Martin rallies in L.A. Marathon

American chases down Kenya’s Kamau to win by the closest margin: 00.01 seconds.

- By STEVE GALLUZZO

KENYA'S PRISCAH CHERONO greets supporters after her first-place finish in the women's race Sunday.

(Photographs by RONALDO BOLANOS Los Angeles Times)

Victory was decided by a single stride Sunday morning during the 41st Los Angeles Marathon.

American Nathan Martin needed every foot of the 26.2-mile course to chase down leader Michael Kimani Kamau of Kenya, winning by 00.01 seconds in an exciting finish that left spectators and athletes alike breathless. Martin posted a time of 2hours, Il minutes, 16.50 seconds and forced the closest finish in race history.

“In any race, I just want to give 100%,” said Martin, 36. “I saw an opportunity to race at the end and give one last push. All I wanted to do is push myself.”

Martin, who clocked a personal best 2:10:45 at the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth., Minn., in 2023, surged in front as he got to the finish line alongside Kamau, who immediately collapsed and was attended to by medical personnel before being carried away on a stretcher.

“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,” Martin 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.’”

Ethiopian Enyew Nigat (2:14:23) was third, former University Florida runner Josh Izewski (2:14:43) was fourth and 2024 winner Dominic Ngeno of Kenya was fifth in 2:16:17.