City of Los Angeles Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Eddie D.
Winnetka, CA

  (03-31-2010)

"2010 Los Angeles "Stadium To The Sea" Marathon Recap!

Its been over a week since last Sundays LA Marathon and I am finally ready to recap the LA Marathon Weekend! I will start out by saying that the entire experience was so much different from what I expected, and this is, hands down, the most fun I have had of all my previous Marathons!

First things first, any great race weekend must start off proper with the Expo! I really had no option but to attend the expo on Saturday since I have to work during the week. I thought I would miss out on a chance to meet Kara Goucher when it was announced she would be at the "Rock N' Roll" booth on Friday, I even asked Raciel (@RaDragon) if she would take a pic for me, but eventually it was announced that Kara wouldn't be able to attend. Going into Saturday I didn't really had any expectations except for meeting up with some friends, getting my bib and t-shirt, and possibly seeing/hearing Ultra-Marathoner Dean Karnazes speak. Well I did meet up with lots of friends, (we were rolling pretty deep at the expo) Now I knew it would be a fun time!

Next on the agenda was picking up our race bibs. Since I missed the cut off for race bib customizations there was a big BLANK spot where my name should be. I thought about it and determined that would be where Dean Karnazes would sign my bib! Next me and the crew headed to the stage to watch Dean Karnazes speak. I couldn't help but think he's a lot shorter than I thought he would be. Not to take anything away from the guy, he's in incredible shape.

After Dean's Mini Endurance Seminar, my friends and I headed to the Elipti-Go tent to take a picture with Dean and get his Autograph! What is an Elipti-Go? Think of combining an Eliptical and a Bicycle. That is what you would get. Dean rode one of these 500 Miles from Northern California to LA to get to the expo! Dean was nice enough to sign my bib and take some pics too!

The expo was fun I though I didn't buy anything I grabbed all of the freebies that I could!! ;) One of the highlights for me was checking out this hand panted LA Marathon Panoramic Mural. Simply amazing artwork and it was even more amazing seeing it up close!

To end on a good note we all took a pic at the starting line...

I stayed at Dodger Stadium a lot longer than I intended part of that was due to me losing my car!! I had to meet up with my friends Dawne and Michael to get a hotel shuttle wrist band, but was walking around the parking lot for about an hour looking for my car!! (Definitely not something you want to do the day before a race!) Thankfully Dawn and Michael (who I was planning on pacing for the race) picked me up at Dodger Stadium and were kind enough to drive me around until we found my car, which we eventually found in some "hidden" parking lot!?! Crazy...

The morning of the race I got up about 4 to get dropped off at the Metro which I would take to Pershing Square to meet up with Dawne and Mike at The Biltmore to catch the Shuttle Bus to Dodger Stadium! For breakfast I ate my, now routine combination of a toasted bagel with Chunky Peanut Butter, a Banana, and some Powerade. I didn't have any cliff bars so I also snatched some random energy bars at the expo for a race day snack. I got to The Biltmore in time for the 5:30 shuttle but didn't have an opportunity to stop at the rest room as I originally planned since the shuttle was leaving soon. I thought, I would be fine using the Porta-Johns near the starting line, since I thought for sure we would make it to Dodger Stadium well before the start of the race. Famous Last words!! Although Dodger Stadium was a mere 3 miles away from us it took us FOREVER to get there.

The shuttle buses were going so slow due to the traffic conditions that many runners decided it would be faster to simply walk or jog the rest of the way to Dodger Stadium. I was against this idea at first, until I saw the masses of runners passing our bus which was at a virtual stand still. So Dawne, Mike and I walked about a half a mile along the freeway to the off ramp and then some more to trek up the hill to get into Dodger Stadium. I guess you can consider that our warmup?

Once I got to Dodger Stadium my first objective was to find a Porta-John and make a pit stop. Unfortunately since so many people were arriving at Dodger Stadium late the lines were incredibly long and I knew I wouldn't have enough time before the start. Some people were actually climbing up the hills and going in the bushes, out in the open. Some had friends hold up foil blankets to "hide" them. There was no way that I was going to go that route.

