LA Marathon Decided by Historic Close Finish
American runner Nathan Martin won the Los Angeles Marathon in what organizers are calling the closest finish in the race's history. Martin, a relative underdog, narrowly beat a field of seasoned competitors, while Kenya's Priscah Cherono dominated the women's race from the start.
The men's race was decided by a mere 0.01 seconds, with Nathan Martin's official time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 16.50 seconds narrowly beating Kenya's Michael Kimani Kamau. The finish was so close that Kamau collapsed after lunging for the line and had to be carried away by medical personnel. This victory marks the second consecutive year that an American man has won the Los Angeles Marathon. In a stark contrast, Priscah Cherono of Kenya finished the women's race with a commanding lead, clocking in at 2:25:18.31. Her closest competitor, American Kellyn Taylor, finished more than two minutes behind her. The 45-year-old Cherono also won an additional $10,000 bonus for being the first overall finisher to cross the line. The women's elite runners were given a 15-minute and 45-second head start on the men as part of the "Marathon Chase." Cherono's dominant performance secured her the bonus prize, a feat accomplished by a female runner in 11 of the 16 times the chase has been held. Nathan Martin, 36, is the fastest U.S.-born Black marathoner, with a personal best of 2:10:45 set at the 2023 Grandma's Marathon. Before his historic win in Los Angeles, he set the record for the fastest marathon by a Black man born in the United States at the 2020 Marathon Project. Priscah Cherono, a mother of three, has had a long and successful career, including representing Kenya in the 5000 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After some time away from the sport, she made a strong comeback, winning The Marathon Project in December 2025 before her victory in Los Angeles. This year's 41st running of the marathon drew approximately 27,000 participants. The "Stadium to the Stars" course started at Dodger Stadium and finished in Century City. The race was held a week earlier than usual to avoid a conflict with the Academy Awards.
