Defending Champion Korir Headlines Fields In Los Angeles

Gender challenge offers $100,000 bonus to winner.

Written by: Sean McKeon

Kenyan Wesley Korir will look to defend his Los Angeles Marathon title this weekend on the all-new “stadium-to-the-sea” course. Korir set a personal best 2:08:24 winning last year, and in the process took home $188,705 for winning both the men’s race and the “gender challenge.

Facing Korir will be 2:06:45 marathoner Richard Limo of Kenya, last year’s runner-up Tariku Jafar of Ethiopia and the third place finisher from a year ago, Laban Kipkemboi of Kenya. Overall seven men in the field have run under 2:10 and six more have run under 2:12.

The women’s race will feature Slivia Skvorsova, who will look to become the sixth consecutive Russian to win the race. Ethiopian Ashu Kasim will come in to the race with the fastest personal best (2:25:49) and the confidence from her runner-up finish in Paris in 2009. Paige Higgins will carry the hopes of America as she looks to improve upon her 2:33:06 personal best.

The men’s and women’s races will feature the gender challenge that will award the first person across the finish line with a $100,000 bonus. The elite women’s field will be given a head start that will be announced when the official fields are determined on Friday.

You can watch the race streamed live on Universal Sports or visit LAMarathon.com for results on Sunday.

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