LA Marathon: 25,000 are off and running in the 39th race through City of the Angels

More than 25,000 runners rose before dawn on Sunday, March 17, then yawned, stretched, flexed, twisted and hydrated, illuminated by the lights of Los Angeles’ iconic Dodger Stadium, in anticipation of running from Chavez Ravine to Culver City.

At 7 a.m. sharp, they were off and running with big cheers. Young. Older. In between. All behind wheelchair racers, who kicked off the event, followed by elite women, then the elite men, who started a few minutes early.

Related: Everything you need to know about the LA Marathon

It was the 39th annual Los Angeles Marathon, taking the 26.2-mile “Stadium to the Stars” course past world-famous city landmarks and through a scenic array of L.A. neighborhoods.

It was cool and fairly clear Sunday morning, with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees. Runners could expect those numbers to rise into the 60s during the race and warming up to 70 by afternoon.

Hailing from all 50 states and more than 70 countries around the world, the competitors brought diverse backgrounds and varied goals to the course — but held in common a shared love of running.

The race runs through and past myriad recognizable landmarks including L.A.’s Chinatown, City Hall, the Disney Concert Hall, Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The route will be lined with cheering fans, as well as an array of musical entertainers.

The race is being livecast on KTLA 5 and on the marathon’s Facebook page.

This year’s massive turnout was an increase of about 3,000 people compared to the 2023 L.A. Marathon’s 22,000 competitors, and nearly matched the marathon’s all-time record of 27,150 racers, set in early 2020.

By 5 a.m. at Dodger Stadium, activity was already bustling in the pre-dawn, pre-race air.

Runners stretched. They reflected on the journey ahead. They fueled up on the carbs.

And you could already sense a theme: St. Patrick’s Day. Green.

Kent Hulette, Rosanna Uman and Rod Robey came decked out in St. Patrick’s Day gear with their run club, South Coast Roadrunners. They have each run between four and 24 marathons.

“I kept thinking ‘I want to do this one day,’ and one day turned into forever,” Hulette said.

Anton Smith, Lucas Tenazas and Kenneth Alvarez each arrived at Dodger Stadium with very different goals, but a shared motivation. Smith is using today to train for his next ultramarathon, while Alvarez is a first-time marathoner.

“I moved away from L.A. to Massachusetts but I keep coming back for this marathon,” Smith said. “The environment is amazing. I love the people and I love the race.”

Ultimately, leaders and organizers said, the event unites L.A. like no other.

“It’s just a wonderful day where Angelenos come together,” said L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. “It’s a display of unity and an opportunity for people to see how beautiful L.A. is.”

All those runners and all those spectators mean a lot of closed roads and detours. Officials encouraged runners and fans to take public transit to the event.

The race is really a collection of races comprised of many varieties of athletes. In special divisions, competitors propel themselves with handcycles and in wheelchairs. Some will compete on prosthetic limbs.

This year’s top contenders were expected to include Kenya’s Dominic Kipyegon Ngeno, a newcomer to Southern California who boasts a personal best of 2 hours, 7 minutes and 26 seconds at the Eindhoven Marathon in the Netherlands from October 2023. Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer won the 2023 men’s L.A. marathon in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 13 seconds.

The 2023 women’s marathon was won by Kenya’s Stacy Ndiwa in 2 hours and 31 minutes, who is looking to win back-to-back titles.

The sun isn’t up, but many runners are. I’m at Dodger Stadium this morning covering the 39th annual Los Angeles Marathon for @ladailynews. Follow along for live updates throughout the race, where more than 25,000 people are scheduled to compete. #lamarathon pic.twitter.com/ssrI4BW9KC

— Delilah Brumer (@BrumerDelilah) March 17, 2024

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The Marathon Chase provides a special winner-take-all competition between the women’s and men’s elite fields. The women’s race will begin exactly 17 minutes before the men’s race. In past races, the head start normally puts the fastest woman and the fastest man within seconds near the finish line. Women are 9-4 all-time against the men. The first runner to reach the finish line will receive a $10,000 bonus.

In recent years, the race was hobbled a bit by the coronavirus pandemic, like many large-scale events. But it appears to be streaking toward its pre-COVID health levels.

For 40% of the competitors, this will be the first time competing in a full-length marathon. Some got the wizened training of veteran marathoners.

Many took up the solitary sport of running during the on-your-own isolation of the pandemic and now will see their training result in miles of hearty endurance.

#LAMarathon runners rest inside #DodgerStadium before the race pic.twitter.com/LRqiQiduvz

— dean musgrove (@deanmusgrove) March 17, 2024

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Some local competitors’ running endeavors were launched by the growing popularity of running clubs.

Others strapped on their running shoes as part of youth groups, such as Students Run LA (SRLA), a nonprofit that offers free marathon training programs and mentorships to students at some 200 public schools. That nonprofit organization has more than 2,500 students in the L.A. Marathon from throughout the region – from the San Fernando Valley, such coastal communities as San Pedro and inland areas including San Bernardino County.

The first-timers aren’t the only ones achieving an impressive feat, with 95 legacy runners also participating. These legacy competitors have run all 38 previous editions of the race, which debuted in 1986.

Some runners are even more experienced. The field includes an 85-year-old woman and a 90-year-old man.

The race began with the wheelchair competitors at 6:30 a.m., followed by the handcycle racers at 6:35 a.m. Next off: the pro women at 6:43 a.m., the pro men at 6:56 a.m. and remaining competitors began at 7 a.m.

Helmed by the McCourt Foundation, the 2024 L.A. Marathon included more than 4,200 charity runners, who raised an estimated $3 million for 95 charitable partners, including the American Cancer Society, Students Run L.A., American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Competitors raced from the starting line at Dodger Stadium through neighborhoods including Chinatown, Echo Park and Westwood, before reaching the finish line along Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City.

Throughout the “Stadium to the Stars” course, runners took in historic sights such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Staff writers Steve Scauzillo, John Davis, Anissa Rivera, Linh Tat, Holly Andres, Olga Grigoryants and Clara Harter contributed to this report. 

Source: Orange County Register