In 2009, the magic date was 25 May but because of the sometimes unbearable heat of Memorial Day in late May, the 2010 LA Marathon was pushed ahead to 21 March.
The inaugural Los Angeles Marathon was in 1986, born from the euphoria of the successful 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles. This first LA Marathon in 1986 had more than 10,000 entrants making it the largest inaugural marathon in the world. The Los Angeles Marathon course has changed a few times in the 24-year history of the race.
All the different courses in the history of Los Angeles Marathon have had a tradition for encouraging entertainment along the way. Music, dancing and other sorts of entertainment keep spirits up, runners going and spectators staying. A total of 1,000,000 spectators usually line the course and celebrate the 26,000 runners at the finish area. The cheering may even be personal, as the runners’ bibs will have their names printed on them. The race day will also feature an early morning 5K run/walk – the start at 6:30 am allows for really serious marathoners to use this as a warm-up for the 42km. Also the Acura LA Bike Tour, in which 15,000 people cruise the car-free streets on their bikes, is taking place on race day.
For registration, please visit the LA Marathon official website here.
Los Angeles Marathon Course (LA Marathon)
View the LA Marathon course map and elevation profile here.