Nathan Martin wins LA Marathon
Nathan Martin won the Los Angeles Marathon in the closest finish in the race’s 40‑year history, edging Michael Kimani Kamau by fractions of a second — a dramatic sign of the rise in American distance running The Guardian.
The official gun times were 2:11:17.229 for Nathan Martin and 2:11:17.409 for Michael Kimani Kamau — a 0.18‑second gap confirmed by the LA Marathon to LetsRun. (letsrun.com) Many outlets circulated an earlier figure of 0.01 seconds for the margin after the photo finish was posted by broadcasters, with local coverage reporting the one‑hundredth‑of‑a‑second claim. (abc7.com) Fan video shows Kamau briefly veer off the marked finish corridor after dodging a spectator in the final meters, footage captured and republished by NBC Los Angeles. (nbclosangeles.com) Race organizers told E! News their motorcade was not to blame for that momentary misdirection, a statement issued as the footage and questions circulated online. (eonline.com) Martin, 36, is a substitute teacher and high‑school cross‑country coach from Jackson, Michigan, a detail noted in the event release and industry coverage. (runningusa.org) His marathon personal best of 2:10:45 was set at the 2023 Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, a mark recorded in World Athletics’ official results. (worldathletics.org) The ASICS Los Angeles Marathon ran from Dodger Stadium to Century City on March 8, 2026, drew more than 27,000 participants and raised over $4.5 million for charity, and the post‑race debate over the finish has prompted calls — echoed in running media — for organizers to consider remedies similar to a recent Atlanta case where impacted athletes were made financially whole. (runningusa.org)
