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Dominic Ngeno, Stacy Ndiwa celebrate after winning 2024 L.A. Marathon

Upon breaking the tape on a pristine St. Patrick’s Day morning in the City of Angels, Dominic Ngeno dropped to his knees and kissed the ground in celebration of winning the 39th Los Angeles Marathon.

The 26-year-old Kenyan separated from countryman Cosmas Kiplimo with a little more than three miles to go on the 26.2-mile route that started at Dodger Stadium and ended on the Avenue of the Stars in Century City. Ngeno prevailed by five seconds in 2:10:20 — almost three minutes faster than last year’s winner, Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia.

“I watched the race the last couple of years and my coach gave me a plan in training,” Ngeno said. “I wanted to go 2:08 but it was a little humid the last three kilometers and that reduced our speed. In my mind it was about setting the right pace.”

Ngeno clocked a personal-best 2:07:26 to place third at the Eindhoven Marathon in the Netherlands in October and was ninth in 2:11:23 at the Milan Marathon in Italy in April. Ethiopian Markos Geneti set the L.A. Marathon men’s record of 2:06:35 in 2011, but Sunday was about the Kenyans — Ngeno, Kiplimo and Stacy Ndiwa, who repeated as the women’s winner in a personal-best 2:25:28.

“Last year I didn’t know the course but this year I prepared well for the hills and the weather was better,” said the 31-year-old Ndiwa, who pulled away from runner-up Volha “Olga” Mazuronak in the last mile to win by 20 seconds and shave 5:32 off last year’s effort. Ndiwa received an additional $10,000 for winning the Marathon Chase.

“People cheered us from the start until the last minute,” she said. “At 40 kilometers I increased my pace. I was worried [Mazuronak] would catch me.”

Askale Merachi of Ethiopia set the women’s record of 2:24:11 in 2019.

The elite women started on time at 6:43 a.m. and were supposed to have a 17-minute head start in the Marathon Chase, a feature unique to the L.A. Marathon in which the first runner to reach the finish line, either male or female, is awarded a $10,000 bonus. Due to a miscommunication, however, the men were sent off at 6:55, only 12 minutes behind the women, lessening the drama of the “battle of the sexes.”

In 13 previous Chase competitions the women won the race-within-a-race nine times, but their “early” start enabled Ngeno and Kiplimo to overtake the top three women in Mile 22. However, Ndiwa was still declared the winner because the men would not have caught her had they started on schedule.

“When the men passed us and I saw who they were I thought ’no problem!’ ” Ndiwa said.

“She trains not far away and we see each other on the track a lot,” Ngeno said of his fellow winner. “Last week, we wished each other the best. We’re proud to have won.”

The L.A. Marathon debuted in 1986 and a Kenyan has won the men’s race eight times and the women’s race six times since 2015.

Mazuronak, who finished fifth in the Olympics twice, was running her first marathon in three years. In September, the 34-year-old from Belarus relocated to Irvine with her son and gained membership in USA Track & Field after not being able compete as a result of her protesting election fraud in her native country.

(03/17/2024) Views: 185 ⚡AMP
by Los Angeles Times

Ethiopia’s Askale Merachi and Kelkile Gezahegn will defend their titles at the 50th Chevron Houston Marathon, while Kenya’s Vicoty Chepngeno and Shadrack Korir lead the entries for the Aramco Half

Merachi won in Houston in 2020 in 2:23:29, finishing more than a minute ahead of the rest of the field. She went on to win the Taipei Marathon later that year in 2:28:31, but hasn’t raced since then, so her form going into this weekend’s race is relatively untested.

She will face stiff competition from compatriot Biruktayit Eshetu Degefa, a three-time winner in Houston who is aiming to become the race’s first four-time winner. She finished runner-up to Merachi in 2020, clocking 2:24:47. Her PB stands at 2:22:40, set in Toronto in 2019, while her fastest time in Houston is the 2:23:28 she ran to win three years ago.

