Two Cities Marathon M0-14: Leonardo Nguyen Goes the Distance

• Sole finisher in M0-14: Leonardo Nguyen, 13, of Palo Alto, CA, crossed the line in 6:20:41 — the only finisher in his age group.
• 14:31/mi average across 26.2 miles on Fresno's flat, point-to-point course.
• Finished: 13 years old, completing a full marathon — a 26.2-mile certified Boston Qualifier course.

At just 13 years old, Leonardo Nguyen of Palo Alto is the only finisher in the M0-14 age group at the 2024 Two Cities Marathon, and that alone tells the story. Running 26.2 miles along the Fresno/Clovis border at 14:31 per mile, he crossed the line in 6:20:41 — a full marathon, completed.

The pace data tells a candid story of a long day on the road. Leonardo moved steadily through the early miles, but the back half of the race brought the grind that every marathoner knows: his position in the men's field drifted from 325th at the first checkpoint to 386th near the final miles before a slight recovery to 381st at the finish. That modest closing rally, small as it looks in the numbers, is worth noting — he didn't simply fade to the line.

There were no rivals to chase and no division battle to narrate here — just one young runner taking on one of the longer challenges in road racing. On a USATF-certified, PR-friendly course that draws adults chasing Boston qualifying times, finishing at 13 is the headline all by itself. Leonardo Nguyen ran a marathon. Full stop.