Associated Press

Los Angeles, March 7:

Mark Saina beat fellow Kenyan Ben Maiyo in the closing stretch to win the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday. Saina earned a $75,000 bonus for his winning time of 2 hours, 9:35 minutes as part of “The Challenge,” a battle-of-the-sexes format started last year that

allows the women to start ahead of the men. Saina and Russian Lyubov Denisova, who set a course record for the women, both received $25,000 and a new car for winning the men’s and women’s divisions. Denisova won in 2:26:10. Maiyo, running in his first marathon, passed Denisova shortly before the 40-kilometre marker. But Saina pursued him and surged ahead in the final moments. Maiyo finished in 2:09:44.

In the wheelchair division, Australian Kurt Fearnley held off six-time Los Angeles Marathon champion Saul Mendoza in a thrilling sprint to the finish. Fearnley finished third last year.

Greeted by cool temperatures under partly cloudy skies, thousands of runners packed the Los Angeles streets and were urged on at the start of the race by former boxing world champion Muhammad Ali, former world and Olympic athletics champion Jackie Joyner-Kersee and LA Mayor James Hahn. Other stars took part in the festivities. Actor Scott Bakula of the American television series “Star Trek: Enterprise” ran, finishing in 4:10:24, and a dressed-down Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry was on the sideline among others cheering passing runners.