Wesley Korir of Kenya defended his LA Marathon title on Sunday, March 21, but his fellow countrywomen Edna Kiplagat won both the women's field and "The Challenge", garnering her a cool $100,000 bonus for beating the entire field. Over 25,000 runners tackled the new "Stadium to the Sea" course, but only Kiplagat crossed the line first in a blazing 2:25:38 while Korir came through in a speedy 2:09:19.
Wesley Korir continued the Kenyan winning streak at the LA Marathon as 2010 is now the 12th straight year that the country has had a first place finisher. The Kenyan broke away from a five person pack at mile 24 to secure his victory as no one wanted to push the pace throughout the race. Fellow Kenyans Richard Limo and Paul Samoei placed second and third, respectively. Korir's back to back wins in LA have earned him over $200,000 in two years and the 2010 win marks his one year wedding anniversary.
Edna Kiplagat's dominating win ends an 11 year winning streak by Russian women in the LA Marathon. Kiplagat's previous best for 26.2 was 2:50:00, so her 2:25:38 win secured her a spot among current elite marathoners as the time was the third fastest in race history. She even closed in a blistering 5:10 final mile. Both Kiplagat and Korir received $20,000 and a 2010 Honda Insight EX sedan, and the 23 year old Kiplagat earned the extra $100,000 for winning "The Challenge." The women's field received an expertly calculated 18 minute and 47 second head start over the men.
Almost 30 people collapsed during the 2010 LA Marathon, including a 21 year old man who went into severe cardiac arrest and remains in critical condition. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay had to pull out of the LA Marathon mid-way with a calf strain, but celebrity Shia LaBeouf of Transformers fame finished in 4 hours and 35 minutes. Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin and The Hills star Audrina Patridge also ran the LA Marathon.
For full results of the 2010 LA Marathon, check out the official website .
Comments
I had a wonderful experience at this years marathon.I myself thought everything was great.From start to finish picking up my bib to getting my bag at end of race.One thing though,that spray they use on the runners was not helpful especially at the end of race.Burning eyes caughing it was toxic.I felt sick for at least 3 hours after the race.had some rest and a bite to eat and we all had a great time at a family gathering.The memories are wonderful.Thank you LA
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