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Sep 20, 2024

City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon) Runner Comments

Back to City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon) Information & Reviews

Course 3.8

Organization 3.6

Spectators 4.4

Number of comments: 473 [displaying comments 221 to 231]

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Eddie Hahn from Rancho Cucamonga, CA (3/18/2007) "Transportation Problems, Late Start, Cheap T" (about: 2007) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 There was a lot of confusion about whether or not the "free race day transportation" (on metro) that was promised would be available. A large number of infighting emails were received, and I was prompted to be involved. (The City of LA and Devine Racing did not agree on who promised to pay for the rides - a previously-announced race-day perk for the new point-to-point course.) I was led to believe I would personally be a contributing factor of breaking the back of the metro system. Just when I I was going to give up, I was ultimately informed by email that the metro would be covered. (Only to find out it cost $10 to park at Universal Studios - where the start was - anyway!!!) Ridiculous. (Incidentally, parking downtown at the convention area for bib pick up is not cheap - a minimum of another $20 off the street, and the one I chose directly across the street was going up every hour from there. When I left at 6 p.m., the sign said parking there was now $35.) The 830 a.m. start is way too late. By the time I finished (4:30), it was 79 degrees. In fairness, Devine did a great job - plenty of city officials (police and fire) with hoses to cool you off and standing by for emergencies, as well as roving communication bikes and gators (shuttles). Not to be missed was the awesome 10-meter long cooling mist tunnel around mile 19. The "unofficial" aid stations were great - I saw quite a few residents that came out with oranges, water hoses, and so on. Taking the official stops into account, I would say there were 35 places one could have rehydrated on the course. Dehydration was not a concern. I like the R&B band set up next to the Korean drummers - typical of LA's unique culturally-diverse community. Running down Hollywood Blvd. was great! If the course is changed, I hope this remains a part. The only thing I didn't like about the course are the "dog leg" sections - wherein one ran within a mile of the finish (downtown), but still had to tack on another 6 or 7 miles. I would have preferred more of a "fishhook design" to make up the extra mileage (if the start is to remain at Universal City). It's plain demoralizing seeing the finish only to "run away from it." As to the area's neighborhoods/industry that we traveled through, "it is what it is" - urban sprawl. You can't put a Band-Aid on it. No need to hide it. Every major city has an area that could be cleaned up - the larger the city, the harder it is. I look at it as a marathon foot tour. Be glad. One normally wouldn't have the privilege of running there unrestricted! One final thought on the "official" shirt. Cotton with the marathon logo on the front and "Honda" on the back. Basic, cheap. I bought a nicer one for $5 from a "scalper" near the subway that had a light lime green silhouette of the downtown LA skyline and a full map of the whole route on the back, and the same official shirt logo on the front. It's held up to three washes so far and still looks new.
G. C. from Los Angeles (3/15/2007) "One step forward, two steps back...." (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I asked for a course change in a previous post, and sadly I got it. Specific complaints: Cahuenga Blvd., after the immediate start area, is WAY too narrow for the number of runners. If race organizers want to start at Universal, they should close the southbound 101 for runner use. Oh but that would inconvenience the almighty commuter... the course change from previous years was mainly driven by West LA church-goers who couldn't park in their favorite lots due to road closures. Well this year's race closed far more intersections than last year's. Second course complaint, aired by others: I don't think you could find an uglier part of LA County to run through than most of the last 6 miles. The scrap/dump yard beneath I-10 at around mile 22 was especially precious. We have a beach, right? And Westwood, Century City, parks, etc.? Third complaint: as usual, 98% of the course is lined with silent residents just standing there, or no one at all. Yes, there are a few spots with raucous encouragement, but that is the exception. Fourth complaint: the course is generally slow; the first 1.5 miles are uphill, the low point is at mile 14 or so, and the last 12 are gradually uphill. OK, I'm not all negative. The red line train to Universal beforehand (5:45 a.m.) was flawless. I liked Universal City to hang around in before the race much more than the downtown canyons. The on-course music was diverse and more entertaining than the "Rock and Roll" marathons (SD, Phoenix, ...). Special kudos to the solo drummer man of mile 10. Course water stations are well staffed; thank you volunteers; you did a great job. Hey LA Times, how about a special race section the next day? Your coverage was barely adequate. People like to see their name in print, so how about listing all finishers? I'll send you a copy of the April 17 '07 Boston Globe if you need to see how it's done. By the way, did anyone else with GPS measure the new course as 0.27 miles too long? I know that's only 1%, but my GPS watch measured Phoenix to be much closer to 26.21875. The difference built up gradually over the whole course.
