Kaua'i Marathon M45-49: Ajram Runs Away With It in the Heat

• Josef Ajram won the M45-49 group in 3:20:45 (7:39/mi), finishing nearly 12 minutes clear of runner-up Keith Yurevitz.
• Ajram climbed from 7th to 5th among the men during the race's middle stretch and posted the 6th-fastest men's split on the 6.55 Miles→Half segment in the field.
• The gap from 1st to 18th spanned over 3 hours 16 minutes, reflecting a wide range of efforts across 18 finishers on a warm, humid Kaua'i morning.
• Eric Eisemon was the day's biggest mover in the group, surging from 30th to 20th among the men by the finish and posting the 19th-fastest men's split on the 22.25 Miles→24.15 Mile segment.

Josef Ajram made the trip from Barcelona count. Running 7:39 per mile through 77-degree heat and 69% humidity on Kaua'i's coastal course, the 47-year-old was never seriously threatened after the halfway mark. His move from 7th to 5th among the men through the race's first half showed he wasn't just surviving the conditions — he was racing through them. By mile 24, the outcome was settled.

Keith Yurevitz of Wailuku gave the early going some intrigue, sitting 6th among the men at the first checkpoint, but faded to 12th by the finish as the back half of the course took its toll. He still held on for 2nd in M45-49 in 3:32:41. Eric Eisemon (3:39:30) and Nikolaus Daubert (3:42:09) rounded out the podium, separated by just under three minutes, with Eisemon's strong late push on the 22-to-24-mile stretch making the difference between 3rd and 4th.

Patrick Mckenna was the group's most relentless climber through the field, moving from 61st to 31st among the men over the course of the race to claim 5th in M45-49 at 3:50:57. Behind the top five, the group spread out considerably — Kevin Tarpley Jr. crossed 7th in 4:07:41, and the final finisher, Jason Ringor of Lihue, completed the 26.2 miles in 6:37:13. On a day like this, finishing is its own statement.