When I headed back to meet up with Mike and Dawne I discovered I couldn't find them!! This is what I feared especially since I was going to be pacing them through the race. I made a turn into the corral and now there was no turning back.. literally!! There was about 20,000 people behind me that wouldn't let me turn back if I tried! I tried to call their cell phones to no avail and I even stood up on a Pillar near the 9 min / mile sign waving like a madman, no luck finding Dawne or Mike, but I did find Janese, who was supposed to join our group! The start of the race was actually delayed about 20 Minutes or so due to traffic so we were all really anxious to get started!

As I did in my previous Marathon I broke down the race in 5 mile intervals every 5 miles I would take a GU and some water. Unfortunately the mile splits were not accurate on my Garmin so I'll use the splits from my official results.

First 10k - 51:47 - 8:20 Pace

An overall 8:20 pace over the 1st 10k would have been ideal for the people I were supposed to pace. But these miles were anything BUT even splits. The first mile and a half or so running through the Dodger Stadium Parking lot was congested and slow. I started running with Janese so we wanted to run an 8:30 pace anyway. The other factor in Dodger Stadium was the hills. Since I never run this part of the course this was something I did not expect, unlike the hills at miles 3 and 5. Pushing through the crowd it was easy to get separated but surprisingly we stuck together. I spotted a Porta-John at the end of the 1st mile and decided it would be a great time to stop only 1 person ahead of me in line! A couple of minutes later I was back on the course and trying to make up time. Somehow I caught up with Janese again and soon she suggested I just run ahead on my own.

The next 3 miles went by pretty fast, actually sub 7 miles according my Garmin.. Yikes, in retrospect that was waay to fast for so early in the race. I have no clue what came over me! I remember passing the hill on mile 3 thinking I was glad I ran it in training and knew to expect it! It was somewhere around mile 4 before mile 5 when I caught up with Mike. I was surprised that I found him and didn't think I would see him again. Anyway we were able to trek the mile 5 hill together and got some great pics by Echo Park!

To 20K - 1:39:57 - Overall Pace 8:02

Mike and I ran together for a good while and if there was one thing I got from him was "Run The Tangents, Run The Tangents!" For non-experienced runners running the Tangents means running the shortest distance between 2 points - a straight line! If the road is curved look ahead to the next point and run straight to it. This meant cutting clear across the road at times. Mike and I ran about the same pace as I originally intended to run with the group about 8:20 average pace. The stretch we ran together was familiar, I have run this a couple of times with my friend Zach. Not too many "sights" yet, we were passing some Cafes and I was feeling pretty good while we were chatting. At about mile 9 or so Mike was falling back and couldn't maintain the pace. I was looking forward to running on Hollywood with him but that wouldn't happen. It was a tough decision to go at it alone but at mile 10 I picked up the pace my plan was to try to make up some time and maybe even get a PR out of it?

I breezed through this part and having run this part of the course I knew what was coming up, a left turn and nice downhill on Orange and a right on Sunset! I must say, I was feeling pretty good averaging about 7:20 for miles 10 and 11 and I couldn't help but think - if I could run this pace consistently through out my next Marathon I could have a huge PR or even Boston Qualifier!

To 30K - 2:28:15 - Overall Pace 7:57

This stretch was one of my favorite along the course. Running on the Sunset Strip was great! I continued to keep about a mid 7 pace up until the Century City Hills. I started to reflect on how much better this course actually was than last years. I felt like there was always something to see throughout the course and someplace interesting to run through. I don't know why but of all the things to see on the Sunset Strip, I took a pic of Carneys! LOL guess I must have been hungry?! Or maybe it was the strategically placed LA Marathon Billboard?

Running through Beverly Hills was great enough but passing Nike Town was amazing! All of the people dressed in green body suits! I started high-fiving some of them and came out of it with some Cliff Shot Bloks!! I was doing great until the Century City Hills slowed me down a bit, this is where I was really regretting those early sub 7 min miles!!