Two-time Chicago Marathon winner Atsede Baysa has the fastest PB of the field with 2:22:03. A sub-2:25 time may be required to make the podium on Sunday, but the last time the 34-year-old Ethiopian bettered that barrier was back in 2012.

Ethiopian women have won the past 14 editions of the Houston Marathon, but that streak could be under threat on Sunday as Keira D’Amato aims to become the first US woman to win the Houston Marathon since 2005.

The 37-year-old, who took a complete break from running between 2009 and 2016, has been racking up impressive performances on the roads in recent years. She set a marathon best of 2:22:56 and a North American 10-mile record of 51:23 in 2020, finished fourth at last year’s Chicago Marathon, and clocked a half marathon PB of 1:07:55 last month. If conditions are good, the course record of 2:23:14 – set by Alemitu Abera in 2012 – could be under threat.

Ethiopian marathon debutante Tsige Haileslase and USA’s Robert Groner, who finished sixth at the 2019 World Championships, are among the other contenders.

Gezahegn, the defending men’s champion, won with 2:08:36 two years ago and finished two minutes clear of his nearest rivals. His only race since then was the 2021 Boston Marathon, where he finished 15th in 2:12:37. A 2:05:56 runner at his best, the 25-year-old will be keen to use this weekend’s race as an opportunity for redemption.

If John Langat can reproduce his form from 2019, when he won in Eindhoven in a PB of 2:07:11, he could contend for the victory on Sunday. Japan’s Kenta Uchida will also be a formidable opponent. He has a lifetime best of 2:08:12 and will be keen to earn his first marathon victory.

Bahrain’s Abdi Abdo, Ethiopia’s 2008 world indoor 3000m champion Tariku Bekele and US marathon debutant Frank Lara are others to watch out for.

Vicoty Chepngeno will start as the favourite for the Houston Half Marathon, held concurrently with the marathon. The 28-year-old Kenyan has an impressive record in US road races; she has won nine of her past 10 half marathons on US roads, and her lifetime best of 1:07:22 was set in her most recent outing over the distance, in Philadelphia two months ago. Despite her extensive racing experience, though, this will be Chepngeno’s first Houston Half Marathon.

Compatriot Monicah Ngige, meanwhile, will be making her third Houston Half Marathon appearance. The 28-year-old set her PB of 1:07:29 there in 2019. More recently, she finished fourth at the Boston Marathon in October on her debut over the distance, clocking 2:25:32.

Sara Hall leads the US entrants. The 38-year-old has focused more on the marathon in recent years, achieving podium places at the 2020 London Marathon and the 2021 Chicago Marathon, also clocking a PB of 2:20:32 in between those outings. But she has also won her two most recent half marathons, setting a PB of 1:08:18 in 2020.

Shadrack Kimining Korir returns to Houston after finishing third in 2020 in a personal best of 59:27, just two seconds shy of the winner. His most recent outing was at the Lisbon Half Marathon in October, where he finished fifth in 1:02:42.

Wilfred Kimitei also competed in Lisbon towards the end of last year, albeit in a different event to the one where Korir raced, and finished 11th in 1:00:03 – just 23 seconds shy of the PB he set in Ras Al Khaimah in 2018.

Ethiopia’s Milkesa Mengesha also heads to Houston in good form. The 2019 world U20 cross-country champion, still only 21, finished ahead of Kimitei in Lisbon in November, clocking a PB of 59:48 in what was just his second half marathon to date. Earlier in 2021 he set a 5000m PB of 12:58.28 and finished 10th in the Olympic final at that distance.

Kenya’s Raymond Magut, who clocked a PB of 1:00:00 in Herzogenaurach in September, should also be a strong contender, along with Ethiopia’s Bayelign Teshager and Eritrea’s Tsegay Tuemay.

