LA Marathon 2021 Results: Men's and Women's Top Finishers
November 7, 2021
Two years after finishing second, John Korir bounced back to win the 2021 Los Angeles Marathon with a time of two hours, 12 minutes and 48 seconds.
Natasha Cockram was the top women's finisher in Los Angeles on Sunday, crossing the finish line in two hours, 33 minutes and 17 seconds.
It was both competitors' first time winning this event, although John's brother, Wesley Korir, is a two-time winner of the Los Angeles Marathon.
John Korir led the field in 2019 before Elisha Barno passed him in the final 150 meters for the win, per Scott Reid of the Los Angeles Daily News.
On Sunday, Korir again made his move to the front and built an 88-second lead by Mile 23. This time, the 24-year-old Kenyan was able to stay in front and pull out the victory.
In the women's race, it looked like a two-person battle between Cockram and Antonina Kwambai. The two were in front of the pack for much of the race until Kwambai started to show fatigue:
Los Angeles Marathon @lamarathonWomen’s leaders Antonina Kwambai (Kenya) and Natasha Cockram (UK/Wales) came 25k in 1:30:55. Kwambai is starting to look fatigued, perhaps because she ran a fast marathon three weeks ago. Their last mile was 6:15, their slowest yet. <a href="https://t.co/1k2NURGbpN">pic.twitter.com/1k2NURGbpN</a>
Cockram took advantage and pulled away from the field for one of the biggest victories of her career.
The Welsh competitor finished just three minutes shy of a personal best that she set at the London Marathon.