BIB NO. 4045 FINISHES 2ND.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

A few days ago, Bekele Tesfaye wondered why he hadn't received his plane ticket to Los Angeles.

He called Los Angeles Marathon officials and got the answer - his agent had failed to enter him in the event.

So the native of Ethiopia, who lives in Cambridge, Mass., flew to L.A. at his own expense Saturday, determined to enter the race anyway. Then he discovered the deadline for elite runners had passed.

Undeterred, he went to the Quality of Life Expo at the L.A. Convention Center and entered the race as anyone off the street would. His bib number was a ridiculously high 4045.

However, Tesfaye certainly didn't run like a typical entry. From the 9-mile mark, he and eventual winner El-Maati Chaham of Morocco battled for the lead - frequently engaging in unfriendly contact - as the rest of a mediocre pack fell well behind.

Chaham, relatively undistinguished in a country loaded with world-class distance runners, sprinted away in the final mile. His time of 2 hours, 14 minutes, 16 seconds is slow by elite standards, but Chaham nonetheless called the victory the biggest in his career.

Tesfaye finished in 2:14.22, only six seconds back.

``I'm a little bit angry,'' said Tesfaye, referring to his difficulty in entering the race. ``I said to myself, `I don't need an appearance fee. I don't need plane tickets. I just run and try to win.' I came in second. At least I competed.''

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Photo: TESFAYE