Kenya dominates 2024 LA Marathon in second-largest field in history

Kenya dominated Sunday’s 39th Los Angeles Marathon, taking the top two spots in the men’s category and first place in the women’s race in the second-largest field in the event’s history.

Dominic Ngeno won the race in an unofficial time of 2 hours and 11 minutes, while Stacy Ndiwa captured her second consecutive women’s title in 2:25:28.97.

Ngeno barely edged out compatriot Cosmas Kiplimo, who finished second in 2:11:05.55, while Volha Mazuronak of Belarus was second among women with a time of 2:25:48.65.

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in 1994.

Makena Morley of Bozeman, Montana, was the top American finisher in the women’s race, finishing fifth with a personal record time of 2:30:24.

The field included 95 traditional runners (84 men and 11 women) who have run the previous 38 editions of the race. Gold stars were placed along the course in his honor as a forerunner of the Los Angeles Marathon Hall of Fame.

The late Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge was also honored during Sunday’s race. A uniquely designed Gold Star was presented to his family during Saturday’s press conference and Mile 7 of the race was renamed the Tom LaBonge Mile.

Mile 7 begins at Glendale Boulevard just before Santa Ynez Street in Echo Park, includes Angelus Church, and ends at Sunset Boulevard just before Silver Lake Boulevard.

There were more than 3,500 runners from Students Run LA, an after-school fitness and mentoring program for at-risk middle and high school students.

The race has 92 charity partners and runners raised more than $3 million.

Its main charities are:

— Angel City Pit Bulls, dedicated to creating a better future for pit bulls through education, public advocacy, adoptions and owner support;

— Students run Los Angeles;

— Team TMF, the fundraising team for the McCourt Foundation, which describes its mission as striving to cure neurological diseases while empowering communities to build a healthier world. The foundation operates the race; and

— Team World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization that carries out relief, development and advocacy activities to address the causes of poverty and injustice in nearly 100 nations.

The Neighborhood Nip Foundation was a featured charity for the first time. All funds raised will support the reconstruction of Nipsey Hussle Plaza in Hyde Park, which will be the site of the foundation’s headquarters. The foundation plans to begin youth programming this year.

Empowering Leadership in Latina Athletes, which seeks to empower and support young Latinas to become Monday leaders through athletic and academic excellence, was another charity featured for the first time. It was founded by Lilly Travieso, a Cornell University infielder from Burbank and Alemany High School, and her mother Patty.

Other notable charities were:

— The American Cancer Society;

–American Foundation for Suicide Prevention;

— Beit T’Shuvah, a faith-based Jewish recovery center focusing on spiritual healing from addiction.

— Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles;

— Kitten Rescue, which rescues cats and kittens from the streets of Los Angeles and from Los Angeles Animal Services shelters;

— North Valley Caring Services, a North Hills-based community center offering free academic and enrichment programs for children ages 5 to 18; operates a self-service food pantry; conducts a shower and breakfast program three times a week; provides an overnight parking spot for people who live in their cars; provides approximately 5,000 meals per month to homeless families living in motels and on the streets of the northeast San Fernando Valley; teaches English as a Second Language classes, parenting classes, and how to start a business;

— Students Off And Running (SOAR), which provides free training for the Los Angeles Marathon to hundreds of needy children living in the Santa Clarita Valley; and

–UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation.