The race had a great start. The people were cheering all of the runners.

I have always loved this run and still do. The only negative was that the McCourts' (owners of the Dodgers) bought the race and put the expo in Dodgers' Stadium parking lot. Crappy. The LA Marathon expo has always been (since 1998 at least) the very best expo - hands down. It was in the LA Convention Center, and had the very best exhibitors and the most freebies. Now the expo is a disappointing, overcrowded, hot hassle. Please go back to the Convention Center. In that atmosphere I am very comfortable and happy - making me willing to part with lots of money. Good for the exhibitors and sponsors. Dodgers Stadium parking lot - bad for sponsors and exhibitors.

Other than that, this is the best race in the world. The people of LA are so supportive. The race organization is fantastic and support - absolutely flawless!! Near perfect!!!

I LOVE LA!!

Great course. I'm originally from LA and ran this marathon back in 2006. It would have been my only LA Marathon, but the new course drew me back. The new course was great, but unfortunately, the overall organization was so poor, and with the price going up so much, I will probably not run LA again. Waited in line over an hour in the hot sun to pick up my number and shirt. Only got the number, since they ran out of shirts (finally got it four months later, after many emails and much work). Late start, because with so much traffic many runners couldn't make it to the starting line in a timely fashion. I was there in plenty of time. One problem with that - very limited toilets available. The lines were crazy long. It was cool being able to warm up in Dodger Stadium. Fans on the course were good. Lots of things to look at. Hopefully they get their act together, because this COULD be a great international marathon some day.

There were people walking on the freeway, risking their lives to get to this stupid race on time. Once there, we were packed into narrow little lanes with people falling all around me the first two miles over all the debris left in the MIDDLE of the road by careless runners. I had to walk at every aid station as it was so slippery I could barely move. Nothing was cleaned up. One spectator tried to grab me and two other gals near me. Another disgusting man pulled his pants down in front of me. The crowds were mean and racist (I heard several racial slurs hurled at runners). I hated this race. I was sick to my stomach at the end by the dirty streets and nasty spectators!

After waiting in line for over 45 minutes at the expo for my shirt, they said they only had XL left (yet they said they ran out because the shirts ran small, so that doesn't make sense), but they said they'd send me a women's M. After over 4 months & many follow-up emails, I finally got the shirt today. They sent me a MEN'S shirt (which is huge), when I am a WOMAN and specifically ordered a women's shirt. How frustrating, disappointing and unacceptable when I registered EARLY and marked my size! I can go on and on about the organization, but many already have. It is on a nice, new course, and you get the coolest ribbon for an okay medal. I've now done 28 marathons and 15 half-marathons, and this was my 9th LA, so I should know what is reasonable to expect when you pay $130! It's hard to rate 5 stars for the fans when most are still sleeping the first few hours of the race, which could be the whole marathon for elite runners... but those who are there for slower ones are great! This is my city and my prayer run for the city, so I'm still committed to do it.

The course was great, covering the landmarks as advertised. This is the reason to do the race. If you are looking for a serious run, there are better events. Most of the previous comments about the race organization are accurate. I have run other large races - New York, Chicago, Marine Corps, San Diego - and this is by far the least organized. I do need to make a few comments, however. I did the Santa Monica park and shuttle, arrived very early, and it worked well. In addition, the stadium was open, and there were plenty of open restrooms for a short walk towards the home plate section.

Although it was not terribly hot, I had done my training runs in 15-20-degree temperatures, and I got very warm at 20 miles. At about mile 23, we got into the cooler ocean temps and all was well again.

This was my fifth LA Marathon, and it was by far the best of them all. Kudos to the new organizers for FINALLY convincing the cities of West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and, of course, Beverly Hills, to allow us all to run through their neighborhoods. The crowds throughout were great! There were plenty of water stops, medical tents, toilets, and the most wonderful volunteers.

As already discussed, the expo was horrible. I mean if I owned a parking lot roughly the size of Rhode Island like Frank McCort does, I would have gladly provided more space for more vendors and more room for entrants to roam around. It was a bleak group of booths, and those that I wanted to visit I couldn't even get near. In the past the LA Marathon expo was always a highlight - the roomy, air conditioned convention center was the perfect venue. So perhaps the expo can be moved back there.

I too found the drive to Dodger Stadium a nightmare. Ditto regarding the party at the pier.

