Ran this at mellow pace and I think I grinned the WHOLE WAY - absolutely fantastic spectator support and aid fron start to finish. Better entertainment than Rock n Roll, gently rolling course with a few very short steeper bits, sunshine but not too hot - I was supercharged the whole time and the rest of the day!
Areas for improvement - they still need to fix the start area problem by directing/helping people to line up in order of predicted finish time (still had walkers up front and the first 1.5 miles were scary), and the finish area was a madhouse - they put up signs with letters to help you find family/friends, but A-C was INSIDE the runners-only area, and the help tent was not visibly marked. Also, not enough junk food near/at the end, so have your crew bring you Oreos. Cellphones were a big help in finding my ride. Otherwise, this marathon was a load of fun because of all the people who ran, watched, volunteered, cheered, etc., a beginner-friendly course, and plenty of music and sunshine to help you along.

This race has everything that's typical in LA. The start is like driving on the freeway, and you can almost see why 'road rage' is so popular. No matter how they try to keep people in corrals, somebody decides the rules don't apply to them, just like the freeway. However, after the first couple of miles, they drop away and the course becomes... hilly! After all, you can see the mountains but I don't think anyone expects these quick uphills. This year had a very nice crowd supported finish. Over all a really nice marathon to start the season.

The new course takes away the excitement of Chinatown and Hollywood, Olvera street and Little Tokyo.
For the purposes of family and friends watching you along the course and enjoying the scene before and after the Marathon the new start/finish area do not lend themselves to this very well.
I do not plan to do the Marathon again unless the course and start/finish area change. The start time has always been ridiculous. Too late for S. Cal.

The new course takes away the excitement of Chinatown and Hollywood, Olvera street and Little Tokyo.
For the purposes of family and friends watching you along the course and enjoying the scene before and after the Marathon the new start/finish area do not lend themselves to this very well.
I do not plan to do the Marathon again unless the course and start/finish area change. The start time has always been ridiculous. Too late for S. Cal.

The fans were great, as were the aid stations. Other than that, this race is a dog. It starts too late, it gets too hot, and it's just too crowded. The organization of the start and finish areas couldn't be worse. These organizers are more concerned with their political standing than with the race itself. For the charity walkers and first time runners, this is probably a good race. For a marathoner looking for a good marathon, this is not it.

I have run 23 marathons, including this this race 3 times. After each LA, I come out of it saying 'NEVER AGAIN'. There is no worse start/starting area than this race. It is a complete zoo. If you are thinking at all about your splits, forget it. Walkers and slow runners line up wherever they feel like, and unless you want to be a football player knocking people out of the way, you're not getting by these people. Many groups run/walk side by side in this race, blocking the way. It will make you want to pull your hair out, or rather, pull their hair out. Even by mile 8, you can still be dodging people. They also start this race very late. It could get very warm in this city, which it did last year. They should start this race at 7:00, but this organization apparently does not consist of any runners. The finish area is the by far the worst of any of the big city runs that I've done. It's as if it is run by a government agency rather than a race organization. After you've run 26.2 miles, you don't want to have to stand in a long line just to leave the area! If I didn't feel the 'peer pressure' to run this race with friends, I certainly wouldn't.

This marathon was my first and I had an awesome time. The course layout was very good and pretty flat. The route was scenic and the fans along the course were amazing. Tons of support and music to help you along the way. The cell phone runners along the course allowed you to call anyone you wanted in 2001 and that was an amazing morale booster! Great run, I'll be back this year to do it again!

first time doing LA,always hearing bad comments about the course,,but it was a great course,good support,enough water at the water stops,bad post race goodies,

This was my first marathon at age 52, and one of the best and most difficult, experiences I've ever had. The course support with water stops, the entertainment, and the supportive diverse crowds of people were incredible. I did 3:52, and have already signed up for LA next yr.I liked the later start-more time for breakfast and warm up. The course seemed fast with no big hiils. The wonderful crowds and opportunity to experience LA on foot were awesome. The hotel was great and just 3 blocks from the start.

This was my first marathon I ever ran and its not as easy as it looks. It took months of training and dedication but I also found out that when you run you must be mentally prepare as well and even if my first marathon was hard i'll still go out there and do it again