A familiar face was the first man to cross the Los Angeles Marathon finish line Sunday morning.
Kenya’s John Korir won his second consecutive L.A. Marathon in the men’s division with a time of 2:09:08 and a pace of 4:55/mile. Korir shaved meaningful minutes off of last year’s victory pace in which he was the first to cross the line with a time of 2:12:48.
Sunday’s race is just the latest accolade for the prolific Korir family. John Korir, now joins his older brother, Wesley, as a two-time champion in Los Angeles. At only 25 years old, Korir will have a real chance to defend his crown again in 2023.
The number one spot in the 2022 men’s race wasn’t the only flashback to the previous marathon finish. Korir’s fellow countryman, Edwin Kimutai, finished in second with a time of 2:10:44. Kimutai, 29, also took second behind Korir in 2021. Ethiopian Berhanu Bekele Berga finished third with a time of 2:15:11 and American Tyler McCandless came only seconds from the podium with a time of 2:15:18.
It was truly a banner day for the nation of Kenya. Immediately after finishing, Korir was ready to congratulate his fellow Kenyan, Delvine Meringor, for taking home the women’s title. Meringor crossed the line eight seconds ahead of her countryman.
The 29-year-old Meringor finished with a time of 2:25:04, — a pace of 5:32/mile. Behind her, Antonina Kwambai, also of Kenya, finished with a time of 2:30:13. Ethiopia’s Biruktayit Eshetu Degefa took third with a time of 2:31:29.
To find the complete list of finishers, and to see how your loved ones fared, click here.