H. F. from Santa Monica, CA (3/14/2007) "Nobody walks in LA, except in the marathon" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The LA Marathon must be a marathon walker's dream - while many other marathons have a cutoff time of 6 hours, over 40 percent of finishers need over 6 hours to finish LAM, and the finish line stays open for 10 hours or longer. If you can actually run a marathon - I don't think 14-minute miles qualify as "running" - there are plenty of reasons to stay away from this one. Parking: If you sign up early, you get a "free parking pass," which is worth squat on race day, as the parking lot attendants don't recognize it. Corrals: If you sign up after December 31, you can't get into the sub-3h or sub-4h corrals, which means that you're stuck among throngs of walkers who thrive on blocking the whole roadway. Other logistics: Unlike any other one-way marathon I've done, this one doesn't offer transport of sweat bags from the start to the finish. And there aren't nearly enough porta-potties at the start. Course/spectators: Worst of all is the course. While it isn't the marathon organizers' fault that most parts of central LA are run-down or plain ugly, they have gone to great lengths to design a new course for 2007 that highlights this fact at every turn. Most of the second half covers commercial districts, where you'll see more gang graffiti than spectators. Crowds in the many strip mall sections are also quite thin for such a big city. The course can also be very deceiving if you haven't studied the elevation chart - the first half is mostly downhill, but the second is mostly uphill. Weather: Weather in early March can range from low 70s to mid or high 80s. In the latter case (as in 2004 and 2007), this can be hard on runners, with hundreds being treated for heat exhaustion. The rather late (8:30 a.m.) start doesn't help either, as most people will run into the early afternoon hours. Summary: If you live in Southern California, you have many better options than the LAM: Pacific Shoreline, Long Beach, Palos Verdes, Carlsbad, R'n'R San Diego, or the trail runs (Catalina, Saddleback Mountain). If you live outside of California and just want to check it off your "states list," you have even better options with CIM (Sacramento) for speed, Big Sur, Avenue of the Giants, Death Valley (road or trail), or any of the trail marathons in the Bay Area for scenery. And if you just want to run a big marathon in a big city, try your luck with getting into New York or Marine Corps, or put in the training miles to qualify for Boston. After running LAM seven years in a row, I've had enough.
J. R. from Seattle, WA (3/14/2007) "It was the best of times, and the worst of times" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 The GOOD: The course was awesome, but not fast. It had broad streets, and it went through a variety of neighborhoods with lots of culture and entertainment. Really showed the diversity and unity of LA. It was a slower course. And it was hot and humid. The last 1.2 miles were awesome with so many people cheering you on, and the 26-mile banner was visible after going under the 25-mile one. The BAD: Organization was inflexible and confrontational. The solutions desk at the expo had no solutions for any problems. Rude fat woman there would just tell you, "Too bad for you." I am talking about the fact that anyone who signed up for the race after the new year was placed in the slowest corral. This was not clearly stated in the online registration. Many sub-3 hour marathoners were sent to the back of the start. With over 24,000 runners in the race, that is a serious problem for people trying to do a PB. At the end, the faster runners revolted and took down the fence to get closer to the front, where they belonged. The other big problem is that there were no liquids at the start of the race. I was dehydrated while waiting under the hot sun before the race even started. Had to run 2 miles uphill before hitting the first water station (which had no Gatorade). Gels (Clif Shots) were only provided at one place, at the end of a water station. Hint: hand them out before the water station, so people may be able to wash them down.
Beth Petersen from Glendale, CA (3/14/2007) "Disappointing new course - will NOT do it again" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 This was my 13th LA marathon, 38th marathons total. PLEASE have an earlier start - 5 a.m. like Honolulu, or at least 6:30 a.m. to avoid heat stroke. The course was awful. The start was jammed into a much-too-narrow street. I will NOT do the LA Marathon again unless a new course is offered. Volunteers never know the anwers to your questions. Couldn't find the family reunion area until I had asked several staff. There should be posted signs. Also at the finish nothing but H20 available - no food. Not a fun experience.
E. N. from Southern CA (3/13/2007) "Devine blows it again" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 4-5 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I was hesitant to race this year once I saw Devine had taken over the race. I wasn't disappointed. Poor pre-race communications (2 emails sent to the race office went unanswered), no route elevation maps until less than a month before the event, poor signage at the expo, poorly-staffed water stops, and of course, routing the entries thru Active.com so they could reap the highest financial gain. No paper entries to be found anywhere. On the plus side: Race day transport via the Metro was very smooth( Devine didn't have their hand in that, thankfully), and when I had to drop out early due to the heat, the shuttle was right there. Unfortunately, Devine had come in, fired most of the L.A. Marathon staff, and added their own disorganized touches to the race. It showed in every aspect of the race. Devine is the Wal-Mart of race management; coming in and swallowing up perfectly good entities, and leaving poor organization and cheap goods in its wake. I used to love the L.A. Marathon, but as long as Devine is in the picture, I won't be back.
