Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The 2026 Los Angeles Marathon produced a finish that felt more like a Hollywood script than a marathon. American runner Nathan Martin pipped Kenya’s Michael Kimani Kamau by a jaw-dropping 0.01 seconds, clocking 2:11:17 to win the race on Sunday.
The blink-and-you-miss-it finish quickly turned into a viral moment online. Videos of the chaotic final stretch, the sprint to the line, and a costly late mishap by Kamau have been widely shared, turning the race into one of the most talked-about marathon finishes of the year.
advertisement
Watch the video here:
“I made an actual move five miles out when I saw no one else was picking up the pace,” Martin said after the race. “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.’”
The win carried historic significance as well. Martin became the first African-American winner of the Los Angeles Marathon. The 36-year-old balances elite running with his work as a high school cross-country coach and substitute teacher, making the moment even more special.
Martin is already a notable name in American distance running. His 2:10:45 personal best from the Grandma’s Marathon in 2023 made him the fastest U.S.-born Black marathoner in history. According to the National Black Marathoners Association, he is also the first U.S.-born Black runner to win a major city marathon since Ted Corbitt achieved the feat in the 1950s and 1960s.
NATHAN MARTIN EDGES PAST MICHAEL KAMAU
For most of the race, Kamau looked firmly in command and seemed on course for victory. But the final moments delivered an unexpected twist that ultimately shaped the outcome.
With roughly 300 metres left, Kamau briefly ran off course after following the lead motorcade at a fork in the road. A now-viral video shows the escort vehicles taking a turn toward an exit lane, with Kamau mistakenly following them for a few seconds.
A spectator carrying a Kenyan flag could be seen running nearby as Kamau moved toward the wrong lane before a cyclist alerted him to the mistake. The Kenyan runner had to stop, turn around and rejoin the course—losing precious seconds in the process.
In a marathon decided by 0.01 seconds, those few moments proved crucial.
Martin, sensing his chance, launched a final surge in the closing stretch and powered across the line just ahead of Kamau in a thrilling sprint finish that had spectators roaring.
The victory also came with a sizeable reward. Martin walked away with 25,000 USD for first place, while Kamau earned 10,000 USD for finishing second.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
