Bert Green on November 09, 2009, at 10:34AM – #1

Too bad that the beginning and end points of the race are not near any rail transit. 25,000 people will have to drive there to run, and then get someone to pick them up in SM.

Marathon Hater on November 09, 2009, at 11:08AM – #2

It costs the city so much money and ties up traffic. Why are we doing this it brings in no where near the money that is costs the city in overtime for police and sanitation. If they want to run then run along the ocean and don't inconvenience the 99.999% of people of Los Angeles who don't run the marathon. I wish there was a study to show what this costs taxpayers I am sick of it.

tornadoes28 on November 09, 2009, at 12:39PM – #3

The Temple Street route under the 110 is disgusting. That area down behind the LA County Health Services building on Temple going under the 110 has got to be the most depressing hole in the entire downtown area. That corner of downtown really is the armpit of downtown.

Fetheo on November 09, 2009, at 01:40PM – #4

Good comment Bert, I often wonder at the planners of many of the events around the city, why don't they look at using the forms of mass transit we have in place? Or at least using a "special dash" from Union station to Dodger stadium the day of the event. As far as the route is concerned, it will be interesting to see how the runners respond to it. Looks like a difficult run.

D on November 09, 2009, at 02:49PM – #5

re: marathon hater,

Glad to see you have civic pride. There are over 40,000 participants, and hundreds of thousands of spectators. Good to see you're not selfish or anything like that. you know, being inconvenienced for one freaking Sunday wont kill you. I bet you're a sad bitter person.

runner82 on November 09, 2009, at 04:04PM – #6

The runners will park in Santa Monica and get shuttled to the start line so in some ways it does somewhat use mass transit. Most point to point marathons work the same way.

Somehow I am not surprised that within the first 5 comments the only thing someone can think of is how much a public event will inconvenience him/her on a weekend day that I can only assume (given their feelings toward the marathon) that they would probably sloth away in a hungover stupor until late in the afternoon, safely indoors away from the thousands of people that clearly appreciate the athleticism, civic pride and spectacle that any marathon is. Sometimes Marathon Hater, life is not all about you.

Phew on November 09, 2009, at 04:21PM – #7

Unfortunately, to many Downtown residents, the marathon has not been a source of pride but a source of major disruption to an otherwise normal weekend day.

In years past, the route has completely encircled Downtown leaving tens of thousands of residents without the ability to get out or with detours that often add hours to a simple trip.

It's a relief to finally see a route that recognizes the impact that the marathon has had on our neighborhood in years past and not repeated it.

Bert Green on November 09, 2009, at 07:00PM – #8

"The runners will park in Santa Monica and get shuttled to the start line so in some ways it does somewhat use mass transit."

The past several marathons started and ended next to Metro Rail stations. Perhaps the route can be tweaked to better serve the city as a whole, but to regard shuttle busses as "mass transit" is ridiculous. Remember that McCourt owns the Marathon now, so the choice to start at Dodger's Stadium is obviously self-serving.

runner82 on November 09, 2009, at 07:27PM – #9

Didn't say it was perfect but maybe this is more of an indication that the mass transit system in Los Angeles is way behind the times. Consider that the start and end of this race are both at iconic and heavily visited points in the city and neither have a metro rail line that connects to them. Should it be the marathon's responsibility to cater to the gaps in the transit map? I don't think so.

Yes, starting at the Dodgers Stadium is a little self-serving but the biggest agenda in the route change is to make the LA Marathon a more popular "destination" event. The route in years past has been less than amazing in terms of showing off Los Angeles - Downtown, Watts and Skid Row. The intent with the new route is to highlight along the run all the things that people think of when they think Los Angeles - Dodgers, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Santa Monica. Already the enrollment for this year is more than years past which should say something about the enthusiasm about this new course. After running mile after mile after mile it will be really nice to see familiar and iconic landmarks along the way and go through areas of town that will likely have lots of entertaining spectators. Old route = homeless people peeing on the street. New route = West Hollywood party.

I think this comes at a great time for the city. Yes it will make traffic a pain for one morning of the year but it will also help to boost tourism and general revenue in a city that could use all the help it can get. It's great PR for the city.

P.S. Marathon Hater it's not like the 25,000 people doing the run are running for free or anything. $125 to participate which helps to pay for all the things you seem pretty upset about which is more than can be said for the Michael Jackson spectacle earlier this year.

Matt on November 10, 2009, at 11:44AM – #11

Runner 82,

The enrollment is more than last year's because last year's race was run in May instead of the normal March. People didn't want to deal with the warmer temperatures.

Having people park in Santa Monica and load up on transit busses is inconvenient for the runners. They'll have to wake up much earlier than previous years to deal with that. Also, Santa Monica's parking is quite spread out. Shuttling 25,000 runners at roughly the same time is logistically difficult to begin with. Remember when the Dodgers played in the Coliseum and tried to get people to park at Dodger Stadium and take a shuttle bus. The system was overwhelmed and people had to wait over an hour for the bus.

