Long Beach International City Bank Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Tanya R.
San Jose, CA

  (10-21-2010)

"This was my first marathon, and I traveled to Longbeach to participate in this event. We flew into the Longbeach airport and stayed at a very nearby hotel. There are several nearby hotels within short walking distance to the start/finish, and this proximity made raceday logistics much easier for us.

This is a wonderful, flat course with a variety of views and fantastic crowd support. Aid stations were well stocked and volunteers were helpful and encouraging. Packet pickup went smoothly and quickly and the technical t-shirt and goodie bag was nice. Finishing line area was well run and I especially appreciated the cold chocolate milk at the end. :)

The expo was OK but not remarkable - had mostly local events or businesses. However, the location is very convenient, nicely located right next to hotels and race location.

The majority of participants were running the half marathon, and they started in the same waves as marathon participants, which made for a chaotic, uncomfortable start. Crowding at the start was scary crazy, as runners who didn't go to the starting area until just prior to the start tried to push their way toward earlier waves from the rear, since that was the only way to get into the starting area. Some opportunities for improvement here, in the future. :)

During the race, the course noticeably opened up for the full marathon when the half and full participants went their separate ways. At one point you're running shoulder to shoulder with people, and then suddenly there is just a handful of people. LOL

I cannot emphasize how great the crowd and aid station support was, even for slower runners in the later stages of the marathon - the Long Beach community made this race a great first marathon experience. The medal was awesome, and most everything was well organized. This was a fantastic event and fun to do."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Derek B.
Long Beach, CA

  (10-17-2010)

"Nice flat course, predominantly along the waterfront. The crowd was somewhat sparse in the middle of the race, but overall the race is well organized and enjoyable."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2010

Lawrence M.
Irvine, CA

  (02-09-2010)

"Just plain AWESOME!!!! I love this course and the crowd!!! "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Miki .
Los Angeles, CA

  (11-18-2009)

"This was my first attempt back into endurance racing after completing my first marathon in 2002. I had heard great things about the course (flat, gorgeous, pristine), and wasn't disappointed.

I stayed overnight the night before the race at a cheap motel a few miles from the start, which just happened to be a block from the light rail. Instead of battling the parking crowds, I hopped on the Metro rail and made it to the start line corral about an hour before the start. So simple, and I think it was only about $1.25 each way!

Since I was running alone, and knew that I wanted to run a 2:30 time, I joined the 2:30 pace team. It made it so much easier to just focus on my pace. We walked for a minute at each mile marker, which definitely helped my knees and endurance. By the time I split from the full marathoners around mile 10, I still had tons of energy and starting picking up my pace. I flew down the last two miles of the course, encouraged by the sidewalks filled with cheering people. The downhill slope to the finish line gives you that extra boost to sprint to the end.

I wish I had paid more attention to the course, as it went from marinas to beach to residential areas with a seamless transition. It was gorgeous! The expo along with the start/finish line areas are so close to the "downtown' Long Beach area. Very convenient to the Metro rail, restaurants, bars, etc. Avoid parking issues by parking further away (or at a Metro rail station), and public transpo'ing it over!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Derek B.
Long Beach, CA

  (10-25-2009)

"Nice flat course, with a majority along the ocean. Well organized start, ample aid stations. Overall, a fun race."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Danica K.
Long Beach, CA

  (10-20-2009)

"So I may be a little bias, but I freaking LOVE this race. I live in the area and I know the course well, I've ran parts of it on training runs and I knew it would be a great race to run.

I knew the weather would be great since the cloud cover is usually fairly dense in the area which proved to be perfect for race day. I was dropped off so the parking wasn't a problem for me. Once I did get down to the starting line there were a LOT of people and NOT enough bathrooms, (we are talking lines that are like 40-50 deep for each bathroom) which was a little dissapointing since I needed to go. I decided to hold it and wait for an upcoming porta-pottie along the course.

The course is mostly along the ocean and around some fun and interesting parts of Long Beach. The first half is very scenic and I really think the crowd support is great along the course. There are A TON of photographers, which I love, and which lead to really great race photos as well. Along this route there was not enough porta potties, sadly. There were about 3 every 2 miles and the line was still 7-10 deep for those. I chose to run on. During this part of the race you run by the queen mary, some hotels, over a small bridge, the bay, and some parts of downtown Long Beach. Then you run the last leg on the 'beach path'.

