More than 27,000 runners are registered to compete in the 41st Los Angeles Marathon, including participants from every U.S. state and 63 countries, according to the McCourt Foundation’s official 2026 ASICS Los Angeles Marathon results page.
Race organizers reported that roughly 41% of marathon runners are participating for the first time, while 79% of the field is made up of Millennials and Gen Z athletes.
About 60% of participants are male and 40% female, ranging in age from 12 to 87.
This year, there are 86 “Legacy” runners. These are men and women who have completed all 41 LA Marathons. This year, they will take the start line on Sunday, serving as a symbol of the event’s history.
A total of 3,472 Los Angeles Unified School District students will participate in the marathon. These young men and women are part of the Students Run LA program, who have trained for months in order to complete the full 26.2 miles.
A nonprofit organization is helping many LAUSD students participate in Sunday’s LA Marathon. Jonathan Gonzalez reports for NBC4 at 6 p.m. on March 7, 2026.
The elite field features 14 top athletes, evenly split between men and women:
Female Elite Runners:
Tejinesh Tulu (defending champion, Ethiopia)
Antonina Kwambai (3x runner-up, Kenya)
Savannah Berry (3rd, 2025. Bakersfield, CA)
Makenna Myler (USA, notable 5:25 mile while 9 months pregnant)
Atsede Bayisa (2016 Boston & 2x Chicago Marathon champion)
Vicoty Chepngeno (2024 Beijing champion, returning from injury)
Almaz Kemsi (Ethiopia, 20 years old)
Male Elite Runners:
Matthew Ritchman (defending champion, Illinois)
Dominic Ngeno (2024 LAM champion, Kenya)
Athanas Kioko (2025 runner-up, Kenya)
Elkanah Kibet (USA, U.S. Army 2nd Lt., 4x deployed)
Nathan Martin (USA)
Abdela Godana (Ethiopia, family history of LAM wins)
Alem Nigus Tsadik (Ethiopia, marathon debut)