LOS ANGELES — The 39th annual Los Angeles Marathon winner earned some extra green on St. Patrick’s Day. Kenya’s Stacy Ndiwa, 31, defended last year’s title and won the women’s race in a personal best time of 2 hours, 25 minutes and 48 seconds and the $10,000 Marathon Chase bonus.

“I defended my title so I’m happy,” Ndiwa said. “Thank you, L.A. for inviting me again.”

Ndiwa was excited to return to the streets of LA after winning last year’s race in 2 hours and 31 minutes. She hinted at returning in 2025 to go for a three-peat.

“I’m so happy about the bonus that I won again this year so I say thank you so much LA Marathon,” Ndiwa continued. “Maybe next year (I’ll also be back).”

The 26.2-mile unsuspectingly hilly course, which began before sunrise at Dodger Stadium and maneuvered through downtown L.A., Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Century City, ended with Ndiwa’s arms raised high along the Avenue of the Stars, as she broke the tape after averaging 5:33 per mile.

“Last year the race was not competitive like this year so that’s why I improved the time this year because it was so competitive,” explained Ndiwa, who did not break away until the last mile.

Kenya’s Stacy Ndiwa on winning back-to-back LA Marathons and a $10,000 Marathon Chase bonus. #LAMarathon pic.twitter.com/66U3NtQVd8

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 17, 2024

However, less than 12 minutes into the race, controversy ensued.

The women’s race started with what was scheduled to be a 17-minute head start against the men’s race at 6:43 a.m. However, race officials at Dodger Stadium mistakenly started the men’s field approximately four minutes and 15 seconds early, which altered the Marathon Chase race-within-a-race competition before it began.

However, 26-year-old Dominic Ngeno’s winning time of 2 hours, 10 minutes and 20 seconds in the men’s race was not faster than Ndiwa’s time when accounting for her 17-minute head start (that race officials honored), which brought her two-year bonus total to $20,000.

After mile 6, the women’s lead pack was down to five runners, including Ndiwa, USA’s Makena Morley and Belarus’ Volka “Olga” Mazuronak (fifth-place at Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and 2016 Olympics in Rio) who now lives in Irvine. Mazuronak, 34, finished second in 2:25:48. Ethiopia’s Atsede Bayisha, 36, finished third in 2:25:57.

Meanwhile, the leaders dropped Morley, the top American finisher in the race around mile 15.

“Those hills were definitely getting to me,” Morley said.

However, the 27-year-old who trains in Bozeman, Montana, continued to push through the pain and finished fifth in 2:30:24, her new marathon personal best by four seconds. Morley’s long-term goal is to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team and run the marathon at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“I think that was good to experience because pretty much anywhere they’re going to put the Olympic course in 2028 is probably going to be hilly so I’m really glad to have gone on there and hopefully practice more hills next time,” Morley continued.

USA Olympic hopeful Makena Morley hung with the lead pack through 15 miles of the women’s race and finished fifth in her LA Marathon debut in 2:30:24, which is a new personal best of four seconds. Morley will use the race as experience ahead of the LA 2028 Olympics. #LAMarathon pic.twitter.com/5pMw3a5PC2

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 17, 2024

Meanwhile, Ngeno was steadfast and delivered on his belief that he would win his Los Angeles Marathon debut.

“I want to thank God because (beforehand) I told you I was going to win because I’ve been training and that was the result,” Ngeno said. “I thank Los Angeles, who came to cheer me (on) and I won the race.”

He secured that tactical victory by breaking away late to win in 2:10:20, a mere five seconds ahead of 30-year-old Cosmas Kiplimo’s second-place time of 2:10:25. Ethiopia’s Belay Tilahum, 29, finished third in 2:12:45.

“I used to watch this race that is why I was well prepared,” Ngeno continued. “My coach gave me a nice (training) program. I was doing my program in a hilly place (in Kenya) so when I came I was prepared.”

Kenya’s Dominic Ngeno won the 2024 LA Marathon in 2:10:20, which is nearly three minutes faster than last year’s winning time. Ngeno always believed he was going to win (and confidently told me so on Friday) because he specifically trained for the hilly course. #LAMarathon pic.twitter.com/txoDD4ujLd

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 17, 2024

When Ndiwa and Ngeno crossed the finish line they were greeted by an icon. Joan Benoit Samuelson, a legendary marathoner, won a gold medal in the women’s marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“It’s hard for me to believe that Olympic marathon was 40 years and to be back here for the 39th running of the LA Marathon really makes it all come into focus,” said Samuelson, 66, after holding the finish line tape for both the men’s and women’s elite races. “It’s great to be back in the city. The city was really good to me 40 years ago. I was in the right place at the right time. To see our sport growing like it is today means a lot to me and I’m still really blessed to be in the sport and running.”

Samuelson’s historic run was credited by organizers as the inspiration behind the decision to commemorate the 1984 Olympics with the Los Angeles Marathon, which debuted in 1986.

1 on 1 with 1984 Olympic Marathon gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, whose historic run in the first women’s Olympic marathon became the inspiration for the Los Angeles Marathon, which debuted in 1986. #LAMarathon pic.twitter.com/GHZC04MqYt

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 17, 2024

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