J. N. from Glendale, Ca (3/12/2007) "New route, but disappointing." (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 4-5 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The start was OK in spite of the climb. The next few miles were better, definitely the high point of the race along with the last bridge with a beautiful view of downtown. Many areas were really awful and I really hope the route changes and those industrial areas are taken out. There were hardly any people there to cheer us on. The few fans that showed up were awesome though! There was no cover from the sun, so maybe an earlier start would help. I agree with the comment made earlier that the bike tour could be done on Saturday. Those churches complaining about the previous route should really think about it and maybe put on their best gospel music for us to enjoy as we go by. I would seriously consider visiting one of them if they share some good enticing music and pray with us or for us as we pass by. This new route does have to change.
Nick Baker from London, England (3/12/2007) "Tough Inclining Marathon" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I traveled from London for this race and have run marathons in Miami, New York, Chicago, Edinburgh, Paris and London. I loved the few days I had in LA and highly recommend this race to anyone who enjoys traveling abroad and wants a challenge. I trained extremely hard for LA and was hopeful of beating my PB of 3:30; and I expected a flattish course. I was wrong! Although I finished in a respectable 3:50, the course was much tougher than I anticipated, with what seemed like running on a continuous incline. LA was a great race but I think it could definitely benefit from better support, a flatter course and copying Miami with an earlier start to avoid the soul-draining heat!!! I finished in the top 5% with a time of 3:50, which speaks volumes. As I said, LA is a great place to visit and therefore this race is well worth the effort, but organizers, please listen to your runners. Apart from this, I had no issue with the start. There was the usual lack of toilets, but got a preferred start so was at the front and did not have any issues with crowding. The end was a nightmare. When we finish we need to walk, but immediately we are stopped. Completely missed the bag pick up, as there was not sign posted, and after getting out had to find my way back in. Also, did I mention the bag people with attitudes?! You would think they had just run the marathon. Saying all this, I would run LA again, but mainly because it was such a challenge. I think I am more proud of my 3:50 there than I was of my PB in Chicago!
L. G. from maryland (3/12/2007) "Overall a good run, despite the hot weather" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Overall a good experience. I can't compare the course to last year since I've never run it before but only one significant hill towards the end and a lot of declines at the start. Considering that the course was new, I think things were well organized and went smoothly. I am not from LA and had a very easy time reaching the start. Just as the race instructions stated, when I exited the freeway there were people there to guide me to the nearest parking lot, then subway station, correct train, etc. I was able to park 2 blocks from the finish line, which was great. The expo was good. There was plenty of water, Gatorade, gels, and vaseline along the way. Lots of enthusiastic fans also!! Things I would change about this marathon: start earlier than 8:30 (it was in the 70's, which explains slow times), get better food at the end, and find a better way to manage people's bags at the end!! Trying to get my checked bag back at the end of the race was a nightmare until I crawled under the table and found it myself!! The whole system was very disorganized with a lot of irritable volunteers.
C. J. from Granada Hills, CA (3/11/2007) "Not bad, but not a destination marathon either" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 4-5 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my 5th LAM; 9th marathon overall. It's not the best marathon in the world but it's my hometown race, which makes it convenient, and the crowd support makes me proud to be an Angeleno. If you're an Angeleno and are considering running this race, I say you should go for it. I'm not sure that I would recommend that anyone travel here for this race. There are far better "destination" races than this one, like RnR San Diego. I know that a lot of people didn't like the new course, but for the most part I did - at least the first 20 and the last 1.2 miles. I think we can all agree that the industrial part east of downtown was a terrible place, and I hope they get rid of that next year. The decline for the first 11 miles worked out great for me since I didn't use up all my energy early on. By the time I got to where I usually bonk, I was expecting my body to tell me to stop, but it didn't and I ended up with a PR. The last mile on 7th street with all the fans was amazing and I loved that you only had 2 blocks to go on Flower to hit the finish line. (In previous years you went 6 blocks to the finish line and you could see it off in the distance.) Once you try to get out of the finish line area, there's a crush of family preventing you from getting out, and they need to improve this. As always, the race starts too late because of the bike ride. They really need to get rid of the bike ride for the sake of the marathoners. They need more porta-potties at the start. And I would start the race back at the North Hollywood Red Line station instead of Universal City so that the pack has a chance to thin out a little before going through the Cahuenga Pass.

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