not running, Kiyoko Shimahara is disarmingly cheerful and bubbly. But the first-time entrant from Japan turned stone-cold finisher in difficult, wet weather to claim her first major marathon title yesterday.

Shimahara, 32, ran a strong race and overcame soggy conditions, an upset stomach and a tough Kenyan challenger to win the 36th Honolulu Marathon in 2 hours, 32 minutes and 36 seconds.

Kaori Yoshida, Shimahara's countrywoman and teammate, finished in second place, nearly 2 minutes back in 2:34:35 and Kenya's Alice Timbilili was third in 2:37:31.

For Shimahara, who finished second in the Chicago Marathon two months ago, the win here is another strong sign heralding her steady rise in the running world. She was clearly pleased that she had prevailed in high-level competition.

“;This is my first major championship, besides a smaller race in Japan, so I'm really happy,”; she said through her agent, Brendan Reilly.

In addition to claiming the $40,000 first-place prize in her debut appearance here, Shimahara snapped the recent four-year win streak by Russian runners, who had captured seven of the last eight Honolulu Marathon titles.

Four different Russians, including defending champion Alevtina Biktimirova and 2005 winner Olesya Nurgalieva had won from 2004 to 2007.

Biktimirova was never a factor in yesterday's race and finished a distant fifth in 2:45:06.

“;It does go to show you how unpredictable the marathon is, in particular about how the conditions in Honolulu can affect an athlete,”; said David Monti, editor and publisher of Race Results Weekly.

Shimahara grinned when asked about becoming the second Japanese woman to win the 26.2-mile race and first since Eri Hayakawa in 2003.

“;Very happy,”; she said in English, laughing.

The elite field and the rest of the 20,280 participants who started the race - 23,230 people officially registered - were spared from the torrential downpours that drenched the island this week but still were soaked by early-morning rain, including occasionally heavy showers.

Though wet roads often forced the lead pack of five women (and four men) to veer around sizeable pools of standing water, Timbilili pushed the pace early and often, occasionally surging ahead of pace setters Yoshida and Olga Romanova, Shimahara and Nurgalieva.

By the midway mark, which Timbili hit in 1:16:28, the 25-year-old Kenyan's aggressive probes had thinned the contenders to three. As Timbilili surged, Second Wind AC teammates Shimahara and Yoshida ran just behind her, passing water bottles and encouraging words back and forth.

Again and again, Timbilili tried to shake Shimahara - at one point opening up a 10-meter gap near the 17-mile mark in Hawaii Kai - but the rock-steady 5-foot Japanese runner reeled her in every time, hanging just off Timbilili's shoulder along with three men bracketing the pair.

Except for an occasional glance downward - the only hint of what she later explained was an upset stomach that bothered her much of the race - the poker-faced Shimahara edged out to a slight lead coming out of an aid station at the 21-mile mark and began slowly and steadily to break a fading Timbilili as they entered Kahala.

As the rain let up and the skies cleared, Shimahara grew stronger, and Timbilili faltered.

“;When I reached the 35K (21.75) mark, I knew I was in good shape,”; she said.

Shimahara maintained her strong stride over Diamond Head and down the final stretch, cheered by the legion of Japanese runners and walkers headed in the opposite direction.

Yoshida also passed the fading Kenyan going up Honolulu's version of Heartbreak Hill.

“;Timbilili crumbled ever so quickly,”; said Monti. “;When the wheels fall off in the marathon, they go quickly.”;