FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From the Couch to the Finish Line: More than 2,000 Expected to Join
LA Roadrunners Training Program in Anticipation of 2012 Honda LA Marathon
99 percent finish rate & choice of three locations for first-time
participants & experienced racers
26 weeks of training in Venice, Chino Hills or Westlake Village
LOS ANGELES – For those with aspirations of crossing the finish line at the
2012 Honda LA Marathon, it's time to get moving. The LA Roadrunners will
kick off their 26-week training schedule on Saturday, September 10, with a
program that promises to be bigger and better than ever. A brand-new
location in the West Valley is among the changes designed to help more than
2,000 runners get to the starting line – and the finish line – for the
March 18 race.
The LA Roadrunners is the official six-month training program of the Honda
LA Marathon, designed to serve a variety of runners (and walkers) – from
first-time marathoners to veteran racers. During the six months leading up
to the race, participants will take part in weekly group training runs led
by experienced pace leaders, and benefit from a comprehensive training
manual and calendar, weekly guest speakers, and technique & nutrition
advice.
"The LA Roadrunners program is an effective and fun way for all runners to
train for the 2012 race, whether it's your first marathon or your 50th,"
said LA Roadrunners Coach Rod Dixon, an Olympic medalist and New York City
Marathon champion. "We take thousands of runners from the couch to the
finish line, and help keep our trainees on track to meet their goals. Each
year we see about 99% of LA Roadrunners participants who start the race
cross the finish line, many of whom reach a personal best."
This year, the LA Roadrunners is building on its successful Venice Beach
and Chino Hills/Inland Empire training programs and expanding into Westlake
Village. Each Saturday morning, from September 10 until race weekend on
March 18, 2012, runners will congregate at Westminster Avenue Elementary
School (1010 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice), Butterfield Park (17671
Mystic Canyon Drive in Chino Hills) and Westlake Village City Hall (31200
Oak Crest Drive in Westlake Village).
On September 10, the Venice program will host an official kick-off event at
8 a.m. in the Westminster Avenue Elementary School parking lot, to
introduce participants to LA Roadrunners and cover the week-to-week
breakdown of training runs and exercises. The mini-expo will include a
line-up of speakers including Coach Dixon, along with a variety of booths
for sponsors, local businesses and charities. Organized training runs will
begin the second weekend of the program on Saturday, September 17.
The LA Roadrunners caters to participants of all experience levels. At the
flagship Venice location, program participants can choose from 18 different
pace groups for runners, walkers and run-walkers that range from a
blistering 7:30 per mile (in which runners would finish in less than 3
hours, 17 minutes) to a more moderate pace that will enable walkers to
complete the race just under the Marathon's time limit of eight hours.
Runners can sign up for the LA Roadrunners program at the same time they
register for the marathon, at www.lamarathon.org. Those who sign up
for both the race and LA Roadrunners receive a substantial discount on the
training program.
"The LA Roadrunners program can train even the most inexperienced runners
and walkers to complete the 26.2 mile race, so we strongly encourage
first-timers to come out and join us," said LA MARATHON LLC Community
Relations Director Ginger Williams. "This is a great opportunity for
runners from all across Los Angeles to come together to prepare for one of
the most spectacular races in the country, while making new lifelong
friends."
The LA Roadrunners program has successfully trained more than 50,000
runners and walkers who want the satisfaction of completing the Honda LA
Marathon. This year, as a result of tremendous interest, the program is
expected to serve more participants than ever – more than 2,000. But
runners must sign up before the program sells out.
Thousands of runners have already signed up for the 2012 Marathon, which
will once again feature the wildly successful "Stadium to the Sea" route
that takes runners from Dodger Stadium to the Santa Monica Pier, with a
highlight reel of sights in between: famous districts such as Chinatown and
Little Tokyo; iconic areas including the Sunset Strip and Rodeo Drive; and
noteworthy L.A. landmarks Walt Disney Concert Hall, Grauman's Chinese
Theater, the Capitol Records Building and many more.
ABOUT LA MARATHON LLC
We inspire athletes and connect communities. With thousands of volunteers,
tens of thousands of participants, and hundreds of thousands of spectators,
the Honda LA Marathon is one of the largest organized road races in the
country.
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