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 field and the top spot 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, 11 minutes, while Stacy Ndiwa captured her second consecutive women’s title in 2:25:28.97.

Ngeno barely edged his countryman Cosmas Kiplimo, who finished second in 2:11:05.55, while Volha Mazuronak of Belarus was second for the women with a time of 2:25:48.65.

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in 1994.

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

The field included 95 legacy runners — 84 men and 11 women — who have run all 38 previous editions of the race. Golden Stars were placed along the course in their honor as a precursor to the Los Angeles Marathon Hall of Fame.

The late Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge was also honored during Sunday’s race. A uniquely designed Golden Star was presented to his family during Saturday’s news conference and the race’s Mile 7 has been renamed as the Tom LaBonge Mile.

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

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

The race has 92 charity partners, with runners raising more than $3 million.

Its premier charities are:

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

— Students Run LA;

— 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 conducting relief, development and advocacy activities seeking to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice in nearly 100 nations.

The Neighborhood Nip Foundation, was a first-time featured charity. All funds raised will support the reconstruction of the 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 leaders of Monday through sports and academic excellence, was another first-time featured charity. It was founded by Lilly Travieso, a Cornell University infielder from Burbank and Alemany High School, and her mother Patty.

Other featured charities were:

— The American Cancer Society;

— American Foundation for Suicide Prevention;

— Beit T’Shuvah, a Jewish, faith-based recovery center which focuses on the spiritual healing of addiction

— Children’s Hospital Los Angeles;

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

— North Valley Caring Services, a North Hills-based community center that offers free academic and enrichment programs for children ages 5 to 18; operates a drive-through food pantry; conducts a thrice-weekly shower and breakfast program; provides a place to park overnighter for people living in their cars; provides approximately 5,000 meals a month to families experiencing homelessness living in motels and the streets in the Northeast San Fernando Valley; conducts classes in English as a Second Language, parenting classes and how to start a business;

— Students Off And Running (SOAR), which provides no-cost Los Angeles Marathon training to hundreds of children in need living in the Santa Clarita Valley; and

— the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation.