Njoroge, Sado Secure Honda LA Marathon Titles

Sado captures $100,000 gender challenge; 22,200-plus entrants at 27th edition

By: Ryan Lamppa, Running USA wire

LOS ANGELES - (March 18, 2012) - At the 27th Honda LA Marathon on Sunday morning, Fatuma Sado of Ethiopia was the unexpected storm that blew through the area with her impressive victory in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 39 seconds, a personal record by more than two minutes and the 4th fastest women's clocking in event history. In addition to winning the women's race, Sado, just 20, also won the $100,000 Challenge, a gender handicap competition where the professional women received a 17 minute, 31 second headstart on the rest of the field.


In the men's race, Kenyan Simon Njoroge, 31, won in 2:12:12 over countryman Weldon Kirui who ran 2:13:40.

Fortunately, the winter storm forecast did not materialize, and under near perfect running weather - 45F degrees, partly sunny and a light breeze until the end of the race, Sado took control of the race by the halfway mark reached in 1:12:24. The 2011 Hamburg Marathon winner slowed a bit between miles 20 and 23, but cruised home in the final downhill miles for her first win in a major city marathon. Her time was the third fastest women's marathon time in the U.S. this year.





With a fast 4:27 17th mile, Njoroge and Kirui broke away from a tight men's pack and started to cut into Sado's Challenge lead, and Njoroge made one final surge at mile 22 to pull away from Kirui, but the sub-2:10 marathoner slowed in the last three miles and was unable to catch Sado.

In the Challenge, women now hold a 5-4 edge over the men.

More than 22,000 entrants participated over the Stadium to the Sea course from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica.

27th Honda LA Marathon
Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, March 18, 2012

MEN
1) Simon Njoroge (KEN), 2:12:12, $25,000 plus 2012 Honda CRV (MSRP $29,795)
2) Weldon Kirui (KEN), 2:13:40, $12,500
3) Stephen Muange (KEN), 2:15:35, $10,000
4) Hailu Seifu (ETH), 2:17:49, $5000
5) David Mandago (KEN), 2:13:50, $2500

WOMEN
1) Fatuma Sado (ETH), 2:25:39, $125,000 plus 2012 Honda CRV (MSRP $29,795)
2) Misiker Mekonnin (ETH), 2:28:09, $12,500
3) Yeshimebet Tadesse (ETH), 2:30:46, $10,000
4) Iwona Lewandowska (POL), 2:31:17, $5000
5) Tetyana Mezentseva, 40, UKR, 2:31:20, $2500

For complete results and more, go to: www.LAmarathon.com

this article Courtesy of Running USA wire