Then you run through the neighborhooded area of Belmont Shore and there are tons of people out cheering and it's really great. Then you leave the half marathoners and continue up to the area of Cal State Long Beach. You travel through some more neighborhooded areas of Belmont Shore and past a golf course. The crowd is not a thick, but there are still a lot of people out.

You run down some main streets, and there aren't many hills, but there are a lot of people running around you. The cool part is you also double back through the same area so you can see some of the leaders of the marathon as well. You run towards the Cal State Long beach campus and then run throughout the campus. There are a lot of students out there cheering and working the water stations. You run past the 'pyramid' and then back on the route you just ran back to the areas of Belmont Shore and down to the finish.

This course is flat, the last .2 are down a short hill, and you're at the finish before you know it. The crowd support is excellent throughout the race and there are ample water/aid/medical stations.

I LOVE long beach! :) "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Zsolt K.
Ladera Ranch, CA

  (10-18-2009)

"This was my first Long Beach Half Marathon. I carpooled with a friend who also ran. I thought we left on time, but we just got to the start line when the waves started. We both had to go to the bathroom, which took about 20 minutes due to the long lines. So we ended up starting in the final wave, even though we really belonged in wave 1. So for the whole race we both had to keep weaving through the slower runners the whole race. But what else is new?

Anyway, I liked the course, which was a surprise. I thought it was a nice, fast-paced course, and the cheering crowds made it very pleasant. I ate GU with caffeine starting at mile six, with one block every two miles. Drank lots of water from my bottle, and a couple of times at the stands. I did not stop or walk when drinking. I was able to finish strong, although I felt I had a bit still left in the tank. 1:56:41 is my best time out of my three half-marathons. My friend surprised herself with a strong 2:05 finish, and she was very happy!

Next year I want to do the full marathon. See you there!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Jennifer T.
Los Angeles, CA

  (10-15-2009)

"I remember reading on the official website that 80% of the course had ocean views - boy were they right!

Really fun course! Fast and flat and a lot of variety (more than I expected) with the course itself. We're talking running over bridges... on boardwalks... overpasses... piers - you name it!

This race is also part of the California Dreamin' Racing Series so it came equipped with some cute local rock bands to serenade you with some "YOU ROCK" music for the run.

It's a pretty popular race but I didn't experience the kind of course traffic the way I did at the Disney Half Marathon. I actually started after the wave start, so that probably made a difference too.

My only issue with the entire experience was the PARKING. I had planned on getting there an hour before the race started (which I did) but found myself stuck on the exit for 40 minutes! If you do this race, plan on being there 2 hours before the race, take the metro or stay locally so you don't have to drive. I made it to the starting line 2 minutes before the D-Tag cut off! Also they ran out of my shirt size at the Expo - how does that happen? Why even ask me for a shirt size if you won't have it for me when I go to pick up my packet? They also ran out of GU when I got to Mile 9 and I *know* I wasn't at the end of the pack!

Finish line = beer, CUPCAKES (!!!), medal + massages.

Would definitely recommend this course and look forward to doing it next year!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Paul B.
Huntington Beach, CA

  (10-14-2009)

"I love this race! The curse is beautiful and flat. It goes through CSULB around mile 17-19 which is a great time to have the spirited college kids cheering you on. "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Zachary E.
Toluca Lake, CA

  (10-14-2009)

"Well, going into this race, I had high hopes for a PR. Last year I ran the full marathon and cut almost an hour off my time. This year I only ran the half (because I'm still training for the Two Cities Marathon, 11/08), but my training has been going well, and thought I could do pretty well. I wasn't bent on getting a PR since it was basically just going to be a fast training run... though I'm glad I did. The course isn't too bad... the first six miles aren't the greatest, but then you are on the beach. It was cool this year, with a nice light breeze; I wouldn't have minded if we had started earlier (race started at 7), or if it was a bit cooler... though that breeze made it quite chilly after the race when walking around all sweaty. So you run on the beach for about 3 miles, and then back into the city. The half/full split occurs just before mile 11, after which there is a 2 mile stretch of straight road before the last downhill push to the finish.

