Nathan Martin wins closest-ever Los Angeles marathon in its 40-year history

<p>The American propelled ahead of frontrunner Michael Kimani Kamau by a fraction of a second</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox</a></p></li></ul><p>In the final moments of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/los-angeles">Los Angeles</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/marathon-running">marathon</a> last weekend, the announcers were already narrating frontrunner Michael Kimani Kamau’s finish when Nathan Martin suddenly propelled forward, shocking newscasters and spectators.</p><p>The 36-year-old Martin prevailed in a single stride, stepping across the finish line an almost imperceptible fraction of a second before Kamau and becoming the first <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/black-us-culture">Black American</a> to win the contest. He had challenged himself in the final miles of the race to keep putting his all into it, despite physical exhaustion, and finished the 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 18 seconds.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/15/nathan-martin-los-angeles-marathon">Continue reading...</a>

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