Kenyan Elisha Barno took home the winner title at the Los Angeles marathon with a dramatic last-minute surge to overtake countryman John Korir on Sunday.
Askale Merachi of Ethiopia set a course record for the women’s event in what was the 34th edition of the race.
Korir looked as if he had secured the win before Barno picked up the pace from behind passing him just past the 26-mile (41.8-kilometre) mark in the closest men’s race in the event’s history.
Barno won the race in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 45 seconds, just 7 seconds ahead of Korir. Juan Luis Barrios of Mexico finished third.
Meanwhile, Merachi set a course record time of 2:24:11 beating out Cynthia Jerop (Kenya) and Lucy Karimi (Kenya) who rounded out the top three.
Russia’s Lidiya Grigroyeva set the previous course record of 2:25:10 in 2006.
A total of 24,000 runners were registered in the race that stretched from L.A.’s Dodger Stadium to seaside Santa Monica.