1979

It appears that Dean Matthews didn't get the word that you're not supposed to take the Honolulu Marathon seriously.

The 24-year-old Clemson University graduate form South Carolina shattered the course record with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes and 12 seconds in winning the seventh annual Honolulu Marathon yesterday. He crossed the finish line at Kapiolani Park more than 500 yards ahead of runner-up Frank Shorter.

But he did get the word. "Everybody said to come over here and just have a good time," he said between gulps of a Coke following his victory, " and I did have a good time for about eight miles. Then I decided to make a move. Once I did that, I was committed and I had to go for it."

Matthews overtook Ron Tabb of Texas at 14.5 miles and never was threatened thereafter. Tabb, 25, held on for third place, a few strides behind Shorter.

Don Kardong, who set the old record of 2:17:04 in winning the race last year, was sixth yesterday in 2:22:23.

Patti Lyons, a 26-year-old Boston resident, successfully defended her women's title. Her time of 2:40:06 was more than three minutes better than the course record she set last year and less than two minutes short of her personal best, a 2:38:22 in Boston earlier this year.

The race got under way in front of Aloha Tower in the early morning darkness. The wheel-chair participants rolled away at 5:30 a.m. and then the blast of a cannon and fireworks sent the runners off at 6 a.m. The streets were still wet from a shower earlier in the morning, but conditions were otherwise good.