I felt very strong the whole race, running ahead of the 3:10 pace group until about mile 7, and then with/just behind them until the split. I kept up that pass until mile 12, and then turned it on, running the last 1.1 miles at a 6:42 pace. :-)

If I had been training just for this run, I think I could've run harder and gotten under 1:30, but hey, I still needed to run an additional 7 miles to get in my 20 for that day's scheduled training. :-)"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

andrea t.
Playa Del Rey, CA

  (10-13-2009)

"My mindset going into this race was to go all out, no time to look around and enjoy the scenic course along the beach and no zoning out to music. I was ready and pumped to set a personal record and qualify for Boston. I had to hit 8:20 min/mile every single mile in order to qualify. This thought consumed me the entire race, making it one of the hardest races I have ever done.

Backing up a bit, my friend came to pick me up at 5:30am and it usually takes around 30 minutes to get to Long Beach, but the freeways were so backed up that we ended up arriving to the race site right when it was about to start. Needless to say, we were pretty stressed and practically sprinting to the starting line. There were around 20,000 runners all crammed together and I couldn't get into Wave 2 to meet up with my Clif Bar Pace Team. I managed to squeeze my way through all the runners and got a lot of dirty looks along the way. The clock went off and we crossed the starting line 3 minutes after. I made my way up to the leader and started to talk to him for a little bit. He said there were about 100 people signed up with this 3:40 team, but I couldn't tell who was with the group because a lot of people weren't wearing their pace bracelet. At the expo, they gave us a pace bracelet that broke down each mile so you can tell if you were behind or ahead. It's pretty hardcore and I usually don't look at my Garmin too often when I'm running to check my pace, but I found myself checking my pace every 30 seconds. The group was so big that we were running really close together.

During the first couple of miles on the narrow strand by the beach, it was so congested that people were almost shoving each other off the boardwalk into the sand. Talk about running etiquette. I also passed by a lot of walkers and made me wonder how did they get in front of me? One of my pet peeves is people who don't line up according to their goal time. At every race, they section you off by your estimated finish time. If you are a walker, do not line up at the front of the pack. It's an honesty system, and it just ends up pissing off runners because the runners who do belong in that wave aren't able to start at the same time as everyone else. I ended up running ahead of the group because it was so crowded, but I knew they were right behind me. My split times were pretty spot on and I was feeling great. Took a gel around mile 10, when the half and the full marathoners split off. Immediately after the split, there was practically no one on the course. I guess most of the runners were doing the half that day. I drank Powerade through every water station, but couldn't really stop to catch my breath or else I would have to make up for that lost time during the mile. I knew I was pretty ahead of my pace group because I was actually 1-2 minutes earlier than my pace bracelet. The run felt really effortless and I couldn't believe it was already Mile 20. If I could keep this up, I would definitely smoke my previous times and get the Boston qualifier.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and I was just waiting for it to hit. I don't think I have ever run 8:20 min/mile or faster for that long of a distance before. I knew I was pushing myself hard, but from all the strength training that I've been doing, I noticed that it helped me a lot during this race. Having strong arms and a core are just as important when you are running. Even though it might seem as if you are only using your legs, your entire body is working as well.

