An estimated 100,000 spectators crowded San Francisco's streets at the race's early morning start time of 5:30 a.m. and cheered as Wardian crossed the finish line with the winning time of two hours and 27 minutes. San Rafael-resident Alex Varner came in second place, finishing in two hours and 35 minutes.

From Arlington, VA, Wardian said he had competed the previous two years in the marathon and won second place both times. And though he had already come across the nation to participate in the race, he said he was stricken with food poisoning the night before and considered not racing Sunday morning.

"[It] doesn't get much better than winning on a prestigious course like this," said Wardian after accepting his medial. "I hope I can come back next year and defend [my title]."

According to Running USA, Wardian is a champion marathon runner, having won the National Marathon in Washington D.C. in five of the last six years, as well as the US 50K Championships in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Organizers of the 2011 SF Marathon said this year's race had 2,000 more entrants than 2010's, which was rated the 13th largest in the nation.

This year's marathon also saw several notable celebrities running to raise money for various charities, including television star Sophia Bush, Subway restaurant spokesman Jared Fogle, and Olympic Gold Medallist Apolo Ohno.

The marathon course goes down the Embarcadero to Crissy Field, over the Golden Gate Bridge, and then back through the city to end in the Embarcadero.

To learn more about the marathon or see the results from the shorter contests such as the half-marathon and 5K race, go to TheSF.marathon.com.Warning: as of 11 a.m., the site was experiencing problems caused by higher than expected traffic.