LOS ANGELES — Russia's Tatiana Aryasova made a smashing marathon debut today, getting a head start on the male runners in a battle-of-the sexes race to capture the Los Angeles Marathon.

She held off a group of Kenyan men and finished in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 29 minutes.

Aryasova won a $100,000 bonus as part of "The Challenge," the men-vs.-women format that gave the top female runners a lead of nearly 20 minutes over the men. The time differential was chosen by race officials in hopes of creating a close finish.

Kenya's Laban Moiben won the men's division with an unofficial time of 2:13:51. Aryasova and Moiben each received $20,000 and a car for winning their divisions.

The men had to gain 45 seconds every mile to overtake the women. By the 13-mile halfway marker, however, the men had shaved off almost nine minutes of the women's lead.

In the wheelchair division, Saul Mendoza won his seventh Los Angeles Marathon, finishing in 1:31:11.