FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Weldon Kirui and Sule Gedo Named
2018 Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon Champions
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined by Dodgers All-Star Justin Turner at
Dodger Stadium to send athletes off in ideal running conditions
LOS ANGELES (March 18, 2018) - Conqur Endurance Group, the organizer of the
Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon, is proud to announce Weldon
Kirui and Sule Gedo as the male and female winners of the 33rd edition of
the iconic race.
Battling until the end to claim the title of men's champion, Kenyan and
2016 men's champion Weldon Kirui led the pack, finishing the race with a
time of 2:11:47. Kirui battled Gebresadik Adihana throughout the last
several miles of the race and pulled ahead decisively at mile 24.
Second-place finisher Adihana clocked in at 2:11:57 followed closely by
2017 men's champion Elisha Barno, who finished third with a time of
2:12:14.
Sule Gedo of Kenya ran with the lead pack of the women's field throughout
most of the race, pulling ahead in the final mile to finish first in
2:33:52. Gedo finished just seconds ahead of Tsehay Desalegn, who clocked
2:33:58. The 2017 Champion, Hellen Jepkurgat, finished the race with a time
of 2:34:10, rounding out the top three women's field. American Christina
Vergara finished fourth in 2:34:27.
In the wheelchair race, Michelle Wheeler took home the gold as the women's
champion with a finishing time of 2:16:36. In the men's contest, Krige
Schabort bested the other athletes winning the race in 1:35:38.
Close to 24,000 participants, including a professional division of 70
athletes, took to the streets of Los Angeles to run the iconic "Stadium to
the Sea" course. Live entertainment, including more than 50 bands, 500
cheerleaders, 4 entertainment centers and 90 cheer zones set the stage for
an exciting day.
"We couldn't have asked for better conditions to host the 33rd running of
the Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon," said Tracey Russell, Chief
Executive of Conqur Endurance Group. "The running conditions made for an
epic day and we so appreciate all of the communities in Los Angeles, West
Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica who came out to enthusiastically
support our runners. Congratulations to everyone who completed the race
today and we hope to see you back next year."
Serving as official and honorary starters at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Mayor Eric Garcetti and Dodgers All-Star Justin Turner gave the runners a
memorable sendoff for this year's Skechers Performance Los Angeles
Marathon. Turner, a local product out of Long Beach, is the first
professional athlete to serve as race starter since Muhammad Ali.
Reinforcing Conqur Endurance Group's commitment to making an economic and
social impact, athletes representing 75 charity partners ran to raise
awareness and funds for their causes through the marathon's Official
Charity Program. Approximately $4 million will be raised this year. The
race organizer once again supported the Students Run LA program, which
provides at-risk students with mentors and coaching to train for and run
the annual marathon. This year, nearly 3,500 students and mentors
participated in the 2018 race.
For the complete list of the 2018 Skechers Performance Los Angeles marathon
results, and additional information about the race, please visit
www.lamarathon.com.
About Conqur Endurance Group
Conqur Endurance Group, a subsidiary of McCourt LP, creates world-class
experiences that ignite passion in athletes and connect communities through
the transformative power of sport. The Skechers Performance Los Angeles
Marathon is among the largest marathons in the country with 24,000
participants, thousands of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of
spectators. The "Stadium to the Sea" course, starting at Dodger Stadium and
finishing near the Santa Monica Pier, is one of the most scenic in the
world, taking runners on a tour of Los Angeles past every major landmark.
In addition to the marquee event, Conqur Endurance Group produces the
Pasadena Half Marathon & 5K at the Rose Bowl, the Santa Monica Classic
5K/10K and the LA BIG 5K. Conqur also owns and operates one of the largest
marathon training programs in the U.S., the LA Road Runners. Through
official charity programs and strategic partnerships, Conqur supports
dozens of nonprofit partners; the most notable being Students Run LA, one
of the foremost nonprofit youth running programs in the nation. For more
information, please visit www.goconqur.com
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