Russia’s Tatiana Aryasova won the LA Marathon in her debut marathon, finishing just ahead of a group of Kenyan men in 2:29:09. The race was staged as a challenge format that started the women ahead of the men.
Aryasova won a $100,000 bonus as part of “The Challenge,” the men-vs.-women format that gave the top female runners a lead of nearly 20 minutes over the men. The time differential was chosen by race officials in hopes of creating a close finish.
“It didn’t matter to me,” she said through a translator. “If I see the men behind me, it’s not going to make me run faster.”
Kenya’s Laban Moiben won the men’s division with an unofficial time of 2:13:51. Moiben also won the California International Marathon in Sacramento back in December.
Aryasova and Moiben each received $20,000 and a car for winning their divisions.
More than 25,000 people participated in the race as it made its way from Universal Studios in the San Fernando Valley to its finish downtown.
Aryasova and three other woman pulled away in the first several kilometers. The 28-year-old Russian then surged ahead of Jacqueline Nytipei of Kenya after 12 miles.
Dmitry Safronov, another Russian making a marathon debut, set a strong pace as he distanced himself from the men’s pack in the first two miles. By the halfway mark, the group chipped away at the gap and overtook Safronov in the 18th mile.
The men had to gain 45 seconds every mile to overtake the women. By the midway point, however, the men had overcome almost nine minutes of the women’s lead.
Moiben tried to catch Aryasova late in the race, but still finished 4 1/2 minutes behind her.
“We saw at the 18th mile that she was going to run under 2:30 and there was no need to push anymore,” said men’s runner-up Christopher Kiprotich of Kenya.
In the wheelchair division, Saul Mendoza won this race a seventh time, finishing in 1:31:11.
Elite Results from the 2008 Los Angeles Marathon
Men’s Division
1. Laban Moiben 02:13:50
2. Christopher Kiprotich 02:14:19
3. Khalid Kamal Yaseen 02:15:23
4. Augustus Kavuta 02:16:01
5. Franklin Tonorio 02:16:29
Women’s Division
1. Tatiana Aryasova 02:29:09
2. Yuliya Gromova 02:34:12
3. Jacqueline Nytipei 02:37:47
4. Albina Gallyamova 02:37:50
5. Mary Ptikany 02:40:12
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