Paul Pilkington, paid to be the pacesetter in the Los Angeles Marathon, pulled a major surprise by winning the race Sunday.
"They weren't coming up so I decided to keep going. I felt really good," said Pilkington, who was clearly in front with eight miles to go.No one was more shocked than Luca Barzaghi of Italy, who finished second.
Barzaghi was so confident that he mentally chose the color he wanted for the luxury car that went to the winner. He said he did not pass Pilkington because he was told the pacesetter would do just that, set the pace, and nothing more.
"The reason why I didn't go was because it was my strategy to stay with the elites.
"I was told the `rabbit' would drop out," he said.
Third-place finisher Andrzej Krzyscin of Poland also said was told the pacesetter would drop out, "100 percent for sure."
Pilkington said he did not understand why anyone would assume that he would quit since, as an American, he was also competing for the U.S. Track and Field marathon championship. This was the first time the Los Angeles Marathon was designated as the national championship race.
"He made a tactical mistake," he said of Barzaghi. "It is still a race.
"I didn't run any faster than was pre-planned. It wasn't a sporadic pace. It wasn't fast. I don't understand why he didn't go."
Pilkington was only the second American to win since Ric Sayre in the inaugural 1986 L.A. Marathon.
Pilkington, a high school English and history teacher from Roy, Utah, was timed in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 13 seconds, and just beat a cloudburst which hit as he crossed the finish line.
Bagzaghi was timed at 2:12:52 and Krzyscin of Poland in 2:13:21.
Fractions of a second behind were Marnix Goegebeur of Belgium and Mexico's Gumercindo Olmedo.
Pilkington led the pack throughout, refusing to drop out at the halfway mark.
He received $15,000 for winning the marathon and $12,000 for winning the national title, in addition to the undisclosed amount he was paid to set the pace. He also wound up with the Mercedes-Benz sport sedan.
Pilkington, 35, has been a marathon runner for a dozen years and has acted as a "rabbit" in the New York City, Cleveland, Ohio and Japanese marathons. His agent, Bob Wood, would not disclose how much Pilkington would be paid for setting the pace, only saying it depended on how fast he ran per mile. Pilkington refused to say how much he made.
"I told him, `Paul, if nobody's there and if you feel like a human being, go for it.' His pacing job is to make sure the race is fast. None of the other competitors felt it was important to stay with him," Wood said.
"They didn't come with me," Pilkington said of the pack. "Tactically they made a mistake by not keeping up. I didn't decide to stay in until the 15th or 16th mile."
Favored American Ed Eyestone, who hoped to defend his men's national track and field championship, is a friend and training partner of Pilkington. Eyestone pulled a groin muscle on Friday during a practice run and did not finish in the top 10.
Olga Appell, a Mexican who became a U.S. citizen last month, led the women clocking a personal best of 2:28:12. A 40-year-old Italian runner, Emma Scaunich, was second at 2:37:05. Rounding out the top five were Silvia Mosqueda of Rosemead, Calif. at 2:40:12 and Russians Olga Youdenkova (2:40:24) and Olga Mitchourina (2:46:01).
While the winners each received $15,000 and the Mercedes, second place was worth $10,000.