To 40K - 3:21:23 - Overall Pace 8:06

This was probably my least favorite section of the LA Marathon simply due to the VA Hospital! I enjoyed running through Century City even though I struggled a bit, I even enjoyed running through Brentwood and San Vincente, but The VA Hostpial was just straight up demoralizing! I passed my friend Zach at the VA Hospital and he was in bad shape. I tried to run with him a bit but at that point he was at his low point and I felt like I was getting a second wind, so I pressed on. Though these were some of my slowest miles I avoided the urge to stop and walk and kept on pushing. I took off my headphones focus solely on the task ahead of me - finish the race strong!!

When I got to Brentwood I was relieved but I couldn't help thinking about San Vincente and the "downhill" portion of the race. When I finally did get to San Vincente and tried to push it I wasn't running as fast as I hoped. I was dealing with a side stitch an aching shoulder, and some random spasms in my calves. I kept focus on a runner dress as Nacho Libre, whom I was chasing for most of the race. At this point we were even and I actually passed him up as he walked through a water stop, though he passed me up again when I walked through a water stop of my own!

To the Finish Line - 3:32:47 - Overall Pace 8:07

The last stretch of San Vincente was downhill and fast, just what I needed! When I made the left turn on Ocean I knew I was almost there, I had run this section of the course many times before when i worked in Santa Monica. When I saw the mile 26 marker I knew the end was near but damn that last .2 miles seemed so long! I gave it all I had and finally crossed the finish! Gun time 3:35:15 - Chip time 3:32:47

The Beach Party!

After the race I met up with a bunch of my running friends and many Daily Milers who also ran the LA Marathon. I tried to eat as much as I could but could barely hold anything down at all. No matter it was great being able to celebrate with so many of my friends and fellow runners! No matter how fast or slow someone runs a Marathon they still run the same 26.2 miles! Congrats to everyone who completed the 2010 LA Marathon, all of those who had a PR, a BQ, and special congrats to all of the First Time Marathon Finishers! "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2010

Sandra .
San Francisco, CA

  (03-29-2010)

"If you are looking for a big city mega marathon, this is a great choice! Awesome course which highlights all types of areas/sights, and awesome crowd support! The course has a lot of long, gradual hills, but also nice downhill segments to reward you. As a special bonus, the last 3 miles or so of the course are flat to downhill which is a great thing.

It is a BIG race so be prepared for the crowds. It will be hard to hit your desired pace early on. Because of this I am not sure I would recommend it for a major PR attempt. But for a fun marathon it is great.

They have HUGE mile markers you cannot miss. Sometimes the course is a long straightaway which was sort of disheartening for me to see the mile marker so far away, though.

The spectators were the most amazing part of the race for me! They also had A LOT of bands along the course which helped to lift your spirits.

There were major logistical issues! My shuttle bus (I got on it at 5:20 am -- last bus was scheduled to depart at 6 am) got stuck in traffic and we arrived at the stadium at about 7:40 (for an original 7:24 start). Since the traffic was so awful they even delayed the race start, but I am sure people probably didn't arrive until after even the delayed start. There were definitely NOT enough portapotties for a race this size at the start, either.

I thought it was sort of crass for them to charge you $12 to park. You'd think they'd strike a deal for the runners to park for free.

The finish area was equally chaotic. The march to the family reunion area is VERY far away. The family reunion area was also TINY for a race this size. Good amount of food and drinks at the end, though.

The race shirt and medal were pretty ugly, in my opinion. But they DID have gender specific sizing which is always a great plus in my book.

Run this race for fun and get there early! Be prepared for traffic and crowds! But you will have an awesome experience!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Yannick A.
Ottawa, On

  (03-28-2010)

"Amazing course, superb crowd support, I loved my experience and would totally do it again if it wasn't so far from my home in Canada.

