US Edition
Michigan coach wins LA Marathon in dramatic fashion
Nathan Martin won $25,000 as the first African-American to claim this major marathon, edging Michael Kamau by 0.01 seconds in the closest finish since 1986.
- A photo finish at the Los Angeles Marathon decided the race on Sunday as Nathan Martin won by 0.01 seconds over Michael Kimani Kamau, clocking 2:11:16.50.
- Martin kicked in the final straight-away and used a late burst of speed to overtake Kamau, while video shows Kamau struggling and briefly losing his line near the end.
- A coach with Olympic-trials experience, Martin, who ran at Three Rivers and Spring Arbor University, was a three-time NAIA champion and competed in the 2016 and 2020 trials.
- No protests were filed and organizers said results will stand; the L.A. Marathon said its motorcade made a pre-planned exit and noted fan distractions in a March 9, 2026 statement.
- As the closest finish in race history, the result marks Martin as only the second American to win the Los Angeles Marathon since 1994 and the first U.S.-born Black winner since Ted Corbitt, Tony Reed said.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Michigan High School Cross Country Coach Goes Viral After Winning LA Marathon By 0.01 Seconds In Historic Photo Finish
This year's LA Marathon winner takes "by a nose" to a whole new level—and made history for the second time in his running career in the process.Nathan Martin, a cross country coach from Jackson, Michigan, won the Los Angeles Marathon out of nowhere when he bested Kenyan runner Michael Kamau at the last possible moment by a gasp-inducing margin.He won by one one-hundredth of a second. Yes, it was a 0.01 second tie breaker. Martin's time of 2 hour…
LA Marathon Winner Overtakes Leader With Very Last Step
Exhausted and battling a lot of pain in the final stretch of the Los Angeles Marathon, Nathan Martin ended up needing "every foot of the 26.2-mile course," per the Los Angeles Times . The 36-year-old high school track and cross-country coach from the US captured Sunday's race by the slimmest...
LA Marathon Controversy: Did Video Reveal the Real Winner?
American long‑distance runner Nathan Martin claimed victory in the 2026 Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday in what has become the closest finish in the event's history, edging out Kenyan competitor Michael Kimani Kamau by just 0.01 seconds after 26.2 miles of racing. However video circulating online suggests that a late‑race misstep by Kamau may have played a decisive role in the outcome, drawing intense scrutiny from spectators and online viewers a…
Black America Web
Dramatic Finish: Nathan Martin Makes History As 1st African American To Win LA Marathon
Source: Ronaldo Bolaños / Getty Close but no cigar for Kenya’s Michael Kimani Kamau in this weekend’s 2026 L.A. Marathon. Instead, the winner of the 26.2-mile race was American Nathan Martin in what’s being considered the closest finish of all time. In the race broadcast, you can see an exasperated Kamau chugging along with the end in sight, when he peers behind him and sees Martin closing the gap. Martin uses what little energy he has left to …
L.A. Marathon Addresses Michael Kimani Kamau's Wrong Turn Before Shocking 2nd Place Finish by .01 Second
The Los Angeles Marathon addressed Michael Kimani Kamau's second place finish behind Nathan Martin in the March 8 race, telling E! News their motorcade did not cause his wrong turn.
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