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The 2026 Los Angeles Marathon came to a nail-biting finish—and that’s an understatement. As the end of the race approached, runner Michael Kamau of Kenya appeared to have a clear lead less than a mile away from the finish line. But then seemingly out of nowhere, U.S. runner Nathan Martin closed in on him. Martin then ended up crossing the finish line 0.01 seconds before Kamau to claim first place, making this the closest finish the LA Marathon has ever seen.
Martin, a 36‑year‑old high school cross-country coach from Jackson, Michigan, finished in a time of 2:11:17. This is just 31 seconds away from his personal best time from 2023, which made him the fastest U.S.-born African American marathoner of all time. This also marks the second year in a row an American runner won the Los Angeles Marathon after Matthew Richtman finished in first in 2025.
“I was digging pretty deep, I was in the hurt locker for sure,” Martin told The Orange County Register. “It’s one of those things where you have to believe, but until you manifest it, it’s just kind of an idea. It’s surreal because I thought I could win and I did it.”
The final stretch of the race also had some controversy, as Kamau was momentarily obstructed by a woman on the path and was then guided in the wrong direction by a police motorcade, resulting in him losing precious seconds as he retraced his steps. In the end, an exhausted Kamau collapsed on the finish line, having to be carried off on a stretcher by medical personnel.
Since its inception in 1986, the Los Angeles Marathon has become one of the largest marathons in the United States. This year, 27,000 runners took to the streets, past iconic landmarks like Dodger Stadium, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, before crossing the finish line on Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City. However, since the organizers expected the weather to reach the 80s, safety changes were put in place for the event. Most notably, competitors were given the chance to finish the race at the 18-mile mark (out of 26.2) and still be granted a medal.
As for Martin, he simply set his sights on the goal. “I always challenge myself to push,” Martin added, “regardless of whether there’s somebody to chase or I’m all by myself because I want to know I finished giving everything that I had. I know I can always do that. You can’t always win but you can always push. I’m just super fortunate that effort gave me the win.”
U.S. runner Nathan Martin won the 2026 Los Angeles Marathon following a nail-biting finish.
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“I always challenge myself to push,” Martin said, “regardless of whether there’s somebody to chase or I’m all by myself because I want to know I finished giving everything that I had.”
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Watch the end of the race in the video below:
¡Final de película en Century City! El estadounidense Nathan Martin (1,80 m, 63 kg) remontó con un sprint impresionante ♂️ para superar a Michael Kamau en los metros finales. Maratonista élite y récord de EE.UU. entre atletas afroamericanos #Maratón #Atletismo pic.twitter.com/GOwxEPXlqM
— Nelson Sandoval (@nelsonsando007) March 8, 2026
Sources: American high school coach chases down leader to win L.A. marathon by 0.01 seconds; American Nathan Martin wins 2026 Los Angeles Marathon in dramatic photo finish
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