That being said there are a few things that could be better:

There needs to be better organization for the start, better system with the shuttles (maybe they can use the course to avoid traffic?) more portopotties and a better corralling system to ensure runners are where they should be. It was really frustrating to get a race sponsored shuttle from my hotel and sit for an hour and a half in traffic AND miss the start of the race because of this poor organization.

They also need to fix the water stations to have enough water for everyone and more sportsdrink stations. They also need to put the water stations on wide areas of the course, not right after tight corner or at narrow areas.

They also need to provide gel on the course.

The medal and shirt could also be a bit more exciting.

Other than that the race was perfect I felt like a rockstar with all the crowd support and the sights at every point of the course were amazing."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Kamalah C.
Pearland, TX

  (03-23-2010)

"I did the race because my friend was super excited about the new course. I must say that my enthusiasm wained when I found out the that you had to submit a sub-4 hour marathon time in the passed year to get into that starting corral (I have run several 1:40 ish half marathons, but never a sub 4 full). I knew I would be stuck with the "slow pokes" from the start. There was serious overcrowding at the start and I was stuck with the 5:30 group. The porta-potty line also took ~30 minutes to get through and a lot of people resorted to using the wooded area behind Dodger Stadium. So why did i give this race a 5? Because the course was amazing and the crowd support was the best I have ever experienced. Even as I cramped up in mile 18 I was actually looking forward to do the race again next year. The course was challenging and fun and people cheered you through every mile. The gear check distribution was a bit of a cluster-f*ck and I actually gave up getting my bag after standing outside the truck for 15 minutes while the volunteers randomly yelled out numbers. Overall, the race was great and with a few improvements it could be even better. I will definitely be there next year."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

bill p.
los angeles, CA

  (03-23-2010)

"I am a triathlete who has participated in several endurance events including IRONbruin, Malibu Nautica, and Lavaman in Kona. However, 2010 LA Marathon was my first Marathon.

It was an amazing experience and a serious challenge. I trained diligently for 5 months prior building up on the Galloway method to 40 miles a week 14 days ago and tapering off before the race. Also decided to turn vegetarian 2 months prior and totally changed diet and cleanse. This helped with a feeling of lightness during the race as well as breathing, digestion, and immunity. People always ask about the protein intake, but i found eggs, beans, and dairy to be plenty. Plus, it felt good to take action in support of the environment and to run for the cause of compassion and sustainability. I ran for "the Cove" cause of stopping the murder of Dolphins in Japanese fishing (www.savejapandolphins.com) as well as the establishment of a United States Department of Peace (www.thepeacealliance.org). I like to run for causes at it reminds me why i do it in the first place - to glorify god and to serve the community.

The energy at Dodger stadium was amazing. We were up at 3am and shuttled from the beach to the stadium feeling good and ready for action. With 26k people, i started far back in the pack near the 4:45 pacer. i was amped and confident in my training and although i wanted to be sure to save energy for the end, i felt great and ran ahead at a blistering 8:00/mile pace through mile 16 was on a 3:45 marathon pace. After i caught the 3:45 pacer guy, my goal was to just maintain.

Then the consequences set it. Maybe it was the hills, maybe the pace, I don't know, but I pulled my right quad muscle and it completely locked up.

I kept moving albeit a bit slower and changed my stride completely. It was very painful and I have never had upper leg issues so feeling was strange. I was determined to continue and made adjustments, but quickly burned out my hip flexors and groin as they overcompensated. The pain was so great that i forgot the huge blisters on my feet and aching pains on my ankles.

The whole ordeal became surreal as it felt like the runners were 1 thread in time - a river running to the sea fed by the community support and the energy of the city.

I wept as step by step strangers offered their unconditional love and support to finish the race. I now realize how vital that support is. It is tangible and beautiful. They carried me through to the finish line step by step as one breath - one heart.

I focused on the sound of the city and let my spirit run free breathing deeper into the pain as chills oddly started to creep into my body. The last 4 miles i was in a total trance state. I turned my iPOD off which was so helpful throughout my training and just listened to the sound of the breath. I saw sign that said "you were born to run" and it reminded me of the journey I am on, the great book of same title, and the necessity of pain for growth. As i crossed the finish line in a daze at 4:20 marker, I looked down at my bib name "beloved" and back up at the sun, "for all that i can give and all that i can do - glory be to God - I am alive!

