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

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.

Matt Richtman won the 40th annual Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, becoming the first American man to take the title in 31 years.