Wave Staff Report
LOS ANGELES — Defending champions Tejinesh Tulu and Matt Richtman will return to the Stadium-to-the-Stars Course to defend their titles at the 2026 Los Angeles Marathon March 8. Past winners and podium finishers will be headlining both the men’s and women’s divisions, with 24 athletes set to compete in the professional fields during the marathon’s 41st anniversary event.
After becoming the first American man to win the event in more than 30 years, Richtman became one of the most recognizable and fastest U.S. marathoners. His winning time of 2:07:56 was the second fastest time in the history of the marathon on both its previous and current routes.
Just behind Richtman in last year’s event was Athanas Kioko of Kenya, who will also be returning for the 2026 race. The 2024 men’s champion, Dominic Ngeno, also from Kenya, will join them and boasts the fastest personal best among the entire men’s field: 2:06:35.
Other notables from the men’s pro field include Abdela Godana of Ethiopia, Michael Kimani Kamau of Kenya and Marcelo Laguera from Mexico. Toeing the line alongside them is Elkanah Kibet, who placed fourth at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Orlando, just missing earning a spot on the American team.
The Los Angeles Marathon shares the calendar date with International Women’s Day this year, and women’s athleticism and competitive skills will add to the celebration. Ethiopia’s Tulu is fresh off her fourth-place finish at the 2026 Houston Marathon, where she completed the 26.2-mile distance in a personal best 2:29:13. Kenya’s Antonina Kwambai and American Savannah Berry who stood beside Tulu on last year’s podium (in second and third, respectively) will also be returning.
Other compelling competitors include Vicoty Chepngeno, the fastest woman in the field with a personal best of 2:19:55, Atsede Bayisa, a former Boston Marathon champion and two-time Chicago Marathon champion, and Priscah Cherono, who won the Marathon Project Dec. 21 in Chandler, Arizona, with a personal best time of 2:25:17 at age 45.
These top competitors, followed by 27,000 other runners, will travel 26.2 miles beginning at Dodger Stadium and winding through the vibrant neighborhoods and iconic landmarks of Los Angeles, including Downtown L.A., Echo Park, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Brentwood, before finishing along Santa Monica Boulevard at Avenue of the Stars. The Pro Women and Elite Age Group Women will start at 6:40 a.m., followed by the Pro Men and the full field at 7 a.m.
Also included in the Marathon Weekend events are the LA 5K March 7 and the marathon’s two-day Lifestyle Expo held at Dodger Stadium March 6 and 7. The free expo is open to the public, featuring up to 100 exhibitors and annually attracts more than 70,000 attendees.