In gratitude and celebration,
bill palmer

twitter
@billpalmer100
"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Zachary E.
Toluca Lake, CA

  (03-22-2010)

"2010 LA Marathon... over and done.

I had hoped for a much different race and a much different finish time, but apparently I still have some kind of LA jinx that prevents me from running the type of race my training had prepared me for. This is my 2nd LA Marathon, with the first being LA 2008. That race was my first marathon, so the inexperience I had then can partly be blamed for my 4:33 finish then. I can't say that now... as this was my 7th marathon. Also, in both races I cramped up in the later miles. True, this years time is 50 minutes faster than the other, but it's over 20 minutes slower than my PR (3:20). Needless-to-say, I'm disappointed, but am trying to keep it in perspective, especially as my time still put me in the top 6% of finishers. Not bad for someone who struggled with cramps starting in mile 16. :-) Check out this link to see some cool facts about my race:

http://www.runpix3.com/laa10/00/finord.php?La stName=13825&lan=&aset=0&dist=42

I'm not sure what exactly was the culprit, but it was a tough course, with more hills in the beginning than I realized, and the downhill sections affected me more negatively than I thought they would. I had run miles 3-17 3 times prior, so felt confident about my knowledge of the course, and felt great at the beginning of the race. This led me to run faster than I should've at the beginning, where most of the hills were... which killed me later on. If this had been a 1/2 marathon I would've done great, as I was ahead of the 3:10 pace group for the first 10 miles; but I started losing steam around the half way point, and coming up into West Hollywood after racing down San Vicente, my quads just couldn't keep it up, and by mile 16 I was starting to cramp. Through the next 10 miles, I walked and jogged when I didn't have the energy or strength to run; and I ran as much as I could stand. My quads cramped up several times, and between miles 22 and 23 my left toes cramped up underneath my foot and my calf cramped at the same time, instantly crippling me. Fortunately I stopped and was able to stretch it out. I walked for half a mile or so, and slowly started to jog again. I kept up the jogging as I passed mile 24, and started to speed up again. I found strength and power somewhere deep inside as I rounded the bend at mile 25 and sped through the last mile at 7:22 pace and the last .2 at 6:37! I don't know where it came from, but it sure felt good to pass so many runners along that last stretch on Ocean Ave. Boy, was I glad to be done!

While the race wasn't great, and I didn't PR, I ran with more friends, had more support, got cheered on by more spectators, and enjoyed hanging out afterwards more so at yesterday's race than any I've run so far. Thank you to all my DM, FB, and Twitter friends who were there with me, both those who I did get a chance to see and hang out with, and those who I know ran it but didn't see in person (though loved reading all of your posts). It made my day!"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2010

Angelina L.
Redlands, CA

  (03-22-2010)

"This was my first time running LA, and I heard the course had vastly improved.

This was a point to point course, from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica pier. I really liked that there was no loops, and I did not see the same sights twice.

The course was a bit hillier than I expected, but nothing too out of control.

There was reliable water/aid stations, at every mile.

The race was sold out and very crowded. The morning bus ride from my hotel to Dodger Stadium (which was less than 3 miles away), took over an hour. We did not even make it all the way to the Stadium. The busses let us out on the freeway, and we walked about 1 mile to the Stadium, just to make sure we started on time.

The start time was also delayed by about 40 minutes.

Despite the crowds, I really liked this race, and I feel that it was organized as best as it could have been, for the amount of participants and spectators."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Eddie D.
Winnetka, CA

  (10-01-2009)

"The 2009 LA Marathon was my first Marathon. With so many date changes I was almost going to skip it, but I am glad I didn't because it was a great experience!

