Despite cold weather and heavy rain, first-timer Markos Genet of Ethiopia won the Los Angeles Marathon this morning, breaking the course record by almost two minutes with a finish time of 2:06:35. The 26.2 mile race from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica was Geneti’s first competitive marathon, reports NBC Local. more ›

In what appears to be one of the less medically-sound ideas of late, a Chicago man who's training for the LA Marathon is eating at least three McDonald's meals a day in an effort to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities. According to KNBC, Joe D'Amico is subsisting on all McDonald's, all the time, starting each morning with pancakes, OJ and an egg McMuffin. more ›

Two Guinness World Records attempts will be made at the March 20 Los Angeles Marathon: 1) The heaviest person to complete a marathon, and 2) The largest ever cheerleading dance. Kelly Gneiting, a 417-pound statistician from Ft. Defiance, AZ and three-time United States sumo champion will be making the cause for heaviest marathon finisher, reports the Daily Breeze. more ›

The Honda LA Marathon has just revealed the course map for the 2011 race, which takes place on March 20th. Using this animated video to show the route, runners and spectators can check out all the landmarks included from last year's inaugural Stadium to the Sea course, and note the new loops that will pass through Chinatown (mile 2) and Little Tokyo (mile 3). more ›

Talk about a busy week! Zealous 36-year-old runner Marie-Louise Stenild of England is trying to break the Guinness World Record to to become the first woman ever to complete seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. On Monday, her third day of running, she and a support team will run L.A.'s Stadium to Sea marathon route that debuted earlier this year (nerdy fact: the Guinness World Records Museum on Hollywood Blvd. is around mile 12). The effort is also raising money for the Adam Rogers Trust, named for a 13-year-old who did of a brain tumor. Stenild begins her world tour on Saturday with a marathon course in Antarctica. more ›

The 25,000 runners comprising the sell-out group of participants took to the glorious new Stadium to the Sea route of the LA Marathon in what commentators couldn't help but refer to a "sea of humanity," but one man and one women were destined to be deemed winners in this 25th annual running more ›

Thanks to a program founded in 1995, hundreds of Los Angeles Unified School District students are running around the city today. They're taking part in the 25th Annual LA Marathon via a program for teens called Students Run L.A., which provides at-risk youth with mentoring and training in preparation for today's run. more ›

If you've been out around town today you may have noticed that preparations are underway for tomorrow's sold-out running of the Los Angeles Marathon, and the exciting new Stadium to the Sea route means that the 25k runners and spectators will be taking to the streets in a big, big way come morning. Be sure to double check the street closures that go into effect overnight in Los Angeles and in other cities through which the route travels, as well as the changes to bus routes and schedules. And if you're running, enjoy your carbo-loading dinner tonight, and good luck to you tomorrow! more ›

We've told you about street closures and freeway on- and off-ramp closures, now here are your public transportation impacts. more ›

In addition to all the street closures across town, this Sunday's Los Angeles Marathon will prompt the closure of about 18 freeway on- and off-ramps, Caltrans announced today. From the early morning hours to the early afternoon, you might be faced with some detours. Here's the complete list: more ›

With the sold-out L.A. Marathon--that's 25,000 people--on its new, yet popular, Stadium to Sea route, street closures will be aplenty this Sunday. The race moves mainly through Los Angeles, but it will also affect streets in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. more ›

MARCH 20, 2011: Looking for this year's route, street closures and transit changes? Check HERE. more ›

That's it folks. For the first time in the races 25-year history, the Los Angeles Marathon has hit capacity. You can thank the new Stadium to Sea route, which features regional icons like Dodger Stadium, the Sunset Strip and near the Santa Monica Pier. There's still one way to participate, however: do the 5K Run/Walk companion race. Unlike year's previous, the traditional bike tour, which allowed cyclists to bike the route before runners took the course, was canceled to great disappointment. Race day is Sunday, March 21st. more ›

The popular new stadium to sea route is sure doing the marathon a service as it's almost sold out. “In the past, thousands of entries have come in at essentially the last minute,” said the race's president Russ Pillar today. “That will not be possible this year as we have a cap of 25,000 entrants on the new Stadium to the Sea course and we’re more than 90% full already." So if you're planning on attending the expo the day before the race, you'll l likely be shut out. The race is in 21 days. more ›

Looks like the Stadium to Sea route is a popular one. The L.A. Marathon, which can hold 25,000 runners, is 80% sold out, officials announced today. With over a month before race day, it's likely to reach 100% in just a few weeks. We’re confident we’re going to sell out and strongly encourage those who are training for the race but have not yet registered to do so immediately so they’re not turned-away,” said race president, Russ Pillar. In previous years--and like in many other marathons--a third of registrations happen the week of the race. "That’s not going to be an option this time,” Pillar warned. more ›

With a new and improved Los Angeles Marathon course set for March, local running Coach Jimmy Dean decided to try it out on his own (nothing like having the ability to just run a marathon whenever you want, eh?). more ›

