Results tagged “marathon”

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.

Some 23,000 runners, walkers and cyclists will be hitting 26-miles of Long Beach streets this Sunday morning during the the city's 25th annual marathon. About 35,000 people are also expected to join and cheer on race participants. That means if you live or will be in the area, especially between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Long Beach metro area, take heed of closures and traffic.

We don't know many details at the moment, but a guy named Paul apparently started swimming late last night from the western portion of Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. That's nothing too unusual, as the San Pedro Channel is a popular place for marathon swimmers, but what's pretty cool is that it's being tracked in real time on a Google Maps application.

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.

Tomorrow, the City Council will likely vote to change the Los Angeles Marathon's date back to a Sunday in March after last year forcing organizers to choose a holiday Monday to avoid conflict with religious institutions on Sunday, the traditional day for a race. In the end, traditionally hot and sunny Memorial Day was chosen only to scare off a large number of runners from registering.

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."

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.

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.

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.

A motion introduced by three City Councilmembers today will lift a ban that forced the Los Angeles Marathon this year to be held on a Monday holiday instead of a Sunday to avoid conflicts with religious groups. With not many choices at hand, Marathon organizers went with Memorial Day, which predictably proved difficult with low participation, limited broadcast availability and complaints from runners.

"Because that's the way we do business in L.A., you come and scream and yell and you usually get your way," Los Angeles Unified Supt. Ramon Cortines said in an interview to the LA Times about pending school budget cuts which has everyone in strife. Cortines is on to something here. It's unrelated to education funding, but religious institutions felt the annual Los Angeles Marathon made it hard on parishioners, so they lobbied city council, who in turn banned the Marathon from taking place on Sundays. The race will now take place on Monday, May 25th, otherwise known as Memorial Day.

Last November, the Pasadena Marathon was all set to have its inaugural run, but Mother Nature had other plans, leading to the event's false start. SoCal's air was saturated with smoke and ash from the Triangle and Sayre fires, and the race was canceled the night before. But tomorrow the race is on again, and about 2,000 folks are expected to participate in the marathon, which will cover the requisite 26.2 miles beginning and ending at Pasadena City College. The day will also include a half marathon, bike tour, 5k race, and a fun run/walk. If you live in, or are headed to Pasadena, be advised there will be street closures in effect; check here for details.

This is what happens when you let politicians dictate how to organize a sporting event. In September, the City Council mandated that the Los Angeles Marathon change from a Sunday to a holiday Monday, citing "complaints from religious leaders, who blamed race-day road closures and traffic congestion for making it difficult for their congregations to get to church," according to the LA Times.

Due to the smoke and ash in the air generated by the two massive fires that have burning in Los Angeles and Orange Counties this weekend the Pasadena Marathon has been canceled. Yesterday the AQMD issued a smoke warning, and modified it to include Orange and Riverside county information once the Corona-Yorba Linda fire began to rage. The warning notes that, "surrounding areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties may reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups level or higher, depending on fire conditions and wind flows." Many people all over LA and OC are reporting smoky air and are opting to remain indoors. Participants in the Pasadena Marathon are asked to check online tomorrow for more information about the event.

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.

KNBC Broadcaster: "Well Ed, is it one of these matters where the Kenyans and Ethiopians, let's be honest here, they see a white guy out front and they don't take him seriously?"

With year-round great weather, awesome beaches, and a short drive to the snow, Los Angeles is the perfect place to get sweaty.

Thanks to our shutterbug readers, our LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr was gifted with some shots from yesterday's 23rd Annual LA Marathon.

Did you catch these guys and gals in full Slash regalia making the 26.2 mile trek through the city today? Here's the official explanation of the eccentric marathon attire and attitude:

Today's LA Marathon was invaded by rocker Slash look-a-likes, who competed in the race for Gibson Guitar as part of a worldwide launch for the Velvet Revolver guitarist's new signature model Gibson and Epiphone guitars which will go on sale in limited quantities on April 1, 2008. Fifty Slash look-a-likes donned wigs, top hats, t-shirts, sunglasses and even the signature cigarette prop in the "Dash for Slash," encouraging onlookers to "Shred like Slash" on April 1st.

• Newly elected state speaker, a Democrat named Karen Bass who was raised in Los Angeles, has made friends on both sides of the aisle, the LA Times said. She is the first African-American to assume the top spot and has some pretty lofty goals, including providing healthcare and improving education. Wait, those are things EVERY politician should be doing.
• Of course, by now you know all about the L.A. Marathon. But you may not have heard that the Los Angeles Fire Department treated 73 participants; transporting 23 of them to area hospitals. None of the injuries were life-threatening, they said.
• What's one of the best part about Spring Training? Rumors! The Daily News reports that Nomar could play a "handful of games" at shortstop this season. Just four more weeks until Opening Day.
• The blood in my veins is Dodger Blue, but the color of my face when driving to games is sometimes red. So, I applaud the City Council for at least broaching the possibility of public transportation to Dodger Stadium late this week.\
• An El Segundo woman warded off an attacker last night with pepper spray as he pinned her to the ground straddling and fondling her. She reached for the pepper spray and ran away, gagging and coughing.
• But her weapon of choice would not have worked if she was a reporter at the Daily News. Yesterday, we told you that the Daily News laid off 22 staffers earlier in the week. Today, the list of the fireds was published. The deceased includes Alex Dobuzinskis, a great reporter who covered Glendale and Burbank and the News' lone Washington D.C. reporter.
• The newspaper business is not the only one hurting these days. Nearly 1,600 teachers could lose their jobs as Orange County's 28 school districts scramble to find ways to cut from their operating budgets amid a mounting state budget crisis.
• Is Hillary Clinton being subversively endorsed by Saturday Night Live? Last week, SNL feature a skit parodying the media's "love affair" with Barack Obama and last night, they had Clinton on the show getting two minutes of free campaign air time. SNL has not officially endorsed Clinton, but should media outlets allow candidates a free shot at advertising? If NBC allowed Obama two free minutes, don't you think the Clinton camp would be the ones needing a pillow?