I have no idea what came over me, but once I hit mile 20, I blacked out for a couple seconds. I woke up to find myself veering off the course and immediately got back on with the other runners. My whole body was numb and I couldn't feel my arms or my hands. I really thought I was going to pass out if I didn't stop running. Even when I tried to slow down to a jog, the pain was still taking over my body. My vision started to get blurry, but I knew I could never stop and walk. I kept pushing and it just kept getting worse. I would tell myself that I couldn't quit, I had to keep going, just go another half mile. I was on the verge of tears from frustration that I had let myself down, but I just couldn't stop. It didn't help that during this time, we were going uphill too. This was probably the highest elevation in the entire course. The reason I don't ever walk during long runs is because my body cannot handle getting back in the motion of running again. My muscles start to spasm because it's been in motion for so long, but I knew if I didn't stop soon, I would really pass out on the course. No water or Powerade helped, so I finally stopped and walked at Mile 21.5. I felt defeated and powerless to do anything about my time. Even though I was ahead schedule, I knew I wasn't going to make it. I couldn't think of any motivating thoughts and started to calculate my finish time if I just walked the rest of the way. It would definitely be over 4 hours, but at that point, I didn't care anymore. I tried to power walk as fast as I could while catching my breath and when I arrived at a water station, I stopped and chugged 5 cups of water and Powerade. I had no idea I was that dehydrated. I had been drinking a cup every mile or so, but I knew I must not have been drinking enough. Around Mile 22, I tried to run again, even if it was a slow jog. I found myself feeling a lot better after walking a bit and drinking lots of water that when I looked at my watch, I was going at a steady 9:30 min/mile. I knew there were only 4 miles left, and I could run at this pace for the rest of the way. After running for a bit, my legs started to loosen up again and I tried to get my pace down to 9 min/mile. I knew 3:40 was out of reach, but I didn't realize how close I was to that goal time. My watch hit 3:40 when I was only 0.60 mile away from the finish. The last mile was a gradual downhill which was nice and people on the sides were yelling that the finish was right around the corner. Overall, I did set a PR of 3:47:03, which is one minute faster than my Surf City time. I definitely felt a lot worse during this race than L.A marathon, but I know with some more long training runs and really focusing on speed, I can push myself to shave off a couple more minutes even if it takes another year. I am really happy that I was able to push myself for 20 miles straight until I completely collapsed. I know if I work on it, I can push it for another 6 miles until the end. Lessons learned: hydrate more, even if that means going slower through the water stations. A race is not the end all, pick yourself back up and try again."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Hilary C.
Altadena, CA

  (10-12-2009)

"I should preface this by saying I walk marathons and don't aspire to speed records. My concerns are not the same as runner who is looking at qualifying for an elite event, for instance. I'm looking for fun, and I found it in Long Beach.

One of the first things I judge all endurance events on is their ability to keep the TP in the Porta Potties stocked. Long Beach did. Excellent job!

I loved the course around the Queen Mary and the marina, and especially Ocean Blvd. past all the gorgous old homes. Anyone who has ever fantasized about playing on freeways will enjoy the freeway ramps and access roads, although the canted surfaces in these areas caused some ankle/shin irritation. On the bicycle path on the beach there was some jostling for position because the the path is narrow, and even though we (walkers) were reminded about basic etiquette, I spotted more than one group strolling down the middle of the path as if they were not aware runners were trying to get past them. Monitors along this section of the course next year might be helpful in preventing road hogs and getting the runners safely past walkers. There were a couple of minor hills, and the slightly downhill finish was great.

There were bands and DJs along the course and plenty of water stations. I don't use sports drinks, so I can't say how plentiful that was. The volunteers were plentiful and enthusiastic. I saw two medical tents that were not busy. They appeared to have plenty of personnel. LA County had a huge emergency medical truck/trailer in the main parking lot, so it looked as though the marathon was well prepared for emergencies.

Community support for the race appears to be strong and there were lots of people along the route, especially later in the day. There were big cheering crowds at the finish line.

The finish line festival was noisy and fun. Free cupcakes and beer for participants - I didn't have either, but they looked good!

The race start is a just a few blocks from the Pine/First Street transit station, so I took the Blue Line in from the Imperial Station, where there was a ton of free parking. Next year, organizers might consider directional signs or volunteers to help newbies find the safest most direct way to the starting line. I found myself wandering around without a cross walk and having to jay-walk across a busy street full of jittery drivers. I remarked to a fellow marathoner returning to the tranist station after the race that the Pine Street climb was the worst hill of the day. It is!

The medal is nice. I've seen one racer complaining on Facebook today about the race running out of medals and out of goodie bags at the expo, but I've not been able to confirm that claim.

Speaking of the expo, it seems normal to me - noisy, crowded and full of excited racers. It was fun. A vendor was there that I hoped would be there, so I am happy. Aren't all expos big noisy and crowded? Yes, unless you go on Friday morning.




"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Carmen R.
La Mirada, CA

  (10-12-2009)

"I ran this race for fun, since I didn't train properly. It was a good experience overall. I remember inclines at Mile 2 and 6 I think, but nothing too awful. The course is nice because it goes by the Queen Mary and the Ocean, and the weather was perfect. Overcast, little breezy but not cold.

The drawback of the course is all of the concrete and slanted surfaces, which angered my IT band! They had powerade as the electrolyte, but I only remember seeing it at 3 aid stations and the rest were water.

