Runners finish 0.01 seconds apart in closest ever marathon after leader takes wrong turn
Nathan Martin won after beat Michael Kimani Kamau mistakenly went the wrong way after following a motorcycle exiting the course
United States runner Nathan Martin won the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday by the closest margin in history after beating Kenya’s Michael Kimani Kamau to the finish line by 0.01 seconds.
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Martin, 36, finished in a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 17 seconds after chasing the Kenyan leader from over a mile and a half out.
Kimani Kamau collapsed after crossing the finish line and was carried off on a stretcher by medics.
With 200 metres to go, the 34-year-old had mistakenly followed an official race motorcycle exiting the course and was forced to turn back.
Martin, who also works as a high school track and cross-country coach, finished the 26.2 mile race only 32 seconds off his personal best.
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NEW: American Nathan Martin wins the closest Los Angeles Marathon in race history, beating Kenya’s Michael Kimani Kamau by just 00.01 seconds.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 9, 2026
Martin was seen chasing down Kamau at the end of the race.
“I made an actual move five miles out… when I saw no one else was picking… pic.twitter.com/5BCvZpfrec
Speaking after the race, Martin said: "When I saw no-one else was picking up the pace, I decided I needed to push.
"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'."
In the women's race, Priscah Cherono of Kenya won with a time of 2:25:20. The 45-year-old Colorado resident placed 10th in the 5,000 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Earlier in the week, race organisers had announced that because of the hot weather medals would be given out to runners who completed just 18 miles of the course.
Temperatures peaked at around 80 degrees by the time the amateur men and women were on the course in the mid-morning hours.
Kimani Kamau reportedly didn't take any fluids during the race.
A statement from The McCourt Foundation ahead of the race read: "If you're having a tough day and want to end your race before 26.2, you can choose to take the turn at Mile 18 and head into the finish line early.
"You do not need to notify anyone of your decision and can opt to take this route at any time."