For the first time in more than three decades, an American man has won the Los Angeles Marathon.
Matt Richtman, a 25-year-old from Elburn, Ill., crossed the finish line in 2:07:56, setting a big personal best and etching his name into U.S. distance running history.
It was only Richtman’s second-ever marathon, making his victory all the more remarkable. He debuted at the Twin Cities Marathon last fall, finishing fourth with a solid 2:10:47.
“I didn’t really have a super big plan coming into this,” Richtman said after the race. “It’s always so tough, the marathon, just because so much can happen. I just told myself to stay in that pack until about the halfway mark, and then if I felt good, I could make a move. Ended up going a little bit to the lead and no one really came with me.”
That decision paid off.
By the time the race wound through Beverly Hills and Brentwood, Richtman had pulled away, leaving Kenya’s Athanas Kioko (2:10:55) and Moses Kurgat (2:13:13) to fight for second and third.
Richtman’s win ends a 31-year drought for American men at the LA Marathon.
The last to do it was Paul Pilkington in 1994, who famously entered the race as a pacer but decided to keep going when he realized no one could catch him. Unlike Pilkington’s unexpected triumph, Richtman’s victory feels more like the arrival of a serious talent on the marathon scene.
His 2:07:56 finish is also one of the fastest marathon times ever run by an American. While courses like LA’s aren’t eligible for official U.S. records due to their point-to-point and net downhill design, Richtman’s time still puts him in the top 10 American marathon performances when considering all courses.
Top 10 Fastest American Men’s Marathon Times (Including Downhill and Point-to-Point Courses)
- Ryan Hall – 2:04:58 (2011 Boston)
- Khalid Khannouchi – 2:05:38 (2002 London)
- Galen Rupp – 2:06:07 (2018 Prague)
- Ryan Hall – 2:06:17 (2008 London)
- Abbabiya Simbassa – 2:06:53 (2024 Valencia)
- Dathan Ritzenhein – 2:07:47 (2012 Chicago)
- Conner Mantz – 2:07:47 (2023 Chicago)
- Leonard Korir – 2:07:56 (2019 Amsterdam)
- Matt Richtman – 2:07:56 (2025 Los Angeles)
- Clayton Young – 2:08:00 (2023 Chicago)
Before stepping up to the marathon, Richtman was a standout runner at Montana State University, where he earned All-America honors in cross country. His transition to road racing has been seamless, and if his rapid improvement is any indication, there’s still plenty of upside.
At just 25, he’s still young in marathon years. Many of the world’s best long-distance runners peak in their late 20s or early 30s, meaning Richtman has time to build strength, experience, and race-day savvy.
The 2025 Los Angeles Marathon came at a time when the city needed a boost. In the wake of devastating wildfires, the event was about more than just competition—it was a show of resilience.
Over 25,000 runners took on the course from Dodger Stadium to Century City, demonstrating the unbreakable spirit of the running community and the city itself.
On the women’s side, Ethiopia’s Tejinesh Tulu won in 2:30:16, narrowly edging out Kenya’s Antonina Kwambai (2:30:19) and Utah’s Savannah Berry (2:30:31), who took third.
