After 26.2 miles, about one step separated first from second Sunday in a stunning finish to the 2026 Los Angeles Marathon.
American Nathan Martin summoned a powerful finishing kick to chase down Michael Kamau with the finish line in sight during a dramatic final act in Century City that was more like a Hollywood ending. Kamau, of Kenya, led for much of the race that began at Dodger Stadium and trekked through some of Los Angeles most storied neighborhoods.
Martin came from well back to catch Kamau just before the finish line, surging past as the Kenyan extended his arms in a desperate attempt to hold off the 36-year-old from Michigan. Kamau fell facedown to the ground and was receiving medical treatment at the finish area.
It was the marathon’s closest-ever finish.
Martin’s time was 2:11:16.50, the same as Kamau’s on the preliminary results sheet. Enyew Nigat of Ethiopia was third with a time of 2:14:22.22.
Kamau’s time at the 40K, the 24.8-mile mark, was 2:03:40 with Martin at 2:04:36. Martin was nowhere to be seen in a wide-angle camera view from NewsChopper4 as Kamau began the stretch to the finish, but Martin had been steadily closing in the final mile and sent the crowd lining Santa Monica Boulevard near the corner of Avenue of the Stars into a frenzy as he gained ground.
“A mile to go, I started seeing the pace car and the lead guy, and said, ‘Well maybe, we’ll see what happens,'” Martin said. “And then 800 to go, I’m like, ‘All right, I have to go for it, I have to at least try,’ and things kind of worked out.”
Martin became the second American man to win the Los Angeles Marathon, joining 2025 winner Matthew Ritchman.
Kenyan Priscah Cherono led from Mile 1 to Mile 26 and logged an unofficial time of 2:25:18.31.
The elite women started 15:45 ahead of the elite men, with the overall first finisher receiving a $10,000 bonus. Cherono’s unofficial time was 2:25:18.31.