Some may know that there is the LA Homeless Blog, written by the CEO of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). Tonight, the Hotel Cafe is hosting a benefit concert for the organization called Rock and Run for Charity. The name is not merely because the Marathon happened this morning. Sara Radle from Calamity Magnet and Chris Radle from Supersport both ran it and then will be playing later tonight. Talk about a lot accomplished in one day.

Russian Tatiana Aryasova won the LA Marathon, and the $100,000 "Banco Popular Challenge" with an unofficial time of 2:09:32*, beating out the top "elite" male runner, Laban Moiben of Kenya, who clocked in with an unofficial time of 2:13:50. The petite Aryasova is in peak shape; she recently gave birth and resumed her training rapidly.

A clear, crisp early spring morning greeted the participants in this year's LA Marathon, and the runners are filling our city's streets.

• Boy am I glad I don't live in this Torrance neighborhood, where a cache of machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, assault rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found in a house Friday. The residents may be terrorists, police say, but the owner of the weapons said he is just a collector. Do you think he also collects dead bodies in the basement?
• Does the name Chuck Quackenbush ring a bell? He was the Insurance Commissioner for Califorina until he was forced to resign amid corruption allegations in 2000. Gosh, I wonder what he's doing now. Probably tanning on a beach...wait, oh, um, turns out he is now a Sherrif's deupty and just shot a suspect in Florida who was allegedly resisting arrest. OK, now he can go and tan on the beach as Chuck was placed on paid administrative leave.
• More bad news for area newspapers as positions at the Long Beach Press-Telegram were eliminated recently. Earlier in February, the LA Times reported they were going to cut up to 150 jobs and this week, the Daily News cut 22 people from their staff. Christ people, don't you read on paper anymore? I mean, when you're not checking LAist and the hundreds of other sites we link to, that is?
• Speaking of the LA Times, new owner Sam Zell stands to profit to the tune of $15 million if an eminent domain a June ballot initiative passes. Just think how many strip club ads he could buy with that.
• Owing mostly to the Writers Strike, L.A. County lost more than 75,000 jobs from December to January.
• Victoria's Secret is saying its line of revealing lingerie is too sultry and will "get back to the ultra feminine and not just sexy look." In other news, 300 million men started a letter writing campaign today with Justin Timberlake as their spokesman.
• John Wooden, Bruin legend and inventor of winning, remains in the hospital but is "in good spirits" after he fell Thursday night and broke his left wrist and collar bone. I have a feeling beating Arizona tomorrow will really help lift the spirits of the 97-year-old former UCLA coach.
• Tomorrow is the L.A .Marathon. Don't say we didn't warn you. Good luck to all those running, walking, cycling and wheelchairing!
  Continue reading "Extra, Extra: Broken Homes and Broken Bones"

Tomorrow is the 23rd Annual LA Marathon, and the multiple races taking place in the city as a part of the day-long event are going to compromise a great many of our streets.

Holy shit the marathon is on Sunday! It seemed so long ago and now it’s right around the corner. I’m so excited, but I also really can’t wait for it to be over. In case you don’t know, unless you’re already an avid runner, training is a big deal. My poor feet and knees are ready to take a break. I’ve never run so much in my life.

The 2008 L.A. Marathon is going to be my first one ever so on top of being excited, I'm really really nervous. Run 26.2 miles? Are you kidding me? Eesh! It'll probably be the meanest thing I've ever done to my body so I'm going to need all the encouragement I can get when I'm feeling like giving up at Mile 19. In fact I'm going to go out on a limb and say that all marathoners, especially first-timers, luuuuvs it when people come out and cheer us on from the sidelines. We'll have our names on our bibs so please shout them out when we run by. There's something about hearing our names cheered at the top of people's lungs that is so invigorating.

Actor Roy Scheider died today at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock where he had been undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma.

More Pictures From the Surf City Marathon/Half Marathon

Let me start off by saying that I don’t particularly enjoy running. No matter what, during the first ten minutes of my run I feel like I’m about to die. Afterwards, my legs can get so sore it hurts to even walk. Nevertheless, I easily get stressed out from life and work and running helps relieve the tension. Ultimately, it makes me feel good and that's why I continue to do it.