Los Angeles Marathon - A Brief History

• In the second year of “The Challenge,” Kenyan Mark Saina won a $75,000 bonus for being the first person to cross the finish line in 2:09:35.
• Although Lyubov Denisova finished third in “The Challenge,” she won the women’s division in 2:26:11 and set a new course record.
• The 2005 Marathon had 24,600 registrants, a new record. We also had 20,850 starters and 20,408 finishers, a 97.9% finish rate.
• In the Men’s Wheelchair Division, newcomer Kurt Fearnley from Australia won the race in 1:30:11, edging out six-time L.A. Marathon winner Saul Mendoza of Mexico by only two seconds. In the Women’s Wheelchair Division, Cheri Blauwet won the race for the third year in a row.

2004 - March 7
David Kirui, Kenya, 2:13:41
Tatyana Pozdnyakova, Ukraine, 2:30:17

• "The Challenge" was introduced, a unique format in which elite women started the marathon 20 minutes and 30 seconds ahead of the elite men, in a race to be the first person across the finish line.
• Tatyana Pozdnyakova, a 49 year-old woman, received a $50,000 bonus for winning “The Challenge.”
• The L.A. Marathon saw its largest number of registrants and finishers, with 19,396 runners and walkers crossing the finish line.
• The temperature was 68 degrees at the start and soared up to 89 by midday, making it the second hottest L.A. Marathon.
• 620,000 viewers watched the live television coverage on KNBC and Telemundo 52, more than the Chicago and New York City Marathons combined.
• An economic impact study concluded that the 2004 Los Angeles Marathon generated more than $61 million for the city’s economy.

2003 - March 2
Mark Yatich, Kenya, 2:09:52
Tatyana Pozdnyakova, Ukraine, 2:29:40

• For the first time in L.A. Marathon history two elite runners finished in under 2:10.
• Innovative personalized bibs with runners’ first names were introduced.
• Tatyana Pozdnyakova, a 47 year-old Ukrainian woman, became the oldest woman ever to win a major city marathon with an impressive 2:29:40 finish.
• Saul Mendoza of Mexico became the L.A. Marathon’s first six-time champion in the wheelchair race with a personal best of 1:27:07.
• For the first time, the race was televised live on NBC4 and in Spanish on KVEA 52 – Telemundo’s flagship station. Together, the stations offered the most pre-race news coverage in the marathon’s 18-year history.

2002 - March 3
Steven Ndungu, Kenya, 2:10:27
Lyubov Denisova, Russia, 2:28:49

• A new flatter, faster course through downtown Los Angeles was introduced.
• Stephen Ndungu of Kenya became the first ever back-to-back Men’s winner, finishing with a personal best time of 2:10:27.
• The marathon paid tribute to four Ground Zero heroes: Port Authority Lieutenants William Burns and Mark Winslow, and New York City firefighters Drew Robb and Dan Rowan.

2001 - March 4
Steven Ndungu, Kenya, 2:13:13
Elana Paramonova, Russia, 2:35:58

• The L.A. Marathon became the first marathon in the world to email results to runners in real time.
• L.A. Marathon President Dr. William Burke was named “Race Director of the Year” by Competitor Magazine.
• A 70-foot television screen was set up on Flower Street for complete marathon coverage only blocks away from the finish line.
• On Vermont Avenue, choir singers brought a new tradition called “Gospel Road” to life by filling the air with inspiring songs as the runners passed by.

2000 - March 5
Benson Mutiisya Mbithi, Kenya, 2:11:55
Jane Salumae, Estonia, 2:33:33

• American Honda Motor Company returned for its fifth year as the Presenting Sponsor of the L.A. Marathon.
• New sponsors included American Express and the Los Angeles Times.
• The cold weather and rain made this marathon more challenging than other years, but that didn’t stop more than 17,000 runners from participating.
• Mexico’s Saul Mendoza won the Men’s Wheelchair competition for the fourth year in a row.

1999 - March 14
Simon Bor, Kenya, 2:09:25
Irina Bogacheva, Kyrgyzstan, 2:30:32

• Simon Bor of Kenya shattered an eleven-year course record with a 2:09:25 finish that continues to be the course record.
• A record 20,630 registrants made it the largest ever City of Los Angeles Marathon to date.

1998 - March 29
Zebedayo Bayo, Tanzania, 2:11:21
Lornah Kiplagat, Kenya, 2:33:58

• Lornah Kiplagat won the women’s race for the second year in a row.
• Prize monies increased overall and the first place prize doubled from $15,000 to $30,000 to attract more world-class elite runners.
• Seven of the elite men beat the finishing time of the previous year.
• Acura became the title sponsor of the Acura L.A. Bike Tour and attracted 15,000 cyclists.

1997 - March 2
El-Maati Chaham, Morocco, 2:14:16
Lornah Kiplagat, Kenya, 2:33:50

• More than 80% of runners completed the event.
• 12,000 cyclists rode the course at sunrise, starting and ending at Universal City Walk.
• Inline Skating was introduced with nearly 2,000 people skating a 10K course.
• The day before the Marathon, the first Los Angeles Marathon Secure Horizons Senior Walk attracted nearly 4,000 participants and a host of celebrities including Steve Allen, Ed McMahon and then Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis.

