These female marathoners know their place

The Los Angeles Marathon is part fun run, part habit and totally remarkable for its ability to bring out the best in those who run, jog, walk and push or crank their wheelchairs along its peculiar and sometimes twisting route.

Each of the estimated 25,000 runners who started in Sunday's early-morning sunshine was a winner. It was stirring to watch them cross the finish line at 5th and Flower on Sunday and receive a champion's greeting, complete with a gold medal and applause from solicitous members of the L.A. Fire Department.

Even runners who were stumbling and gasping those last few feet found the strength to thrust their fists in the air and enjoy a "Rocky" moment.

Only one person came out looking like a loser.

It wasn't a runner whose last steps came long hours after Tatiana Aryasova of Russia and Laban Moiben of Kenya had won the women's and men's divisions, respectively.

On a day that made a magnificent experience out of a race that's shunned by world-class runners because of its tough course and small prize purse, William Burke hit the lone discordant note.

Burke, co-founder and president of the City of Los Angeles Marathon, was asked during a Channel 4 interview to comment on the smart race strategy of the elite female runners. They had gotten a head start of nearly 20 minutes in a battle-of-the-sexes gimmick that paid a $100,000 bonus, and Aryasova capitalized on it to hit the jackpot.

Burke's reply was stunningly stupid.

"You can't keep those women down," he said. "You can't get them back in the kitchen."

He offered no smile or wink to indicate he was attempting to make a joke. Not even a forced chuckle.

Burke wasn't available later to explain his comments. A race official said Burke wasn't answering his cellphone Sunday afternoon, and that's too bad.

It would have been fascinating to hear what he would have been able to say while his foot was lodged so firmly in his mouth.

The women who ran Sunday proved they were more than able to take the heat -- of the competition and the bright, sunny day.

Aryasova, 28, ran a confident and tactically bold race, taking the lead near the halfway point and never once looking back to see whether any of the men were positioning themselves to overtake her and grab that $100,000 bonus.

For a first-time marathoner who had most often run the 5,000 meters, she was smooth and sound in a triumphant time of 2 hours 29 minutes 9 seconds.