Triathlon route

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — While locals are deciding what to do over Carmageddon 2, downtowners have the luxury of walking over to L.A. Live to see the finish of the Herbalife Triathlon Los Angeles.

The race that starts in the swells of Venice Beach at 7:15am Sunday will make its way across town to the Nokia Plaza a few hours later according to Jan Fambro, the spokesperson for the 12-year-old triathlon.

Fambro said the best viewing spots will also be Downtown.

The athletes will cycle down Venice Blvd. to Downtown after they emerge from the ocean. Once Downtown they will hop off their bikes and start the running race on Flower between 9th St. and 11th St. The awards ceremony will take place at Nokia Plaza at 12:30 p.m.

The LAPD will close several streets around L.A. to accommodate the race.

Sector 1 – Venice Beach, Venice Blvd. to Fairfax Ave./Olympic Blvd. (approx. 6:50 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.)

Sector 2 – Fairfax Ave./Olympic Blvd. to 11th St. and Flower St. (approx. 7:10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.)

Sector 3 – 11th St. and Flower St. to 1st St. and Grand Ave. (approx. 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

OK, but why would anyone schedule a crosstown race with 2,500 participants on the same day officials are begging locals to stay off the roads?

"We confirmed that date eleven months ago," Fambro said, explaining that Carmageddon was announced after the race had all of its permits secured with the city. "Even after we found out that Carmaggedon was Saturday and Sunday we didnt have a choice. We couldn't change the date."

The L.A. triathlon, Fambro explained, is the second-to-last event of a national race whose finale is October 7. Athletes who prepare for such races book their hotel and plane tickets long in advance of the race. If it was changed it would make "a lot of people very unhappy", she said.