1996 - March 6
Jose Luis Molina, Costa Rica, 2:13:23
Lyubov Klochko, Ukraine, 2:30:30

• The Los Angeles Marathon’s new downtown Course was introduced.
• The Los Angeles Marathon became the first major race in the U.S. to use the ChampionChip to track each runner’s individual time.
• Jose Luis Molina of Costa Rica crossed the finish line three seconds ahead of Mexico’s Alfred Vigueras, making it the closest finish to date in the history of the L.A. Marathon.

1995 - March 5
Rolando Vera, Ecuador, 2:11:39
Nadia Prasad, French New Caledonia, 2:29:48

• The Bike Tour was introduced and over 12,000 cyclists showed up in the pouring rain to ride the marathon course just hours before the marathon race.
• Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan led the 20+ mile ride, which gave cyclists the opportunity to ride through the traffic-free streets of L.A.
• Ecuador’s Rolando Vera and French Caledonia’s Nadia Prasad braved adverse weather conditions to win the Men’s and Women’s races in 2:11:39 and 2:29:48, respectively.
• After winning the marathon the year before despite being hired as the rabbit, Paul Pilkington enters the race as a competitor, only to be forced out after stepping in a pothole only 30 minutes into the race.

1994 – March 6
Paul Pilkington, USA, 2:12:13
Olga Appell, USA, 2:28:12

• Paul Pilkington, hired to be a rabbit for the elite group, continued running and finished first, 39 seconds ahead of Luca Barzaghi.
• Ramiro Fauve paints the second in a series of murals commissioned by the City of Los Angeles Marathon Foundation to encircle the city on a Santa Monica Freeway wall.
• Olga Appell finished 8 minutes and 53 seconds ahead of the second place finisher Emma Scaunich, making it the larget margin of victory in L.A. Marathon history.

1993 – March 7
Joselido Rocha, Brazil, 2:14:29
Lyubov Klochko, Ukraine, 2:39:49

• The weather played a major factor in the race with a high of 87 degrees on race day, creating a temporary water shortage at water stations.
• Patsy Choco exemplifies extraordinary courage by finishing the marathon in 7 hours, only two years after being diagnosed with both breast and lung cancer.

1992 – March 1
John Treacy, Ireland, 2:12:29
Madina Biktagirova, CIS, 2:26:23

• Jim Knaub wins the wheelchair race for the second year in a row, setting course records both times.
• Mavis Lindgren, 84, becomes the oldest female to compete in the L.A. Marathon. She finishes in a time of 6 hours, 14 minutes – a course record for the 80+ age group.

1991 – March 3
Mark Plaatjes, USA, 2:10:29
Cathy O’Brien, USA, 2:29:38

• Mark Plaatjes decided to run the L.A. Marathon only ten days after finding out his brother had terminal cancer. It was an inspirational finish, considering he had run three prior marathons and had been in the top four every time.
• An L.A. marathon runner is entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for running the race in 3:06:22 while flipping pancakes the entire way.

1990 – March 4
Pedro Ortiz, Colombia, 2:11:54
Julie Isphording, USA, 2:32:25

• Julie Isphording of Cincinnati wins the marathon in a record time of 2:32:25 only three years after rupturing a disk and being told she might never walk again.
• The Men’s Marathon was a race to the finish, with three runners all tightly packed with a mile to go. Pedro Ortiz, after having broken into a sprint, crossed the line first, only 12 seconds ahead of Antoni Niemczak.

1989 – March 5
Art Boileau, Canada, 2:13:01
Zoya Ivanova, USSR, 2:34:42

• Tom Birnie and John Campbell of New Zealand are the inaugural winners of the Friendship Cup, an award presented to the pair representing a country with the fastest combined time.
• Manny Wein becomes the oldest man to compete in the marathon at the age of 89, but is forced to drop out of the race at mile 19 because of blisters.
• A few minutes before the scheduled start, a balloon popped and the elite field took off, followed by 18,000+ entrants. Fortunately, race officials were able to stop the runners and bring them back to the start.

1988 – March 6
Martin Mondragon, Mexico, 2:10:19
Blanca Jaime, Mexico, 2:36:11

• Martin Mondragon set a course record that equaled the fastest non-Olympic marathon mark ever in Los Angeles.
• Legendary marathoners Frank Shorter and Bill Rogers ran in the Master’s division. Rogers placed second while Shorter was further off pace.

1987 – March 1
Art Boileau, Canada, 2:13:08
Nancy Ditz, USA, 2:35:24

• Nancy Ditz won the Women’s Marathon for the second consecutive year, this time beating a legally registered Sylvia Mosqueda.
• Boileau returned to L.A. to avenge a 44th place finish at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, this time winning the race in 2:13:08.
• Students Run L.A. was introduced, a program conceived by high school teacher Harry Shabazian.
• The official centipede of the L.A. Marathon, started in 1985, finishes in a record 3:31:20 with 16 runners.

1986 – March 9
Ric Sayre, USA, 2:12:59
Nancy Ditz, USA, 2:36:27

• Founded by Dr. Bill Burke and Marie Patrick in the wake of the successful 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the L.A. Marathon is introduced to the public.
• The first L.A. Marathon attracted 10,868 participants, making it the largest inaugural marathon in history.
• Sylvia Mosqueda, an unregistered 19-year old local runner, ran the first 19 miles of the course ahead of eventual winner Nancy Ditz.
• Ric Sayre won by 28 seconds, despite having won the Long Beach Marathon only five weeks prior.