Marathon Loses Its Defending Champion

Mark Yatich of Kenya, the defending men’s champion in the Los Angeles Marathon, has withdrawn from the March 7 race because he has malaria.

Yatich won last year’s race in a career-best 2 hours 9 minutes 52 seconds after surging past countryman and two-time defending champion Stephen Ndungu with less than 100 meters left in the 26-mile 385-yard race.

“We got the word [Tuesday],” said Laurence Cohen, the media relations director for the marathon. “We were told he was in the midst of a battle with malaria.”

Even without Yatich, the second-fastest performer in the history of the L.A. Marathon, this year’s race could have one of its strongest fields. Twelve runners who had broken 2:12 had entered the event as of Wednesday afternoon.

Ndungu, who ran a career-best 2:09:54 in last year’s race, is one of the leading entrants.

-- John Ortega