The surprise winner of the Los Angeles Marathon is the seventh-fastest marathoner in American history. A year ago, Matt Richtman was a good but mostly unheralded college runner toiling away in his final semester of classes at Montana State University in Bozeman and, like most graduating seniors, wasn’t really sure what would come next.

"For me, really getting into the marathon was just, you know it just started with being with everyone," Matt Richtman said.