The crowd support was great. Lots of people with fun signs or costumes to entertain us. Overall, I had a good time at this race and I would run it again."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Melinda L.
San Francisco, CA

  (10-12-2009)

"Not the most organized race, but that might be because 2009 was their 25th anniversary race and there were a lot of people. First off, getting to the race was a pain. The 710 freeway was packed race morning. While it was cool that they let you reserve parking online before the race ($10), (1) getting from the freeway to the various parking lots was a mess, and (2) we managed to find some obscure parking lots near the race start that only cost $4.

The race start was chaos. Rather than having a long, well-defined area divided into waves, it just seemed like a mass of people... the signs for waves 3 and 4 were right next to each other. As a result, rather than starting in the waves we should have started in, my friends and I ended up 2-3 waves behind. The race is a D-tag timed race so it didn't really matter, but our concern was for people who wanted to race for time and would have to weave through the crowd. Thus, this is NOT a good race if you're after a fast time.

The course is flat with about three hills... two are overpasses and one was about 1-2 miles from the finish. The views were nice--running by the Queen Mary and running along the beach between miles 6 and 10. The water stations were understaffed. The first couple only served water, some had Powerade, and the mile 10 station had GU."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Rio .
, AZ

  (10-11-2009)

"Expo decent but crowded. Tech shirt in goody bag. I signed up for this race 2 months prior to race day and all of the nearest hotels were sold out. I stayed at a hotel across the water from the start line. Due to the main road from the hotel to the race start being closed for the race at 5 am, the hotel did provide a free water taxi ride to/from the race which worked out great. There is no food or water provided before the race, so bring your own. The start was organized well with both marathoners and half marathoners sharing a start and an early portion of the route before splitting into 2 different directions. Route meandered over freeway, beachwalk and residential area. A few hills, but not so bad. Bands along course. Crowds scarce along course but heavy at the end and were relatively quiet. Plenty of water and powerade.Food and drink provided after race. Nice medal. They personal item check in process was easy but retrieval was very unorganized and took over 30 minutes for them to find my bag. If this was more organized I would've given them 4 stars. If Iived in-state, I would definitely run this again. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Michelle .
Corona, CA

  (08-06-2009)

"This was my third, and worst marathon. I didn't care for the course at all. All though we ran along the beach for part of it, which was nice, most of the course was facing the sun, with very little shade. Crowd support was good in certain spots. Getting to the expo the night before was a nightmare. I wish they would let us pick up packets the morning of the race, but we had to pick it up Saturday morning instead. I'm glad I did it once, but I probably won't be back to do this one. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007

Danica K.
Long Beach, CA

  (08-03-2009)

"I love this race. It's my 1/2, my home course, love, love love the course.

So I got up super early and Nicole came over, I grabbed a honey and oat bar then we took the back way to the parking area, since I live only about 15 minutes away. We parked about 400 meters away from the start line, even though when we were parking we had no idea where the starting line was. It was absolutely FREEZING and we had to make a little potty break so we ventured out of the car and saw what were the most entertaining people in the world. Now I know why you guys run so much and actually race. The people watching was borderline the best I've ever seen. The people we saw were in every outfit imaginable. Hats, glasses, clothes, almost naked, shoeless (??) it was a hoot! Nicole and I walked around just staring at people and their outfits. She and I were in like regular old clothes, no dry-fits, no visors, nothing special at all.

We decided it was time to strip down and leave our sweatshirts in the car at about 7:00, so we went back and by the time we got back out of the car it wasn't as cold because the sun was coming up. So we jogged for about 5 minutes and stretched against a light pole and then found our place in the middle of Corral B, because we didn't want to be anywhere near the front of the pack. The Star Spangled Banner was sung and the bell (another ??) went off! The first three miles flew by; I barely remember seeing anything or even feeling anything. In the first three miles we ran up pretty much the only hill and along the bay. The weather was amazing, but the sun was really bright if we were running into it.

