LAist: How To Spectate the 2008 L.A. Marathon

Caroline on Crack

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:38:15 -0800

Good idea, runchadrun. And thanks for the cheer, everyone. I also heard that it's a good idea to have your spectator friends wear bright colors or something that'll make 'em stand out from the crowd. And of course to tell you what those colors are so you know what to look for. Also I had a friend suggest that it might be a good idea to have a "support crew" that carries some of your energy gels or food and who will meet you at various points on the course to tend to your needs. I thought that was a cool suggestion. My friend's crew got around on bikes but I can't imagine doing that through the crowds of spectators.

runchadrun

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:03:17 -0800

The stretch out in the industrial district is very bleak. Last year it was completely devoid of fan support and the scenery is horrendous. It was by far my least favorite section of any marathon I've run. The challenge with taking Metro is trying to park at one of the stations. Since they are having all of the runners take Metro to the starting line or from the finish, many of the lots will be full. And you won't be able to get to H&H until about 10:15 to park there. I'm telling my friends to figure out how to get to the Blue Line, then taking it to the Grand station which is about 1.5 blocks away from the course at Figueroa and Washington around mile 18 and have them meet me on the course there. This is a good time to see your friends who are running since that's the point when they will really need a boost. You can also buy the $5 pass for them at the expo so they don't have to fiddle around with the ticket machines. Another tip for runners and fans...if you are planning to meet somewhere on the course, work out in advance which side of the street to meet on, preferably the side with shade on it. That way the runner can run on that side of the street and not miss their friends.

b3rti3

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:55:32 -0800

Best of Luck! You will feel super exhilarated afterward, my friends and I went dancing after the marathon. Not sure if they do this in LA but in Chicago they gave you beer at the Finish Line.

mary_m

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:54:56 -0800

Best of luck to you! I ran last year, and can tell you that if you can just make it across the post-industrial, warehouse-laden bridge around Mile 21-ish, you're home free. It's pretty barren in there. But the crowds on the other side are so encouraging, their cheers should get you all the way to the finish line, no problem.

raul

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:22:44 -0800

Good luck, Caroline. After saying all year that I wasn't going to do LA again for a long while, I decided this weekend to run it with friends. I think I'm hooked. Just when I think I'm out, it pulls me back in.

Caroline on Crack

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:31:10 -0800

Thanks!

samkim

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:11:50 -0800

good luck!