Elite fields

WOMEN Half marathon

Vicoty Chepngeno (KEN) 1:07:22

Monicah Ngige (KEN) 1:07:29

Sara Hall (USA) 1:08:58

Caren Maiyo (KEN) 1:09:20

Sarah Pagano (USA) 1:09:41

Emily Durgin (USA) 1:09:47

Maegan Krifchin (USA) 1:09:51

Andrea Ramirez Limon (MEX) 1:10:20

Dominique Scott (ZAF) 1:10:42

Elaina Tabb (USA) 1:10:44

Nell Rojas (USA) 1:10:45

Julia Griffey (USA) 1:11:04

Emily Setlack (CAN) 1:11:41

Dakotah Lindwurm (USA) 1:11:43

Maor Tiyouri (ISR) 1:11:50

Paige Stoner (USA) 1:11:53

Jessica Judd (GBR) debut

Fiona O’Keeffe (USA) debut

Maddie Alm (USA) debut

Marathon

Atsede Baysa (ETH) 2:22:03

Biruktayit Eshetu Degefa (ETH) 2:22:40

Keira D’Amato (USA) 2:22:56

Askale Merachi (ETH) 2:23:29

Roberta Groner (USA) 2:29:09

Kathya Mirell Garcia Barrios (MEX) 2:34:46

Militsa Mircheva (BGR) 2:35:03

Tsige Haileslase (ETH) debut

Maggie Montoya (USA) debut

Emily Kearney (GBR) debut

Alice Wright (GBR) debut

MEN Half marathon

Shadrack Kimining Korir (KEN) 59:27

Wilfred Kimitei (KEN) 59:40

Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) 59:48

Raymond Magut (KEN) 1:00:00

Bayelign Teshager (ETH) 1:00:31

Tsegay Tuemay (ERI) 1:00:50

Patrick Tiernan (AUS) 1:01:22

Reed Fischer (USA) 1:01:37

Rory Linkletter (CAN) 1:01:44

Reid Buchanan (USA) 1:01:45

Colin Mickow (USA) 1:01:47

Matt Llano (USA) 1:01:47

Harvey Nelson (USA) 1:01:48

John Raneri (USA) 1:01:51

Brogan Austin (USA) 1:01:52

Zouhair Talbi (MAR) 1:02:00

Kirubel Erassa (USA) debut

Marathon

Kelkile Gezahegn (ETH) 2:05:56

John Langat (KEN) 2:07:11

Kenta Uchida (JPN) 2:08:12

Abdi Abdo (BRN) 2:08:32

Elisha Barno (KEN) 2:09:32

Tariku Bekele (KEN) 2:09:33

Augustus Maiyo (USA) 2:10:47

Jesus Arturo Esparza (MEX) 2:11:04

Birhanu Kemal Dare (ETH) 2:12:21

Tyler Jermann (USA) 2:12:40

Frank Lara (USA) debut

James Ngandu (KEN) debut

Luke Caldwell (GBR) debut

(01/14/2022) Views: 1,030 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

Defending champions will return to mark 50th anniversary of Chevron Houston Marathon

With 194,039 finishers having run 5,083,822 miles since the first Chevron Houston Marathon, the race will mark its 50th anniversary on January 16.

“When 113 runners lined up in 1972 to run loops in Memorial Park, no one would have predicted the marathon would have a Golden Anniversary at all, much less with a field of 28,000 celebrating on the streets of Houston,” said Houston Marathon Committee Executive Director Wade Morehead. “Led by some of the top marathoners and half marathoners in the world, we’re looking forward to a great day in the history of the race and the city.”

Returning to defend their Chevron Houston Marathon titles from 2020 – only a virtual race was held last year because of Covid – are Askale Merachi and Kelkile Gezahegn, both of Ethiopia. Making her seventh-consecutive appearance will be three-time champion Biruktayit Eshetu Degefa, who will renew her quest to become the race’s first four-time winner after finishing as runner-up to Merachi last year.

Among the Americans worth watching are Keira D’Amato and Frank Lara. D’Amato comes to Houston with a personal best of 2:22:56 and could challenge the 10-year-old course record of 2:23:14, while Lara – the 2014 Gatorade Boys’ High School Cross Country Runner of the Year out of Strake Jesuit College Prep – returns home to Houston to make his marathon debut.

