25,000 Are Expected for Marathon

An estimated 25,000 participants, including defending men’s and women’s champions Mark Saina of Kenya and Lyubov Denisova of Russia, will take part today in the 21st annual Los Angeles Marathon.

They will be competing for more than $400,000 in prize money. Winners of the men’s and women’s divisions receive $35,000 and a new car. Participants also are competing for $100,000 in the Banco Popular Challenge. Elite women will be given a 16 minute 46 second head start. The first man or woman to cross the finish line wins the bonus.

Last year, with a differential of 15:50, Saina passed Denisova in the 25th mile and won a $75,000 challenge bonus.

Saina is among 17 Kenyans in the 45-man elite field. Denisova, Ethiopia’s Gete Wami, Mexico’s Madai Perez, Russia’s Lidiya Grigoryeva and Ukraine’s Tatyana Pozdnyakova, a two-time L.A. Marathon winner, are among the top women.

Bonus money will also be paid to the first three American men runners and first three American women runners to cross the finish line. Winners earn $5,000, second place $3,000, third place $1,000.

The first three men and women who are California residents will earn $1,500, $750 and $250.

Any American man who runs under 2:20 and any American woman who runs under 2:39 will earn $1,000.

Wheelchair athletes are competing for $15,000 in prize money. Open division winners earn $3,000.

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L.A. Marathon

Start times for today’s races: Wheelchair, 7:50 a.m.; elite women, 7:57 a.m.; hand-crank wheelchairs, 8:05 a.m.; elite men and full field, 8:17 a.m.

* Course description: Race starts at 6th and Figueroa and finishes at Flower and 5th. The first nine miles of the course are mostly downhill.

* Defending champions (men, women): Mark Saina (Kenya), 2:09:35; Lyubov Denisova (Russia), 2:26:11