Okay, it's time to stop munching on that mac and cheese. On the heels of a major makeover to the Los Angeles Marathon route , two new half marathons for Los Angeles were announced today by separate companies. Come this January, the 13.1 Los Angeles Marathon will run through the Westside and next October, the popular Rock n' Roll Marathon will make a debut in Los Angeles, replacing the City of Angels Half Marathon. more ›

This morning, as the countdown clock to the 2010 LA Marathon declares there's 131 days until the big event, the official "Stadium to the Sea" course map was released. Beginning at Dodger Stadium, this brand new route takes participants and their supporters through some of Los Angeles' iconic and familiar-the-world-over city and county sights and neighborhoods, including El Pueblo, City Hall, and Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown... more ›

Now that the Los Angeles Marathon is back on a Sunday in March--the 21st to be exact--the new "Stadium to Sea" route is being hashed out. Under current Santa Monica law, only 5K and 10Ks are permitted, but on Tuesday the City Council instructed staff "to return with an ordinance or policy change that would allow marathons to be held in the city," according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. more ›

Shortly before noon, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved moving the LA Marathon back to a Sunday date in the month of March beginning next year. During public comment, most speakers supported the date change, but a few stood up to save Sundays. "For those who have made this into a religious issue, this is not a religious issue... This has not and has never been a religious issue," said a determined Father John Bacchus who said that a single event should not tie down the city to the degree it prevents people of faith attending their institution. A compromise within the approved motion instructs city agencies involved with the race's logistics "to design a new point-to-point route which will minimize disruption to Sunday church services." The agreement also allows for the "Stadium to Sea" route, which could include Santa Monica, announced last week. more ›

After a year of disappointments, the Los Angeles Marathon is considering a new route that would begin at Dodger Stadium and end in Santa Monica, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press: "Marathon officials are planning a new route for the 2010 race, starting the course for its 25th anniversary at Dodger Stadium and ending it in Santa Monica, hoping to breathe life into an event that in years past has lost some of its luster." more ›

It was the City Council and without their thinking caps, says the LA Weekly. The City owns the marathon and contracts it out to the McCourt Group (yes, the same McCourt who owns the Dodgers). "Everyone seemed happy — until the first 'pre-planning' meeting" at Councilman Tom LaBonge's office, wrote Tina Dupuy. "There, somebody thought to ask senior transportation engineer Aram Sahakian about the street logistics of holding the marathon on President’s Day, February 16. Incredibly, nobody on the vast staff of the 15-member Los Angeles City Council, which employs 320 personal assistants at an annual cost of about $20 million, had bothered to fully review that date with the transportation engineers before the council approved the deal. Instead, Sahakian tells L.A. Weekly, 'It was done verbally at a meeting.'" Good one, guys. Too many people work on President's Day, traffic would be severely impacted so it was moved to Memorial Day, which is traditionally hot. Luckily, this year runners got lucky with the weather. Next year, all signs point towards a colder Sunday date, but you never really know in LA. more ›

There's been controversy aplenty surrounding the date of the LA Marathon this year, and now, in preparation for next year's run, Greersoc.com founder and 15-time marathon runner Greer Wylder suggests in an LA Times editorial today that organizers also consider improving the route. Why? Because, to be blunt, it's really ugly. more ›

Wesley Korir of Kenya won today's LA Marathon, beating the race's record from 2006. His 2:08:24 finishing time beat the previous record of 2:08:40 by 24 seconds, according to the LA Times. In the women's race, Tatiana Petrova of Russia won finishing at 2:25:29, also a record with the third-fastest time. more ›

The LA Marathon has been happening since 7:20 this morning, but with miles to go and thousands of runners and spectators, the route is going to make getting around town a bit challenging for many today. So before you head out, double check the route map to see if you need to rethink your own route, or, if you want to help cheer people on, check out the Spectator's Guide to see where the bands, the cheerleaders, and the broadcasters will be gathered. more ›

The City Council may have learned their lesson by forcing LA Marathon organizers to a Monday holiday rather than the traditional Sunday. Today a council committee voted to hold the 2010 marathon on a Sunday in March. This year, it will be held on Memorial Day, which has not been good participation or the health of runners who choose to run on the traditionally hot day. It will next go to the full council for approval. more ›

Oh, awkward turtle! Upland city councilmember Ray Musser was describing his inauguration trip experience to the public when he said some uncomfortable things. By looking at the video posted on LA Times, it even appears that he pre-wrote this: "I came away just appreciating America. A tremdendous change, we're headed for changes that we might even be somewhat scared or frighetned of, however, the change in the crowd was completely different than four years ago. There was a lot of non-whites in the crowd well behaved and that was so gratifying..." Now the Mayor and other councilmembers want him ousted. more ›

If baseball was not enough, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has bought the rights to the Los Angeles Marathon through a company called Going The Distance. While the race route will not be changed this year, the race date will be changed from March 1 (as it is currently listed on their website) to February 16 on President's Day. more ›