This is the only race I've run where there was not an out-and-back portion of the course. And it was just wonderful. The course started in the city at Dodger Stadium and ran through all the well-known neighborhoods to the sea in Santa Monica. Just enough easy hills to keep your interest, but not overwhelm you. Lots of shuttle buses to the start line. However, no buses back to the start after the race, so it's best to park or stay in Santa Monica. Lots of water stations with both water and sports drink. Also several food stations. Very nice medal. And this year, there was an SF/LA challenge medal for those who ran both the SF and the LA marathons consecutively. Really nice medal as well.

Now to the areas for improvement:
First, the race should start earlier. Starting at 7:30AM is tricky because, even in March, the weather could heat up to uncomfortable levels by the end of the race. We were luck this year in that the early part of the race was partly sunny and getting warm, but not too much, and the last half was overcast, nicely cool.
Second, at the water stations, the water and the sports drinks were located together. So it was difficult to sort out where each was. I grabbed water a few times, only to find out it was sports drink, and vice versa.

All in all, a good race to run for both the novice and the veteran.

This was my 9th marathon, but 1st one in LA, even though I'm a local. I had heard for years that the LA Marathon was badly organized and the course itself was not the best. But, ever since Frank McCourt bought the race, he's been on a quest to bring LA the big city race it deserves. So, I finally decided to give it a chance, and I LOVED it. So many great sites to see!!! Expo at the Convention Center was well organized. Hotel race shuttles from/to downtown LA were efficient.

Overall a great experience.

Pros:
1. Nice elevation profile- good rolling hills throughout, and the 3 miles at the end was amazing- a break right when I needed it. I think it definitely contributed to my PR.
2. Fans were good. Nothing compared to NYC, but definitely fans throughout, some of whom were fun and loud.
3. Weather was good.
4. Water stations were well organized. Not a fan of the Ultima option, though.


Cons
Most cons were due to the size of the race.
1. Parking for the expo was a pain- $12 to park at the convention center, and $10 for most other nearby lots
2.Was dropped off for the start, and it took awhile, got off the freeway exit around 5:45, made it to the drop-off point by about 6:25am.
3. Crowded at the start, even though I was in corral C.

By far the best part of the race is its course. Starting near downtown, then heading west to the cooler temps and ocean views of Santa Monica, it has great views, nearly perfectly varied terrain, above average spectators and entertainment (the Cheerleader Corridor, and drummers at the top of the main hill are the best!), and the organization and amenities are at the top of the class  though they cant quite get their bag-check situation in order& I will continue to run this marathon as long as I have it in me, it has become my favorite.

Have run all the courses over the years (2013 will be my 22nd LA, which was my first back in '88, 336 total marathons) And except for the course that started and finished at the Coliseum, loved the downtown historical route, this is my favorite course. It's nice because as the day is warming up and you get closer to the beach it is actually staying cooler and there is a nice gradual downhill as you go down San Vicente and turn on Ocean to the finish!

This is one of the largest marathons. It has about 20,000 participants. It is very crowded at the start, making it difficult to settle into your pace in the early miles. You can eliminate this issue if you have run a previous marathon and submit a time to get into a seeded corral.

The course itself starts at Dodger Stadium and runs through scenic parts of LA including Chinatown, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills, and ends in Santa Monica. The course drops about 400 feet in elevation from start to finish, but includes a gradual climb between mile 16 and 23. For this reason, it is essential that you do not go out too fast. Going uphill after hitting the wall is definitely not fun. The good news is that the last three miles is a steady decline into Santa Monica.

Because it is LA, there were a ton of spectators like I assumed there would be. The event was also well organized with the exception of missing mile markers.

This marathon has a large amount of first timers, which make up more than half of the field, so if you run a 4:30 or faster, you will place high on this course.

I recommend this marathon if you like big city marathons or if you are a first time marathoner.

I'm from Southern Calif. but hadn't run LA until this year. It never appealed to me until they changed it to the Stadium to the Sea course. This was my 16th marathon so I have plenty of races for comparison. I normally don't like big city races, yet this one was enjoyable every step of the way. The course is well designed as far as providing a tour of the city. It has some challenging hills, but for every up there is a down, and the downhill final 3 miles are fast and awesome. I did not run this all-out yet was very happy with my time and ran negative splits. I think it is a course that should be run that way - save something for the 2nd half and you will be able to push it the final 3 miles. Water stations were plentiful, crowds were lively but not overwhelming like in some races, and course was not overcrowded. All in all an enjoyable race.

I have run three different L.A. courses (2006,2007,2008,2012) and the stadium to the sea course is BY FAR the best. The course is great for visitors and even better for locals.

The expo could be better if it was held inside a large tent. The pre-race traffic is much improved. I got into the parking easier here than I have at races with 1/10th the number of runners. The start is a pain because too many runners ignore the corral rules and crowd to the front. Be aggressive or plan to run a really slow 1st mile.

Frank McCourt has messed up the Dodgers, but he has done a decent job with the marathon. The worst thing that could happen to this race is another change in management, course, etc. Logistics and crowd support has improved every year and not changing the race will allow the logistics to get better and more spectators to get used to the course and allow the race to eventually become world class.

This was my 3rd year in a row running LA. The course is absolutely stunning! Hilly but constantly changing and entertaining.

However to become a World Class Race like Chicago, Boston, and NYC here are 3 major things the need to improve on...

1) Start Line is very sloppy.

2) Aid stations need sports drink and water at each one. (they currenlty have sports drink only 3-4th aid station)

3) Expo needs to be inside. No matter how awesome LA weather is...A big time race does NOT risk the expo experience like that...(especially after 2 rainy years in a row)

Don't get me wrong I love this race (mainly for its amazing course) and see it having HUGE potential....just needs better managment and planning. They need to know that they have a amazing opportunity in front of them!

I will be back in 2013.

Hope never changed the course.