Overlooked by his opposition, the 27-year-old runner from Vancouver led virtually the entire 26.2-mile course from Folsom to the state Capitol to finish in 2:12:39, 11 seconds ahead of Audriy Toptun of the Ukraine. Tesfaye Alemayehu of Ethiopia was third, more than a minute behind the top two at 2:13.59.
"I just put my head down and kept going," Wykes said shortly after crossing the finish line at 9th Street and Capitol Mall. "The course was unbelievable. The weather was great. I just had to stay within myself. I just stayed focused."
This was only Wykes' fourth marathon - his first in Sacramento and his first victory. His previous personal record was 2:15:15.
"They didn't expect anything of me," said Wykes, who led by more than 300 yards through most of the race. "But this was exactly what I was looking for."
A former cross country runner at Providence College in Rhode Island, he hopes to represent Canada in the 2012 London Olympics.
California International Marathon 2010
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