As for the crowds at the beginning of the race, I had no issue with them. In every large race I've ever run, the corrals have been crowded. It is what it is.

Oh yeah, make no mistake: this is one tough course. Not flat. Not fast. Hilly. Challenging. Tough. In other words, it was GREAT. But come on, guys, let's have a little truth in advertising.

So with all of this said, I must thank the new organizers for an amazing first marathon. I know that you will fix what needs to be fixed, and in the meantime, count me in for next year!

I was really impressed by the route. I thought it was fun and scenic, and it went by all of my favorite drinking holes.

The medal was beautiful - great design compared to the others I have from this year's marathons.

The spectators truly made the race. The block parties in each neighborhood were centers if excitement and fun. The cheering from each neighborhood, from each bar, made me want to push myself even harder. Love the spectators during this race - best yet of the year.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with other reviewers. The expo was a joke - crowded, hot, ill-planned, and unable to accommodate the crowds.

There were no medium shirts on Saturday. I was told they ran out on Friday. Not sure how this could happen; we had to check which shirt size we would need when signing up 6 months ago. It shouldn't have been a mystery how many of each size shirt were going to be needed. At the end of the day, it's just a shirt, but for $120 bucks, I would have appreciated it.

The finish line party was also too far from the finish line; making it there was almost impossible after running a full marathon. I guess that's why people were lying on the street instead of walking the mile down to the beach.

All in all, it was a great run on a great route in a great city. I hope that the organization gets better for next year. There is so much potential for this marathon....

I can't tell you how many times I gave the organizers a pass on things before I decided they just weren't up to the task. I know it is difficult to start up a new course. However, the criticism the race is getting is justified and deserved. I ran the LA Marathon in 2006. Among the many things they got right that year, everyone got a shirt and the race started on time. This year, I was lucky to find a "goody" bag to have my sweats transported to the finish. No goodies to be found; obviously no shirts either. How does that get screwed up? I don't know because the event has yet to return my phone calls or emails and I still don't have a shirt. The race was far too expensive for this to happen. It is easy to get shirt samples (to get the sizes straight) beforehand. It is easy to order the correct number. It is easy to COMMUNICATE to people what is going on.

I don't believe there was adequate communication before the race. If I hadn't participated in previous events, I think I would have been confused as to what was supposed to be happening. It seemed like information came out at the last minute for things that should have been in place far in advance. For example, course drink. How can you train using the course beverage when they don't tell you what it is until a few weeks before the event? I think they should give the organization of the event over to the RoadRunners. I have only interacted with them peripherally, but they seemed to have a much better grasp of what the athletes need, and were far better at disseminating information.

This event COULD be tremendous. I like the fact that it is GREEN. The bus situation is what it is. I didn't take the bus, so I can't comment. The spectators were fantastic. Thank God for them handing out bananas, etc., as most of my pre-race drink went to waste due to the half hour (or was it more?) delay in the start. PowerAde is a waste of space, in my opinion. I normally could care less whether there was food or not, but with the late start and the almost infinite congestion at the start, bars or gels would be a much better idea. I realize this is an ADVANCED race critique. The organizers haven't even got the basics sorted out yet.

And I am STILL waiting for my shirt.

The new course was a huge improvement, as we really got to see some of the best of what LA has to offer. Be warned: anybody who thinks that is a fast course has yet to run it.

The volunteers and crowd support were excellent. The city really rallied behind the race, which was great to see.

The expo was terrible. It was as if they had no clue what 25,000 runners would look like. It was totally inefficient, with huge, unnecessary lines for bib pick up. Just bad planning.

Getting to the starting line was worse than the expo. Getting in and out of Dodger Stadium is never an easy task. If they really want to start there, then they have to keep cars away and have dedicated bus lanes in. You'd need local drop offs perhaps at Staples Center or something.

The starting line was the usual LA nightmare: 25,000 runners, most of whom want to start way up front. The current system of corralling only the sub-3 and -4 runners DOES NOT WORK. There were tons of people hopping the fences into the sub-4 corral.

Get with the program, LA! The start really needs to be addressed. Boston, NYC, and R'n'R all seem to have it figured out.

Lastly, I was really sorry that there was no acknowledgment of any problems after the race. I think a simple "we know there were problems with traffic, timing and shirts and we are working to make everything better" would have gone a long way.

All that said, I'll be back next year.