I've run LA since '92 (my first). Course is not ideal for a PR. Perfect run for novices as spectators from different ethnic groups will carry you throughout (cheers, foods, water, candies & beer by the H3). It's more like a super block party than a race. Bring your camera. lots of different personalities you'll meet. This time runners are the celebrities.
No matter what, I'll always be back. But please eliminate those political speeches, they'll get more votes if they run.

The race should start at 7:00 or at the very latest 8:00. The potential for heat in L.A. is too great to justify such a late start. Runners are used to getting up early! The finish was a mess, and a very dangerous one. 26.2 is too grueling to allow all those people into one tiny area. The rest of the course, support, fans, was great!

This marathon could improve greatly just by simply starting earlier. A 7am, or even 7:30am start would help decrease the weather being a factor. As other comments have pointed out, if we are waiting because of the Bike Tour, then that's just plain stupidity. 23,000 people are taking on an enormous physical and psychological task, yet they must have their chances of doing well decreased because there is a recreational bike ride beforehand. Put all of the organization efforts into the run!!! If they are so bent on having a large participation event, then do a 10K or half marathon instead of the bike event. No other marathon does a bike event - because it doesn't work.

All the same problems stressed in the last reviews. The finish has to change. It was awful having to walk through walls of people after you just ran or walked 26 miles. The spectator support is great. That is the only thing that I can really say I liked about this marathon.

I ran LA 2002 and I liked it! Ok, so the late start was not good but if it was due to a security problem then it was unavoidable. I enjoyed the new course much more than the old course - I thought that the section through mile 22 was prettier albeit more quiet than the earlier miles. Maybe add some entertainment there. I set a slightly faster PR! I'm by no means quick but there was plenty of water and support (I don't like Gatorade so I have no idea when it ran out). The fans are wonderful. The finish was very crowded but the throng was moving and I had no problem finding my husband. I should add it was relatively easy for spectators to move around. Wonderhubby had no problem finding me at mile 7, 14, 22, and the end. Another positive was the ease of getting to start - we literally walked out of our hotel and we were there - a joy! I'll definitely run in next year's and hope that it starts on time and hopefully a little earlier in the day.

THe late start was a challenge at 8:45am but by 9:15 I think my feet were starting to fall asleep!! Too many people in a small crowded area. Same with the finish...I could not believe that we were expected to go thru an opening of apprx 3 ft wide...whats up with that??
Also please consider that the majority of your entries are those of us with finish times of 4.5 hours or greater...this marathon totally caters to short finish times...I saw gatorade at mile 3 (1 time) and never again! Water ran out by mile 18! Why not have the permit run longer and ask the volunteers to stay a little later??!!
Also we were being herded up on to the sidewalk by mile 13..why...the roads were still closed off for another 3 hours?? Also the last 2 miles were completely ridiculous!! There were street vendors with open bbq's and pedestrians everywhere...people were tripping and falling all over each other!! Why not have the finish in the convention or staples parking lot??
This new finish is not going to work!

Worst of the 40+ marathons I've run. 8:45 scheduled start -- why??? It made the 9:15 actual even worse due to heat. NO porta potties at start -- runners subsequently lined up at the potties at miles 1, 2, 3 as much as 7-8 deep! Start was on what is actually an overpass, leading to tremendous crowding -- took 11 minutes to reach starting line. Finish was the worst part with unbearable crowding through tiny exit chute. I nearly passed out, literally, while inching through in the heat. Never again.

The late start was a drag. The start time was too late to begin with and by the end of the race it was Hot! Not enough porta potties, too many people for the start (you end up walking for several miles). The biggest SNAFU was the finish. 23,000 people plus family into one city block. Somebody actually passed out while trying to get out and the cops sat on their horses and did nothing. Get better organized LA, or this will be it.

This was my 2nd LA Marathon and I was disappointed. The delayed start was understandable due to security concerns, but the new course left much to be desired and the finish area was a fiasco. Figueroa Street, the old start, is much wider and allows for runners to spread out and actually run. The 2nd Street tunnel was interesting and loud; I had plenty of time to appreciate this as I practically walked through the whole thing. I much prefer the old course's run along Hollywood Boulevard and through a variety of neighborhoods. This marathon will never be as flat as Chicago or Rotterdam, so let's make it interesting!

I finished fairly quickly and was appalled at the exit to the reunion area. The gap through the fence and crowd was only two people wide and my family couldn't find me. My wife received conflicting information and directions about the start time (delays), the reunion area, etc. I can only imagine the chaos that engulfed the finish when thousands more runners packed into the area.

The one area where LA really shines is spectator support. I loved the ice chips, orange wedges, beer, music, signs, etc. Gospel singers chanting, 'You can do it, yeah!' are a big motivator.

Great expo, too, but I was in LA to run, not to shop.

I probably won't run this one again if the course stays the same

As always, a fun time and fabulous fans on the course, even for the ones trailing in the back.

However, as one of theose trailers this year (I ran with my daughter (13) who started feeling ill almost immediatly after the start and ended up walking almost the whole way. She turned out to be running a 102.5 degree fever - I'm astounded and awed that she rebuffed the many chances I gave her to quit and persevered to the finish). We were shooed onto the sidewalks about halfway through, and more dangerous, almost all water stations were closed as we approached the end. I actually had to swing into a convenience store to buy a bottle of water at about mile 23! Better treatment of those slow pokes would seem the only moral thing to do in a race where the community, not just the hard-core, are encouraged to participate. Would extending the permits an hour or two and keeping the volunteers out there be that expensive?

As far as the course: I liked the old course much better. Interesting, high-energy areas (most of Wilshire, a lot of Hancock Park, and especially Hollywood Blvd.) were eliminated in the name of flattening the course. I am not a super fast runner and never will be, but it seems that a marathon course should be taken for what it is - every course is different and has its own challenges. I think that many more run for the joy of testing themselves in this beautiful city in front of these beautiful people than those who are running just to get a PR. A more interesting and slightly more difficult course is preferable. After all, you could run the whole race on all those perfectly flat streets up in the valley and still call it the LA Marathon, but is that what anybody wants?

Great expo, good race, great people - I will certainly run again - but please strive to make it even better.