Before the start of the race I realized there would be no porta-potties near the starting line, so I waited on line at a starbucks instead. Made my way to the starting line and fought through a large crowd to get closer to the front. The Pace teams were easy to find and I suck in with the 3:30 group. I can't speak for all of the pace groups, but my Pace group leader was very good.

The weather for this race was great at the start. This was something that I was concerned about with a May date for the Marathon, but turned out to be a non-issue.

The start of the course was great, lots to see, but I noticed as the Marathon went on it became less and less scenic. I was kind of disappointed with the LACK of scenery for this Marathon. Other things made up for it though, such as the bands and the cheerleaders along the course, there was also great crowd support throughout.

My first Marathon didn't go perfect but I was satisfied with the result. I ran with the 3:30 pace group to try to reach my goal, I stayed with them until about mile 22, then I hit the dreaded "wall"! It didn't help that most of the hills for this race were toward the end. I grind-ed my way to the end and finished with a time of 3:39:26.

When I approached the finish line the feeling was surreal, I think the finish line itself (Location, Banner, Etc.) was well done, they even called my name as I approached. I was so over whelmed that I actually teared up. The Medal was geat. Not the traditional LA Marathon circular medallion, but still very classy in its own right.

I didn't stay at the finish line festival too long, but I did stay long enough to take a picture with the Foster Farm Chickens, and grab the most delicious NesQuick Chocolate Milk I have ever had! ;)

Over all a great experience and a well done race that could have used a more scenic course. The 2010 Stadium to Sea LA Marathon should solve the "scenic" part and make this a world class event! "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Angela C.
Playa Vista, CA

  (08-03-2009)

"This marathon was my first! I highly recommend training with the LA Roadrunners. I wouldn't have made it through the extended training season without them. The race was great. The course was downhill for pretty much the first half and then, you guessed it, uphill the second half. I thought the crowd was great. It was really cool running/walking through koreatown on wilshire. I would definitely recommend asking friends and family to station themselves near the end. You'll need the encouragement!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Zachary E.
Toluca Lake, CA

  (07-29-2009)

"This was my first marathon ever, and while you train for so long, I wasn't sure what to expect, and excited all at the same time. Looking back, it was a good experience where I learned a lot about myself... it also led me to take over a month off of running and question whether I wanted to run anymore marathons... in hindsight I didn't train as well as I should've, and it led to leg cramps starting at mile 18, which I couldn't shake... just had to bear with and suffer through... I did finish though, which is the point, right?!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Andrea T.
Playa Del Rey, CA

  (07-21-2009)

"Overall, this was a pretty good race. I didn't like the course so much because there were a lot of uphills, in fact, the race ended by going uphill! Lots of crowd support though which helped TREMENDOUSLY. I loved going through all the different ethnic neighborhoods along the course. Overall, I would do this again, I hear they might be changing the course so it starts at Dodger stadium and ends at the beach? "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Rina G.
Fontana, CA

  (07-01-2009)

"This was my first time running the L.A. Marathon and I thought it was fantastic. Here are some of my positive thoughts:
1. The expo was great. Plenty to look at, plenty to buy, well organized, and clean.
2. Finding the starting line was very easy. I'm directionally challenged so this is a definite plus for me.
3. Crowds everywhere! I loved how the beautiful citizens of L.A. were out in full force to support the marathoners. At every corner there was someone handing out oranges, candy, or bananas out of the goodness of their hearts. We were surrounded by cheering bystanders and it felt great.
4. Not too many uphills on this course.
5. Plenty of food and drink to keep everyone hydrated and happy.
Now for the negatives:
1. It seemed to me the finish line was too far from the start line. I figure they should always end near each other so people can find their way back to hotels, family members, and cars with relative ease. I was lucky enough to find a parking enforcement officer to help lead me in the right direction.
2. Not enough potties at the start line.
3. The family reunion area was not clearly marked. I would suggest cordoning off a specific area for A-M and N-Z. It took a long time to find my family. Not a good experience after running 26.2 miles.
Overall, this is a great race. I had fun and will definitely do it again next year."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Brooke B.
san diego, CA

