American Matt Richman won the 2025 La Marathon on Sunday, marking the first time an American has won a race in 31 years.
The former Montana State star finished at 2:07:56. He was nearly three minutes faster than runner-up Atanas Kioko and over five minutes faster than third-place finisher Moses Kiptu Kurgat.
Over 26,000 people competed in the La Marathon on Sunday.
(William Leanne / For the era)
Richman, originally from Elburn, Illinois, is the first American to win the event since Paul Pilkington in 1994, according to NBC Los Angeles.
“That’s definitely a surprise,” Richman said as he crossed the finish line. “You know, I feel really good. It’s really hard to tell where you’re going to compete against the competition, but today it’s a really good group and I was really happy to run with those guys and win that in the end.”
Richman said he took inspiration from the Los Angeles vibe.
“It’s a really great day to celebrate our 40th anniversary. There are so many legacy runners here. The crowds here were amazing. There were people all over the course, and that really helps. It’s amazing how much the crowd can change the course of what you’re doing.”
Ethiopia’s Tehnesh Gebisa Tru won the women’s part of the race at 2:30:16.
Over 26,000 people competed in the marathon, starting at Dodger Stadium at 7am and finished in Century City through Ross Ferris, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Brentwood.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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