Dan Green, the first winner in 1972, will serve as honorary starter, along with other members of the race’s Hall of Fame. In addition to marking its 50th anniversary, the race will serve as the first qualifier for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon, with its newly-toughened standards of 2:18 for men and 2:37 for women.

The Aramco Houston Half Marathon, run concurrently with the marathon, will be headlined by Kenya’s Vicoty Chepngeno and American Sara Hall. Chepngeno set her personal best of 1:07:22 in winning the Philadelphia Half Marathon last November, while Hall is the sixth-fastest woman in U.S. history at the half marathon and second-fastest in the marathon. On the men’s side, the fastest time in the field belongs to Shadrack Kimining Korir, who returns to Houston after finishing third here in 2020 in a personal best of 59:27.

This year, the elite fields for the two races will feature athletes representing 17 countries: the U.S., Kenya, Ethiopia, Mexico, Great Britain, Japan, Bulgaria, Guatemala, Peru, Eritrea, South Africa, Morocco, New Zealand, Canada, Israel and Australia.

The Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon will be broadcast on ABC-13 from 7 a.m.-10 a.m., with a race day recap at 10:35 p.m. Joining ABC-13’s Greg Bailey and Gina Gaston as expert commentator will be Des Linden, the 2018 Boston Marathon winner and 50K world-record holder. Linden made the first of her two U.S. Olympic Marathon teams in Houston in 2012.

(01/07/2022) Views: 1,068 ⚡AMP
by AIMS

Kelkile Gezahegn, Askale Merachi take Houston marathon titles

Kelkile Gezahegn pulled away from countryman Bonsa Dida late in what had become a two-man race and won the Chevron Houston Marathon with a time of 2:08:36 Sunday morning, becoming the eighth different Ethiopian man since 2009 to prevail. In his first Houston start, the 23-year-old runner followed Kenya’s Albert Korir atop the podium but didn’t come close to threatening the Houston course record.

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Ethiopia’s dominance on the women’s side, however, is even more impressive with victories in Houston every January going back to 2007. Askale Merachi’s triumph in her Houston debut, claimed with a time of 2:23:29, made her the 10th Ethiopian to triumph since 2007. The last non-Ethiopian to win was Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova in 2006.

Although Merachi, 33, slowed precipitously in the final stages, missing out on a chance to set a course record by 16 seconds, she still thwarted Birukayit Degefa’s bid to become the first four-time Houston champion. Also seeking a three-repeat, Degefa ran a 2:24:47, good for second place. She has finished on the podium six years in a row, after placing fourth in her debut in 2014.

Australian Michael Roeger became the first runner to set an official world record on the 26.2-mile Houston course. No Paralympian had cracked 2:20 before he posted a 2:19:32, lowering his personal best – the previous world record – from 2:22:51. Roeger, who said Friday he was running to honor the exhausted firefighters back home where catastrophic blazes have burned out of control for weeks, was born missing the bottom half of his right arm.

Gezahegn’s pace never made him a threat to the course record of 2:06:51, set by Ethiopian Tariku Jufar in 2012.

(01/19/2020) Views: 1,476 ⚡AMP

Caroline Chepkoech, the sixth all-time fastest runner at half marathon will lead Kenya's bid to conquer the Houston Half Marathon on Jan. 19

Kenyan Caroline Chepkoech, who has ruled out any hopes of competing at the Tokyo Olympics in the marathon, will have to calculate her steps to perfection if she has to beat Kenyan-turned Israeli Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, the reigning European 10,000m champion.

With a personal best time of 65:07, Chepkoech is the fastest ahead of Chemtai 66:09 and Ethiopians Burka (66:11), former champion Ruti Aga (66:39). Current champion Ethiopia's Biruktayit Degefa will also be back to defend her title.

"This will be a good testing ground ahead of the April marathon. The big challenge is here with top runners. But for me the focus is to improve the time and hopefully win the race," said Chepkoech on Wednesday.

Hassan El Abbassi (2:04:43) and Woldaregay Kelkile Gezahegn (2:05:56) are the quickest marathon entrants. Degefa's main opposition could come from fellow Ethiopian Askale Merachi.

