By STEVEN HERBERT
City News Service
Amane Gobena resumed the success of African women at the Los Angeles Marathon today and earned a $50,000 bonus for being the first overall finisher, while fellow Ethiopian Gebo Burka was the men's winner.
Gobena completed the 26-mile, 385-yard course from Dodger Stadium to near the Santa Monica Pier in two hours, 27 minutes, 37 seconds. Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia was the women's runner-up in 2:28:04, while Lauren Kleppin of Mammoth Lakes was third in a personal-best time of 2:28:48.
The elite women's field received a 17-minute, 41-second head start over their male counterparts, based on a formula involving the lifetime best timess of the top seven male and female runners. The bonus has been won by women runners seven times and men runners four times.
Burka came in at 2:10:37. Lani Rutto of Kenya was second at 2:10:48, while Erick Mose of Kenya, the 2013 winner, was third with 2:12:56.
Gobena was the fourth African to win the women's race in the past five years and the third Ethiopian. Burka's victory in the men's race was the second by a non-Kenyan in the past 16 years. The other was by Markos Geneti in 2011.
Gobena passed Tufa in the 21st mile on the Veterans Administration grounds and kept the lead for the rest of the race.
Burka took the lead from Rutto in the 22nd mile in Brentwood and held off his attempts to re-take the lead.
The male and female winners will each receive $25,000, the second-place finishers $12,500 and the third-place finishers $10,000.
The estimated field of 25,000 left Dodger Stadium under sunny skies with some clouds, a light wind and a 58-degree temperature. The race, officially known as the ASICS LA Marathon, sold out for the second consecutive year and third time in its history.
The race also sold out in 2010, the first time it was run on the "Stadium to the Sea" course, when registration ended at a record of 26,054.
New security regulations affecting participants and spectators were in effect as the race was run for the first time since the Boston Marathon bombing.
Security and screening checkpoints were added at the start and finish areas and spectators were banned from the finish line area in Santa Monica. And there was heavier security this year at the Dodger Stadium start.
City News Service
Amane Gobena resumed the success of African women at the Los Angeles Marathon today and earned a $50,000 bonus for being the first overall finisher, while fellow Ethiopian Gebo Burka was the men's winner.
Gobena completed the 26-mile, 385-yard course from Dodger Stadium to near the Santa Monica Pier in two hours, 27 minutes, 37 seconds. Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia was the women's runner-up in 2:28:04, while Lauren Kleppin of Mammoth Lakes was third in a personal-best time of 2:28:48.
The elite women's field received a 17-minute, 41-second head start over their male counterparts, based on a formula involving the lifetime best timess of the top seven male and female runners. The bonus has been won by women runners seven times and men runners four times.
Burka came in at 2:10:37. Lani Rutto of Kenya was second at 2:10:48, while Erick Mose of Kenya, the 2013 winner, was third with 2:12:56.
Gobena was the fourth African to win the women's race in the past five years and the third Ethiopian. Burka's victory in the men's race was the second by a non-Kenyan in the past 16 years. The other was by Markos Geneti in 2011.
Gobena passed Tufa in the 21st mile on the Veterans Administration grounds and kept the lead for the rest of the race.
Burka took the lead from Rutto in the 22nd mile in Brentwood and held off his attempts to re-take the lead.
The male and female winners will each receive $25,000, the second-place finishers $12,500 and the third-place finishers $10,000.
The estimated field of 25,000 left Dodger Stadium under sunny skies with some clouds, a light wind and a 58-degree temperature. The race, officially known as the ASICS LA Marathon, sold out for the second consecutive year and third time in its history.
The race also sold out in 2010, the first time it was run on the "Stadium to the Sea" course, when registration ended at a record of 26,054.
New security regulations affecting participants and spectators were in effect as the race was run for the first time since the Boston Marathon bombing.
Security and screening checkpoints were added at the start and finish areas and spectators were banned from the finish line area in Santa Monica. And there was heavier security this year at the Dodger Stadium start.
Spectators wishing to meet runners to Santa Monica Boulevard at Second Street.
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