  (06-21-2009)

"I loved this race because the whole LA community got involved. Kids and families were out by their homes and on street corners cheering runners on with their shouts of encouragement and boom boxes, reminiscent of a good 80's flick! (The only reason I wouldn't do it again is because I don't like to repeat the same race over again--but the race itself was one of my favorites.)"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2003

Leslie G.
San Francisco, CA

  (06-08-2009)

"Los Angeles was a great race, particularly for those of you looking to see the urban-ness of the area. It got pretty warm (which isn't controllable by race directors), but it was incredible easy to navigate the entire time. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2006

Peggy S.
South Pasadena, CA

  (06-06-2009)

"The major thing I learned from the Los Angeles Marathon was: Analyze the elevation map ahead of time, and don’t take a bathroom break before the biggest set of hills in the marathon!

I chose the worst possible moment to do so: there were several subsequent uphills. I think I’m talking about Curson Avenue the most. I figured out how to remember it for next year: “A curse upon Curson!”
(No offense, residents. It is a lovely street!)

But, as long as you’ve incorporated some hill training into your training regimen, you’ll be fine.

Actually, I had also stopped for another reason: A fellow runner had fallen and scraped his knees pretty badly, so I immediately started to look for the next first aid station. But, in less than five minutes, three “marathon medics” came bicycling by, and I flagged them down. I waited while they cleaned and bandaged my friend, and then we were off again (and then came my bathroom break, and THEN came Curson).

I mention that, because I had no idea that first aid people were not only stationed along the route, but actively monitoring the runners.

I’m sure that the unfortunate date change (from March to May) of this year’s L.A. Marathon heightened the awareness of a worst case scenario.

The one good thing about the 2007 Chicago Marathon fiasco was the lessons it provided to others.

The Los Angeles Marathon organizers were very well prepared, and it was apparent. All water stations and Gatorade stations were impressively stocked (and thank you, THANK YOU, all volunteers!), much better than I’ve ever seen them before. Open hydrants were abundant, spraying one lane of the course, if anyone needed to take advantage of that (just don’t get your feet wet!).

If next year’s course stays the same as this year, then good news: If you’re close to a MetroRail station, you can take it to either Pershing Square or 7th/Metro, and be two blocks from the start line and finish line.
It’s very exciting to step out from the subway, and see the streets blocked off, and hear the helicopters hovering overhead, and join in with thousands of other runners.

It’s also lots of fun just to be sharing MetroRail when it’s almost full of fellow runners!

I know this must be true of every marathon, but I must say: the support of the Community of Los Angeles is astonishing, heartening, and incredibly encouraging. There are total strangers, whom I’ll never see again, who have no idea how much they helped me along the way – be it offerings of oranges and bananas (or Ziplock bags of ice – that was THE offering that helped me the most), or “shout-outs” when they read my name on my shirt (tip: have you name writ large upon your shirt!).

The last thing about this year’s Los Angeles Marathon: We were SOOO LUCKY to have overcast weather!

I hope next year’s L.A. Marathon goes back to March. If it remains in May, I have my doubts about doing it again. No doubt I WILL do it again, if it is scheduled for earlier in the year.
"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Elias V.
Reseda, CA

  (05-31-2009)

"So what is there to say about the LA Marathon, um just that I had a fun time and finished it with my best time. Um, this was my third marathon and I have to say that the time that it was held was not the best of times. I started my journey towards running the marathon with a program/organization called Students Run LA or SRLA for short. We started from the beginning with a 5k and progressed from there and thanks to them I have many memories of the races that I have done in the past like the LA Half Marathon and then the Hansem Dam 18-miler friendship run which was really fun and I think harder than the Marathon because it consisted of more hills which got me tired faster than the LA marathon did.

So now I just say that the LA Marathon was a great one this year and if I train enough, I might actually do it next year. "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Cassandra E.
Thousand Oaks, CA

  (05-30-2009)

"Thank goodness on race day it was pretty easy to find the starting line (I am directionally challenged LOL) My girlfriends & I just took the Metro to get there.

