defend his title in 2026. “It was more it kind of just happened. It was right after a (water) bottle or something like that where we did split up a little bit, and I said I feel good and I can push the pace a little bit here. We were past the hour mark and I said we’ll make a move a little bit and see if people go with and really no one did quite at first.”

Kenya’s Athanas Kioko, 30, finished second in 2:10:55. Kenya’s Moses Kiptoo Kurgat, 33, finished third in 2:13:12.

“It is a big accomplishment,” said Kioko, a former All-American runner for Campbell University who made his marathon debut in Los Angeles. “I have worked so much for it. It is not the end of it. I have to get back to work and focus on my next event. I’m excited for what comes next. … Stepping into the next marathon, I am expecting to do even better.”

Meanwhile, Ethopia’s Tejinesh Gebisa Tulu, 30, won the women’s race in 2:30:16, or 5:44 per mile. Kenya’s Antonina Kwambai, 32, was second in 2:30:19. The United States’ Savannah Berry, 29, led for the majority of her L.A. Marathon debut but finished third in 2:30:31.

“I just kept thinking in my head how much I wanted it,” Berry said. “Even if I didn’t come up with the win that’s what I wanted and that’s what I wanted to give in effort. The whole time I was just thinking, you can do it. You haven’t lost yet. You can win, type thing. Even when you fall short, it’s not a bad result. A third place finish is still an amazing result.”

The Bakersfield native said the L.A. Marathon has been instrumental in her desire to be a professional distance runner.

“It’s kind of a dream because it’s a race that I’ve watched since I was a kid on TV,” Berry continued. “It’s one of the things that’s inspired me to do marathons and things like that is seeing people finish on that big podium years ago. It’s fun. This is my first L.A. Marathon to be able to actually put it into practice and hopefully, I’m an inspiration for some of those other people watching on the TV at home.”

The 40th annual L.A. Marathon began before sunrise at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. The 26.2-mile course traversed through downtown L.A., Echo Park, Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and ended on Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City.

In the men’s race, Richtman was among the top eight runners through Mile 6, pacing around 5 minutes per mile.

Richtman broke away from the pack at Mile 15, in Beverly Hills. Sammy Rotich, Boniface Kibiwott and Kioko went with him, as they ramped up the pace to 4:46 per mile.

Richtman extended his lead to a few seconds at Mile 17 on Wilshire Boulevard and a few minutes before entering the homestretch near the Avenue of the Stars.

It was a five-woman race at Mile 6, with Berry leading Mamitu Balchu Hey, Rita Jelagat, Tulu and Kwambai. Hey dropped off the lead pack by Mile 12.

Berry, an L.A. 2028 Olympics hopeful, said it was important to prove to herself that she could run the entire race with the lead pack.

“I’m hoping that they actually do hold it similarly on this course because then it’s like I’m practicing,” Berry said. “It’s just getting ready for when it happens in 2028.”

The Marathon Chase challenge gave the elite women’s field a 16:05 head start over the men. A $10,000 bonus was on the line for the first runner to cross the finish line. However, Richtman tracked the women down by Mile 18 and secured the five figure sum.

“It was still something that was on my mind,” Richtman said. “It’s that competitive nature.”

Luis Francisco Sanclemente of Colombia won the wheelchair marathon for the third consecutive year. He finished in 1:38:10, or 3:45 per mile.