Malibu runner celebrates milestone with family, friends, and a personal best improvement
Rick Wallace completed the Los Angeles Marathon for the 40th time on March 16.
Wallace, who has started and finished every LA Marathon since its inception in 1984, completed this year’s version of the world-renowned footrace in 5 hours, 59:33 minutes. The 67-year-old, a retired Realtor and former contributor to The Malibu Times, said he was happy with the result of his city-spanning jaunt.
“I ran it really well, really smart,” he said. “I got water and food when I needed it and kept getting bursts of energy that I wasn’t expecting but was happy about. I had a great run. At the very end, I wasn’t super tired. I felt like I could have run more. I was in great shape.”
To celebrate his participation in the running spectacle again, Wallace’s friends and family members met him at certainpoints during the race’s 26.2-mile route, offering him encouragement and walking with him a bit. They were also in the grandstand to cheer on Wallace — both arms raised, a smile adorning his face — as he and other runners crossed the finish line. Jalina Wallace Dixon, Wallace’s daughter, held up a supporting poster that read “GO RICK, GO! 40 IN A ROW!” and “RICK WALLACE LA LEGACY RUNNER 1986-2025.” A picture of Wallace from a previous marathon finish was also featured on the center of the placard.
“It’s been a few years since I had a good improvement from the previous year,” Wallace said of him completing this year’s marathon 20 minutes faster than 2024’s. “I bet it has been seven, eight, nine years since I had a big jump of going faster than the year before. I had good support along the course.”
Wallace was one of over 90 Legacy Runners —individuals who have completed every LA Marathon from start to finish — to take to the city streets again this month.
“It was a really good day,” he said.
Wallace was one of 24 Malibuites who participated in the marathon. The others included Alexandra Hoffman, 25; Alexandra McQueen, 29; Ani Dermenjian, 58; Christina Wolf, 44; Cody Kolodziejzyk, 34; Cooper Norby, 20; Dustin Hartuv, 24; Elizabeth Ulmer, 63; Emma Perkins, 24; Joyce Stickney, 54; Kiana Ramli, 28; Mary Hawkins, 81; Rebecca Simmons, 51; Renzo Costarella, 51; Robert Calfas, 75; Rock Lane, 62; Seamus Harrington, 26; Sofia Pace, 19; Stephen Handal, 30; Tanner Brockbank, 34; Thomas Knoll, 65; and Thomas Pentz, 46.
While Wallace continued his streak of completing the marathon from starting line to finish line, a losing streak of sorts was also broken at the event: For the first time in 31 years, an American won the race. Matt Richtman, 25, of Illinois, won the marathon in 2:07:56. The last time an American won the race was Paul Pilkington in 1994. Athanas Kioko of Kenya was second for the men with a time of 2:10:55. His countrymate, Moses Kiptoo, was third in 2:13:13.
Tejinesh Gebisa Tulu of Ethiopia won the women’s portion of the race with a time of 2:30:16. Antonina Kwambai of Kenya was second at 2:30:19. Savannah Berry of Bakersfield finished third for the women with a time of 2:30:31.
Francisco Sanclemente of Colombia won the wheelchair race in 1:38:10, his third straight LA Marathon victory. Miguel Vergara, from Chula Vista, was second in 1:43:32.
The marathon began at Dodger Stadium and the course guided runners through Chinatown, downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park, Thai Town, Little Armenia, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood, and Brentwood, then back through Westwood to Century City. The finish line for the “Stadium to the Stars” course was Santa Monica Boulevard, just past Century Park East.
More than 26,000 people took to the Los Angeles streets in this year’s marathon. The field included runners from all 50 states and 70 nations. Forty percent of the people were first-time marathoners.
Wallace, who has lived in Malibu throughout all his marathoning years, aims to keep on completing the LA endurance challenge.
“I’m going for 41,42,” he said. “I’m going to keep going. I’m pretty giddy about it.”