Like all of races I have done (this is my 1st full Marathon) it was crowded for the 1st few files after the gun went off. The course was pretty flat for the first 15 miles, and the hills begin at about Mile 16. From Mile 20-on, it was a gradual uphill.

The spectators & crowds were awesome (I have been told LA has some of the best crowds for marathons) People even made their own aid stations and gave us water & fruit.

I was thankful for the many water & H20 stations through out the race. I do wish they had one more Salonpas station though. I got sprayed once - because I felt like my legs were going to give out. It really helped but only lasted like 2 miles.

I am so thankful that the weather stayed cloudy & cool until mile 25 of the race. Normally this time of year it can be pretty hot in LA.

There was plenty of entertainment along the 26.2 mile journey (bands, cheerleadings, DJ's) but I am an IPOD junkie so really didn't pay too much attention to it.

The finish Line was awesome. It was such an emotional experience seeing the awesomely huge crowd cheering us all in. The crowd helped me finish one of the hardest races I have ever ran.

Overall I thought this race was well done & I am thankful for all the volunteers.
"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Ray S.
Los Angeles, CA

  (05-26-2009)

"For my first marathon I thought it was an outstanding experience. The rush of the crowd at the beginning. The ones who cheered us on along the way.....the thrill of crossing the finish line. All well worth it and I'm looking forward to my next one! Thank you to everyone who supported me during the race with your Tweets and posts on Facebook..they were very much a source of inspiration!And thanks to the gang at http://www.securatrac.com for allowing me to track the race."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Carmen R.
La Mirada, CA

  (05-26-2009)

"This was my 3rd marathon overall, and my 1st LA Marathon.

The expo had a lot going on and was interesting. We picked up our bibs and got a tech T, a poster and a pin along with some ShotBloks and Emerald nuts.

On race day, it was easy to find the starting line and there were plenty of porta potties for everyone. Once the gun went off, it was pretty congested and stayed that way for about 5 miles.

The course was relatively flat for the first 15 miles, and the hills begin at Mile 16. From Mile 20-on, it was a gradual uphill. They were challenging for me but I think i could have just prepared better for the hills.

There was so much crowd support from the community. People created their own aid stations and gave us water & fruit. The race aid stations were also always well stocked, so I felt very hydrated throughout.

Firefighters had the hoses open every couple of miles so we could go through the water and cool off, which was very helpful. The weather stayed overcast for the majority of the race which was also great.

I have to say that the finish was difficult because it was at an uphill, but there were SO MANY people cheering that you felt motivated to get to the end.

My only complaint was that it was difficult to get around the Finish Line Festival, but I loved that there were so many vendors with food, flowers etc.

All in all a great race!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Jennifer T.
Los Angeles, CA

  (05-26-2009)

"I'm writing this review as a first time marathon participant (so be gentle). As far as the organization/expo and all the pre-race glitz go, I totally loved the hype. Despite the fact that due to new ownership, the LA Marathon date was changed to a later time in the year (ie HOTTER time) we were blessed with cool, overcast weather.

The course itself was flat and fast for the first 13-15 miles with approximately 3 hills. The hills weren't as challenging as the kind you would find in Northern California, so they were fairly decent.

The course was also very well laden with tons of supporters and more than enough water and gatorade to keep you hydrated. Towards the last 8 miles or so volunteers were handing out fruit (oranges, bananas, coconut) and they had a salon pas station to numb your calves and knees if you were in pain. That particular station was actually my saving grace. My knee had given out on mile 18 and the anesthetic helped me ignore it as I limped the rest of the way to the finish line.

There were bands all along the course, a few drummers, cheerleaders (middle school and high school) and the finish line festival was fun. The best part (aside from finishing) was the massage stations at the end.

I'll definitely do the LA Marathon next year (although I think they will be changing the course again). It wasn't the most scenic parts of LA to run through, but I enjoyed every painful minute of it nonetheless."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009