In the men's race, Jemal Yimer, the fourth fastest of all time (58:33) is quickest in the line-up, one of eight sub-hour runners. Shura Kitata (59:16), Bernard Kipkorir (59:07) and Robertson (59:58) will oppose him.

Kipkorir will team up with compatriot Bernard Ngeno (59:07), Sam Chelanga (60:37) and Shadrack Biwott (61:25) to challenge the Ethiopians' dominance.

(01/09/2020) Views: 2,001 ⚡AMP

Edith Chelimo of Kenya set a new course record to win the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow

The 33-year-old finished the half marathon in one hour, seven minutes 38 seconds after a powerful display of front running.

The men's champion, Timothy Toroitich, also led for a long way, breaking clear after seven miles.

The 27-year-old from Uganda finished well ahead of closest challenger Micah Kogo in a time of 1:01:29.

Kogo just held off fellow Kenyan Stephen Kiprop as the race concluded in Glasgow Green.

England's Chris Thompson, bidding for a third successive title, struggled with the fierce pace and finished seventh.

Nancy Kiprop was runner-up to Chelimo, with Askale Merachi of Ethiopia in third.

(09/30/2019) Views: 1,651 ⚡AMP
by Edith Chelimo

Elisa Barno and Askale Merachi win the Los Angeles Marathon

Twenty miles into the 34th Los Angeles Marathon Sunday morning Kenya’s Elisha Barno had already conceded the race to his countryman John Korir.

Korir had reduced a lead pack of 15 to three with a 4:39 19th mile. When Korir followed that with a 4:35 20th mile he was flying solo, his sizable lead growing with each step.

“I was already thinking ‘let him win,’” Barno recalled.

Then Barno turned left onto Ocean Avenue for the race’s postcar final mile along the Pacific coast.

“And I see John,” Barno said.

Barno passed Korir in the final 150 meters to win the closest and most dramatic race in the event’s history that saw the top three runners finish within 14 seconds of each other.

Barno claimed the $23,000 first prize and his second Los Angeles victory in three years with a 2 hour, 11 minute, 45 second victory. Korir staggered across the finish line in 2:11:52 with Mexico’s Juan Luis Barrios third in 2:11:59.

“I knew I was going to win from the beginning,” Merachi said. “This morning.”

Indeed Merachi seemed to be in a hurry almost from the moment the race left Dodger Stadium at dawn. Merachi dropped out of the New York City Marathon last fall with hamstring and shoulder injuries was clearly restless through the early stages Sunday, pushing the pace.

By the fourth mile, Merachi’s aggressiveness had thinned the lead group from nine to three, only Kenya’s Cynthia Jerop and Lucy Karimi keeping pace. Karimi was the big pre-race question mark. She won the 2016 Prague Marathon in 2:24:46 but beset by injuries had not finished a marathon since.

(03/25/2019) Views: 2,106 ⚡AMP

Kellyn Taylor sets women's record at Grandma's Marathon breaking her PR by over four minutes

Just 61 days after dropping out of the Boston Marathon, Kellyn Taylor of Flagstaff, Ariz., found the 42nd Grandma's Marathon much more to her liking, crushing the Grandma's women's record by more than two minutes — winning in 2 hours, 24 minutes, 29 seconds.

This was a PR by four minutes.  American women Marathon Runners are on fire.  In the men’s race, Kenya's Elisha Barno became the first runner in the 42 years of Grandma's Marathon to win four straight men's titles. Taylor, 31, a U.S. Olympic marathon hopeful for the 2020 Summer Games, really didn't have any competition over the 26.2 miles from south of Two Harbors to Duluth's Canal Park.

Kellyn earned $20,000 from a $100,000 prize money purse. Askale Merachi, 31, of Ethiopia was second for a second straight year, in a personal-best 2:30:18. Serkalem Abrha, 31, of Ethiopia was third in 2:33:44. Kenyan Sarah Kiptoo set the Grandma's women's course mark of 2:26:32 in 2013. Until Saturday, East African women had won eight straight titles. 

(06/16/2018) Views: 2,418 ⚡AMP