A Hopi runner was the first U.S. citizen to cross the finish line at this year’s Los Angeles Marathon.
Twenty-eight-year-old Hosava Kretzmann, running his first marathon ever, finished the race with a time just under two hours and twenty minutes. That also put him in sixth place overall of 22-thousand runners in the 38th annual race.
Kretzmann told the Navajo Times he grew up running under the guidance and direction of his elders.
He studied at Northern Arizona University in the Master’s in Public Health Program, focusing on Indigenous health. Kretzmann now works at NAU in the Office of the Vice President of Research.
He says his dream is make the Olympic Trials. Kreztmann is already training for his next big race, the Chicago Marathon in October.