Nathan Martin wins LA Marathon in closest finish ever as heat triggers safety changes
nathan martin won the men’s race at the 41st Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday morning in Los Angeles after a finish decided by a single stride. The American chased down Kenya’s Michael Kimani Kamau over the full 26. 2 miles and prevailed by 0. 01 seconds on the Stadium to the Stars course. The event also unfolded under a hot-weather forecast that led organizers to add a one-year-only early-finish option for runners, with temperatures in the upper 60s shortly after 9: 00 a. m. ET and expected to climb into the mid-70s by 10: 00 a. m. ET.
Photo-finish win caps a dramatic final surge
The race began with professional wheelchair racers and push rim para-athletes at 6: 30 a. m. ET, followed by handcycle and hand crank racers at 6: 32 a. m. ET and other para-athletes at 6: 33 a. m. ET. Professional women and elite age group women started at 6: 44 a. m. ET, and the elite men and the rest of the field went off at 7: 00 a. m. ET. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass served as the starter.
In the men’s race, nathan martin, 36, ran down Kamau late and won in 2: 11: 16. 50, with Kamau credited with the same time but beaten by 0. 01 seconds—marathon officials described it as the closest finish the event has ever seen. The decisive move came in the closing miles, with Martin describing a push from five miles out and then closing hard again inside the final stretch. Kamau collapsed immediately after the finish and was attended to by medical personnel before being carried off on a stretcher.
Behind the top two, Enyew Nigat of Ethiopia placed third (2: 14: 23 in one set of results; 2: 14: 22. 22 listed elsewhere), Josh Izewski was fourth (2: 14: 43), and 2024 winner Dominic Ngeno of Kenya finished fifth (2: 16: 17).
Nathan Martin’s quotes and the immediate response at the line
“In any race, I just want to give 100%, ” Martin said after the finish. “I saw an opportunity to race at the end and give one last push. All I wanted to do is push myself. ”
Martin also detailed the moment he committed to the chase: “I made an actual move five miles out … when I saw no one else was picking up the pace. I decided I needed to push, ” he said. “At a mile and a half to go, I could see the leader and with 800 meters to go, I was thinking, ‘I’m catching him. ’”
The men’s victory made Martin the second straight American champion of the event, following Matthew Richtman in 2025. Martin’s past marathon highlight noted by race coverage includes a personal best of 2: 10: 45 at the 2023 Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota.
Women’s race: Cherono wins overall Marathon Chase and takes $10, 000 bonus
In the women’s race, Priscah Cherono of Kenya took the lead immediately and went on to win in 2: 25: 18. 31. The elite women started 15 minutes, 45 seconds ahead of the elite men as part of the Marathon Chase format, with a $10, 000 bonus awarded to the first runner—male or female—to cross the finish line. Cherono was that first finisher overall and earned the bonus on International Women’s Day.
“I was feeling OK and I felt I could take it all the way, ” Cherono said after her win. Kellyn Taylor finished second in 2: 27: 36: 00, with Antonina Kwambai third in 2: 28: 49. 09. “I would’ve liked to have won, but my time is fair for this course, ” Taylor said. “I did everything I could to stay in it, but [Cherono] went out really hard and ran a great race. ”
Heat prompts one-year-only early finish option and operational changes
With hot weather forecast for Sunday, marathon organizers implemented safety changes, including an option for participants to finish at the 18-mile mark and still receive a finisher’s medal. Organizers described the alternative route as available for this year only, allowing runners to turn toward an early finish on Santa Monica Boulevard just past Mile 18, guided by signage, cones, and barricades.
The marathon drew more than 27, 000 runners, starting at Dodger Stadium and finishing in Century City on Santa Monica Boulevard near Avenue of the Stars. The race was moved up by one week from its traditional third Sunday in March timing to avoid clashing with the Oscars, scheduled for March 15 at the Dolby Theatre along the route.
What’s next for the event after a record-tight finish
Race officials will continue updating official results, including times and mileage adjustments for runners who used the Mile 18 early-finish option. The operational choices made for Sunday—paired with a finish decided by 0. 01 seconds—are likely to keep attention on how the marathon balances competition and runner safety when warm conditions hit early in the morning. For now, the headline result is clear: nathan martin delivered the tightest men’s finish the Los Angeles Marathon has ever seen.
