THE SIDELINES : Mexican Wins San Diego Race

OCEANSIDE — Benjamin Paredes Martinez followed his strategy of coming from behind to win the San Diego Marathon on Sunday.

Martinez, 29, of Ecatepec, Mexico, finished the 26.2-mile race in two hours, 19 minutes and 3 seconds.

“My plan was to come from behind,” said Martinez, who crossed the finish line waving a small Mexican flag. “I had to have patience.”

Similarly, 24-year-old Kathleen Smith of Newport Beach followed her own patient strategy and broke open the women’s race with 10 miles to go, winning in 2:43:05.

Doug Kurtis of Detroit finished second in 2:19:39, and Alfredo Rosas of San Pedro third in 2:19:49.

In the women’s division, Mindy Ireland, 39, of Escondido, who was hindered by a sore left hamstring, finished more than nine minutes behind Smith in 2:52:12.