The old route never went anywhere near Watts. You are mistaken on that. It did go through quite a few ethnic neighborhoods including some poor like Jefferson Park and some wealthy like Hancock Park. The poorer areas tended to have more spectators, and it is questionable whether Beverly Hills residents will show up or just complain they can't drive down their streets.

It was great when the race started with the noise reverberating off the high rises. It will be a disappointment when this race starts in an open concrete wasteland.

runner82 on November 10, 2009, at 01:27PM – #12

To each their own I guess. I found the old route vile and never once considered participating in the event. This new route is making me reconsider that decision.

I will say though that the point to point shuttle is something many marathons do, so it's not like LA is inventing some crazy system that hasn't been done before. How is this any different from when the route started at Universal Studios and ended Downtown? Granted the red line was available for transport to the start but it still required added time to find parking and transport to the start.

I will agree that the parking in Santa Monica is a bit distributed so that could be a pain but I think the trade off is worth it. I would feel way more excited about finishing a 26 mile run at the ocean than I would about the downtown library.

Matt on November 10, 2009, at 02:26PM – #13

I think this will be better in the future if it can start downtown proper and the Expo Line is up and running. Will have to wait until 2015 though. Also, would lose a little bit of the elevation drop, which is the real benefit of this course.

The subway from Universal City is about 20 minutes to downtown. A bus from Santa Monica to Dodger Stadium might be 30 minutes or it might be 45 minutes, but the problem I see is the loading of the busses and not being able to go straight to the starting line.

Brian on November 10, 2009, at 03:27PM – #14

I hope the new route will allow more civic pride to be shown. I stood outside the Market Lofts this year on the corner of Flower and 9th and watched as people ran their last mile with the smattering claps of a half-dozen people. Only a slightly bigger crowd waited up the street near the finish line.

Prior to the event I read about each mile having a group to encourage runners and stir up the crowd. The religious group preaching on the corner through speakers and over music could not have been all that inspiring, especially at the of the race.

I hate to say it but it comes off as another half-hearted attempt by planners in LA.

? on November 11, 2009, at 04:06PM – #15

i'm disappointed that it won't start in downtown. I liked the start/ending point of the last few years.

Tessa on November 12, 2009, at 04:27PM – #16

Gosh, I didn't realise that the marathon had closed the freeways as well. Silly me. Last I looked, it was certainly possible to get in and out of the area impacted by the marathon route -- which by the way has not been a true loop for years, in 2004-2006 and 2009 it resembled a deformed lollipop with Figueroa/Flower as the stick, and in 2007 and 2008 it was roughly question mark shaped. You could use the 10 or 110 to get in and out of the area.

What I'm not thrilled about is the cost. $125 with no early registration discount is steep for what is, frankly, a second or even third tier marathon. LA has never been a world class race and can't compete with the likes of New York, Boston, Chicago, Marine Corps, or even Twin Cities. I've run LA 7 times but I may not make it to this start line due to the high priced entry fee.

mickey on November 13, 2009, at 08:34PM – #17

Changing it back to a Sunday in Marcy is the biggest thing - it was absurd to have it on a hot Monday in May just because some preachers mostly in South L A objected - with an extra 10,000 people expected and a more attractive route through the westside to the ocean, spectators and runners will get a more complete overview of the city, the much-touted diversity in best form.

The person who says McCourt is self-serving to have the event start at the Dodgers misses the point that only after he bought the Marathon back, did he absorb the cost to put the route back to where it made sense. Also that venue has lots of parking. Yes as someone says it will be a lot better than the Expo's built to Santa Monica, by 2015 IF they're on-target. But just as well to establish the route now. Tornadoes28 makes a good point about the underpass @the 110 being unsightly - I haven't checked it out lately, but someone should before the race. Maybe someone from the McCourts if they're invested in it.

Also good they're picking up the cop cost, by the way, won't have the fuss made after the Jackson memorial events and Lakers parade, with that blowharding City Attorney trying to shake down AEG after the fact contrary to contract and city customary practices. Which MIGHT be re-examined in future, but you can't have a city attorney of all people mucking into the job of those who set policy to try to score points as some sort of "protector of the people" by threatening to jail AEG's top exex and lawyer. McCourt picking up the tab removes this possible controversy for now. If the race does benefit McCourt fine, maybe it's win-win -this race should be like a mini-Rose parade which shows Pasadena in its best light. Nothing like ending at sunset at the ocean, just like in the scripts.

I sympathize with those who complain about the marathon keeping us housebound for a day - this time the hassle will be spread around town. I hope that every part of the route won't be closed down all day, though, that they clean things up and back to normal ASAP.

Paul on November 17, 2009, at 12:02PM – #18

Reviews of previous LA marathons have not been great. The new route has garnered some very favorable comments on some of the running boards. I was thinking of flying down (my 1st time to LA) for the race this year. But reading all the negative comments here has given me second thoughts. Maybe I'll do Napa Valley instead.