I think around mile 4ish, 5ish, 6ish, we entered the beach part of the run which was along the sand and ocean directly into the sun. Talk about bright! It wasn't hot though, and so I didn't sweat, during the entire race. The course was really flat and relaxing and the entire run very few people passed us, but I worked on continuing to pass runners and keeping my pace very even. I wasn't even working hard at all. I grabbed a cup of water and took a sip at mile six because my mouth was so dry. I looked at my watch at mile 7, and saw that we were pretty close to our goal of finishing in less than two hours, but it was going to be close. I knew we would have to work the last two or three miles at a faster pace. Then we started the turnaround I think at mile 8ish. This is all a guesstimate, I seriously have no idea. And I was feeling great. At every other mile I'd take a cup of water. Drinking and running is something I need to work on. More went down the front of my shirt and number than anywhere else.

People at the water stations were out of control. Throwing water over their heads, throwing their cups down like it was a grenade, splashing up water everywhere, I tried to avoid the craziness and either stayed on the opposite side or ran in the middle of them. Those stations were entertaining. I would always try to drop my cup in the grass or on the side so that it wouldn't land on anyone.

Each mile we passed I kept thinking, okay, only 10 more, only 8 more, only 5 more. Pretty much every mile I was like, wow, already this mile! Cool! There were some random people all along the course, who were really nice to make signs and cheered and clapped for everyone. I passed a huge poster full of Vaseline and wondered what that was for? Ohhh, okay, got it. Yea, left that alone. Then we got to mile 9 and I was feeling really great. My legs were almost numb, it was weird, but a good feeling that lead me to start pushing myself a little bit harder. I started working a little bit more and my competitive side came out. It was around mile 10.5 that I really started working a lot harder and realized that if I wanted to make finish at 2:00 I would have to really start kicking it in. It's not that we were super boxed in at the start, but I think it really didn't allow us to use the first mile to our advantage at all.

So after that the afterburners kicked in and I started to run a lot faster. I still felt great and this guy in a blue shirt was running by me and looked at me and said, "Come on girl, Come on." About every minute he would shoot back a word of encouragement and I ran with him for the last two miles. He stayed just ahead of me, which drives me CRAZY because I force myself to stay with him. He kept yelling at me that I could do it and that we were almost there. I was freaking out though because I had no idea how far the finish was from where we were when he started sprinting away and one of my biggest problems is starting my kick WAY too early and then dying and not finishing well. He seriously saved me from not making it to under 2:00. I would have been so disappointed in myself if I didn't make it under and his words of encouragement were so great. I wish I took a picture with him. He would just keep yelling at me to go and it was amazing. So thank you to the guy in the blue shirt!

I started down the little slope to the finish line and saw the clock. I realized that I was about 300 meters away so I sprinted. It was ticking away and in my head I just thought, NO!! Don't hit 2:00, but it didn't, and I finished in 1:57:00. If it wasn't for that guy, I probably wouldn't have pushed myself so hard the last two miles, especially the last mile split being 6:15! Yea, after running around 8:20-8:55 the entire race, my last mile split was almost my best high school mile time. When I crossed the finish line I was like Yes! I did it. And then I thought to myself, that was it. So yes, I am definitely ready for this upcoming weekend's Nike+ Women’s Halfer. I also pretty much have my next year lined up with more halfers and once I get everything situated and on my calendar, I'll see who else will be running what.

It was seriously an amazing experience, from start to finish and I'm so glad I did it, but now I'm addicted. I never thought I would be able to run that far. The night before I was talking to my boyfriend and said, “What if I get to mile six and think like, eh, I'm over this, and just want to stop?" He reassured me that I wouldn't think that, and yes of course he was right. :) I absolutely loved it and all my family and friends that came out to cheer me on and just running past the most absurd people ever.

The official stats were more like this: I was 1,229th overall, with 19% of the racers ahead of me. I was the 355th female with 9% of females ahead of me. I was 36th in my division with 13% of my division ahead of me, and I was ahead of 67% of the male finishers. Take that boys! :)

It was pretty inspiring to see all the runners out there though, from all walks of life, and all ages. Great job to everyone who finished it!

"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Zachary E.
Toluca Lake, CA

  (07-29-2009)

"This was my second marathon, first having been LA 08. I trained differently for this one, and my finish time improved greatly. It was quite a nice course, fairly flat, lots of scenic areas on the first half, and cheering support by CSULB. I thought it was all very well organized, and since I improved my time a lot, it was a huge success for me. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009