Matt Richtman claimed victory in the 40th annual Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, becoming the first American man to win the title in 31 years.
He set a personal best with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 56 seconds, navigating a course that began at Dodger Stadium, passed through downtown LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Brentwood, and finished in Century City.
Kenya’s Athanas Kioko finished second with a time of 2:10.55, while another Kenyan, Moses Kurgat, took third in 2:13.13.
This was only Richtman’s second marathon, following his debut last fall at the Twin Cities Marathon, where he placed fourth with a time of 2:10.47.
“I didn’t really have a big plan going into this,” Richtman said. “The marathon is always tough because so much can happen. I just told myself to stay in the pack until about halfway, and if I felt good, I could make a move. I ended up pushing ahead, and no one really came with me.”
Richtman, originally from Elburn, Illinois, was a member of the Montana State cross-country team and earned All-America honors as a junior in 2022-23.
American Paul Pilkington won the 1994 Los Angeles Marathon with a time of 2:12.13.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tejinesh Tulu claimed the title with a time of 2:30.16.
Kenya’s Antonina Kwambai finished second in 2:30.19, while Savannah Berry from Orem, Utah, took third with a time of 2:30.31. Berry had finished 12th at last year’s U.S. Olympic trials.
