March 16, 2025, wasn't just another Sunday morning in Southern California. If you were standing anywhere near Century City around 9:00 a.m., you basically witnessed history. We’ve been waiting a long time—since 1994, to be exact—for an American man to break the tape at the finish line of this race. Matt Richtman did it. He didn't just win; he absolutely demolished the drought with a time that has people in the running world doing double-takes.
Honestly, the los angeles marathon 2025 results felt like a shift in the tectonic plates of U.S. distance running. For decades, the narrative was always about international dominance. But here comes this 25-year-old from Illinois, in only his second-ever marathon, running a 2:07:56. That is fast. Like, "top-tier elite" fast.
What Really Happened with the Los Angeles Marathon 2025 Results
The "Stadium to the Stars" course is notorious for being tricky. It’s not a flat, pancake-style course like Chicago or Berlin. You’ve got rolls, you’ve got turns, and you’ve got that LA sun that usually starts baking the pavement by mile 18.
Richtman’s strategy was kinda gutsy. He stayed in a pack of eight through the first 20 kilometers, just biding his time. Then, somewhere between miles 15 and 18, he just... went. He dropped a 14:37 split for a 5km segment late in the race. Nobody could go with him. By the time he hit the finish line, he was three minutes ahead of second-place finisher Athanas Kioko.
"I wanted to stay in the pack the first hour and make a move if I was feeling good," Richtman told reporters afterward. He felt good. Clearly.
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The Elite Men's Top Finishers
- Matt Richtman (USA) — 2:07:56
- Athanas Kioko — 2:10:55
- Moses Kiptoo Kurgat — 2:13:12
- Sammy Rotich — 2:13:29
It’s worth noting that Richtman also won the "Marathon Chase." This is that unique LA thing where the elite women get a head start (16 minutes and 5 seconds this year) and the first person to cross the finish line—male or female—gets a $10,000 bonus. Matt caught them. He took home $20,000 total for his morning's work.
The Women’s Race was a Absolute Nail-Biter
While Richtman was off in his own world, the women’s elite field was having a total dogfight. It came down to a sprint. Tejinesh Gebisa Tulu of Ethiopia managed to hold off Kenya’s Antonina Kwambai by a mere three seconds.
Tejinesh finished in 2:30:16.
Kwambai was right there at 2:30:19.
If you think a marathon is too long for a photo finish, you didn't watch this. It was tense. American Savannah Berry also had a massive day, taking third place in 2:30:31. Seeing two Americans on the overall podium (Richtman and Berry) is something we haven't seen in LA for a generation. It suggests that the US "marathon boom" isn't just about participation numbers—it's about quality at the very top.
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The Elite Women's Top Finishers
- Tejinesh Gebisa Tulu (ETH) — 2:30:16
- Antonina Kwambai (KEN) — 2:30:19
- Savannah Berry (USA) — 2:30:31
- Rita Jelagat (KEN) — 2:32:19
More than Just the Elites
Over 25,000 people started at Dodger Stadium. Think about that for a second. That is a small city's worth of humans all moving in the same direction. About 40% of the field were first-timers.
There’s always a lot of talk about the "Legacy Runners"—the people who have run every single LA Marathon since 1986. There were 93 of them on the course this year. That is pure, unadulterated stubbornness in the best way possible.
The wheelchair division saw some familiar dominance too. Francisco Sanclemente from Colombia secured a "three-peat," winning for the third year in a row. On the women's side, the legend Wakako Tsuchida from Japan took the title. These athletes are hitting speeds on the descents that would get you a ticket in a school zone.
Notable Participation Stats
- Total Finishers: Over 21,000 (official counts usually take a few days to settle)
- First-time Marathoners: ~10,000
- The "Bearsun" Sighting: Jesse Larios, the guy who runs in the giant bear suit, finished in 3:31:03. Imagine running 26.2 miles in a carpet. No thanks.
Why These Times Matter for the Future
Some people might look at a 2:07 and think, "Well, the world record is 2:00:35." Sure. But in the context of American distance running, Matt Richtman just put himself in a very elite club. He’s now one of the fastest Americans ever.
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The 2025 race was also a bit of a "resilience" run for the city. After the devastating wildfires that hit the region in late 2024 and early 2025, the marathon served as a massive community fundraiser and a sign that the city was back on its feet. The McCourt Foundation, which puts the whole thing on, leaned heavily into the "LA Together" theme.
Making Sense of the Data
If you’re looking for your own bib number or a friend’s time, the official los angeles marathon 2025 results are hosted by Timberline Timing. You can search by name, bib, or even city.
Most people don't realize that the "Open" division (regular folks) results are often quite different from the "Professional" ones. For example, Jayson Wilia was the first "Open" man across the line in 2:46:49. Noe Hernandez was the first "Open" woman in 2:51:39. These are incredible times for non-professionals, but it shows the massive gap between "very fast local" and "international pro."
What to do with these results
If you ran the race or are planning to run in 2026, here is the move:
- Download your certificate: Go to the McCourt Foundation website and grab your official finisher certificate while the servers are still active.
- Analyze your splits: Don't just look at the final time. Look at your 10k and 20k marks. Most people "bonk" around mile 20. If your pace dropped by more than 20%, you probably started too fast.
- Check the photos: FinisherPix usually has the galleries sorted by bib number within 48 hours.
- Recovery window: Give it a full 26 days of "easy" movement before trying to hit a hard workout again. One day for every mile. Your joints will thank you.
The 2025 race proved that LA is no longer just a "scenic" marathon. It’s a fast one. And for the first time in 31 years, the trophy stayed home.