WATCH: LA Marathon shrouded by controversy as leader led off course

The Los Angeles Marathon ended in dramatic controversy on Sunday after American amateur Nathan Martin came from behind to defeat Kenyan Michael Kamanu by the tiniest of margins.

It is reported that Kamanu was led down the wrong route, forcing him to run the wrong way before turning back. 

In the few final hundred meters, a woman waving a Kenyan flag got directly in his path, forcing him to move to the right around her.

At the same time, it was reported that a volunteer in an orange shirt waved him to the right at a forked barricade, and the lead motorcade also moved right.

Kamanu followed, but after a few strides, bystanders caught his attention, getting him to turn around and run back. 

The major error saw Martin close the distance to beat the Kenyan by a whisker before crossing the line. 

LA Marathon spokesperson Meg Treat said that the results remain unchanged as no protests were filed.

The organisers also claimed that the motorcade did not take a wrong turn, but rather made a planned exit 300 metres from the finish, which athletes were briefed about in the technical meeting ahead of the race.

“An enthusiastic spectator’s behaviour just feet before the finish line chute fencing commenced, seen in the video, is cause for concern… We will review how future issues of this kind can be avoided as part of our post-race discussions,” she said.

To listen to Barbara Friedman discuss this with CapeTalk’s Clarence Ford, use the audio player below: