Tens of thousands were descending on Dodger Stadium this morning for the L.A. Marathon.
The annual spectacle — this is the 39th — includes more than 25,000 runners, set to pound the pavement for a 26.2-mile trek from the stadium to Century City.
In between, L.A. goes by – from Little Tokyo to the Hollywood Sign, and from Rodeo Drive to Route 66.
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
By 5 a.m. at the start, activity was already bustling in the pre-dawn air, ahead of the Marathon’s wheelchair race, to begin at 6:30 a.m. followed by the hand-crank race. The pro women and elite age group women start at 6:40 a.m. and the pro men and full field start at 7 a.m.
Runners stretched. They reflected on the journey ahead. 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.
#LAMarathon runners rest inside #DodgerStadium before the race pic.twitter.com/LRqiQiduvz
— dean musgrove (@deanmusgrove) March 17, 2024
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.”
Related links
LA Marathon: Here’s what you should know before the 39th race
LA Marathon: Here’s the route map
LA Marathon Preview: Elite runners ready to run fast times on St. Patrick’s Day
How to watch, drive, park or take public transit to the LA Marathon on Sunday
LA Marathon: Experienced runners advise first-timers, who make up 40% of field
LA Marathon: Run clubs’ popularity boom fuels record number of new competitors
LA Marathon: Freeway ramps and street closures for the March 17 race
Los Angeles Marathon training builds life skills for ‘Students Run LA’ youths
LA Marathon: How to watch it live Sunday on TV, streaming, or Facebook
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