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City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon) Runner Comments
Back to City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon) Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 4.4
Number of comments: 472 [displaying comments 371 to 381]
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Michael Bower from Albany, California
(3/8/2004)
 "Ugly Course:Great Expo" (about: 2004)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Having just taken up marathon running last year, at the age of 51 (ran Vancouver, Portland and Tucson) I decided to do the Acura L-A Bike Tour this year to check out the L-A Marathon course...and I must admit I'm glad I didn't run it. Whoever planned the course must have done it in the dark, because that's the only time it was even remotely attractive. I was so glad I rode the course in 1&1/2 hours instead of having run it in 5! That being said, the fans that were out for the bike riders were excellent. I imagine they were just as pumped up for the runners. The expo was the best I've been too. And what a feat it was to have organized this massive multi-race event. Kudos to everyone but the course designer. | |
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M. R. from Claremont, California
(3/8/2004)
"Marathon starts too late in the morning" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my third completed Los Angeles Marathon. I enjoyed the spectators calling you by name (bib # also has name), however the temperatures near noon time were mid-80's to almost 90 in particular locations. I fault the 8:32 a.m. start time for many difficulties runners have to endure. A friend who also ran the 2004 L.A. stated he is less likely to run L.A. unless they hold the marathon in February, or the start time is much earlier. I will say that I experienced severe cramping the last mile and when I finished, but a volunteer was very helpful in getting me help. Finally, the course could use more shade - too much sun! | |
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K. P. from Rochester, NY
(3/8/2004)
 "GRRRRREAT!!!!!" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first full marathon and I was amazed at how many people & volunteers were on the course. It was a really hot day this year ('04) and I trained in upstate NY but with so many water stops along the way I had no problem with the heat. The course was really flat for the most part but not too scenic. | |
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A. G. from Orange, California
(3/8/2004)
 "HOT, HOT, HOT! But still lots of fun!" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 5th marathon and by far the hottest temperature. But I still love L.A.! The crowd support and the volunteers are so great. I will run it again and again! The course is fairly flat with just a few hills. This year was my 2nd L.A. run and I'm already looking forward to next year. The only complaint would be the start time. It would be nice to start about 1 hour earlier. | |
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Ralph Firehouse Grill Team from Whiiter, California
(3/8/2004)
"All that was missing was a bayonet stab!" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Whew! With 92 degree heat, it was something like a death march! The start went off without any problems so I thought things might be great! However, I did learn that going under the garden hoses feels good for a short while, but the resulting blisters from wet feet!! Ewwww! Worst time yet! | |
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C. H. from Hermosa Beach, CA
(3/8/2004)
"Perfect... if started an hour earlier" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race survives on the unbelievable support from the city. The spectators were everywhere and push you on constantly. The heat is unbearable towards the end and I wonder what it will take for the race director to realize that this marathon HAS to begin at least an hour earlier. Besides that, the race is near perfect. Water stations everywhere, a great expo, not too many hills, and once again, amazing fan support. Unless the race begins earlier, I would not recommend this marathon to any first timer. Do San Diego's Rock and Roll instead. Don't expect a PR in L.A. Do expect cheers at every turn. | |
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j. b. from Los Angeles
(3/6/2004)
 "What Do You Get When..." (General Comments)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)s
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 You have a marathon run by a politician instead of a runner. You get a race course that starts on a downhill, ends uphill making it difficult to pace yourself. You get a start time which makes it likely the temperatures will reach dangerous levels by the end. You get an uninspiring tour highlighting the worst that a city like Los Angeles has to offer. You have choas at the finish line because of the limited availablilty of space to accommodate the crowd. You even get a t-shirt with an iron on application covering a large enough area of the shirt to assure that when wearing it you will sweat like you are in a sauna. That's the LA marathon. While most marathons iron out the glitchs over time, this one gets progressively worse. | |
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y. W. from Dearborn, MI
(3/1/2004)
 "Hot, Late, and Crowded" (about: 2002)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I'm from LA originally so when I finally went back to visit some friends, I decided I had to run the marathon. Hilly, yes, but not as hilly as Flying Pig or USAF. 65F at the start was not a good sign. Finish was 75+ and sunny, I couldn't dump enough water on me to stay comfortable. The starting pen was a joke. Several 90 degree turns within the first mile made for interesting times. Ended up running through planters, etc. to stay on my feet. The finish line was worse and extremely confusing. I understand the late start is due to the bike tour. Some bike lady was at mile 10 holding up her medal and shouting 'This is what you're working for, this is what it looks like.' What a freaking joke. I wanted to shout 'You don't deserve a medal.' Besides the fact that the bike medals are square instead of round, 26 miles on a road bike is trivial compared to running a marathon. Sheeeesh! | |
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S. L. from Richmond, California
(1/14/2004)
"Too hot to handle this time" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was the second time I'd run this marathon. Overall, I love L.A. However, the 8:30 AM race start was way too late for me and many other runners I spoke with along the way. This year it got way to warm for those of us on the course who were not among the elite. I love the LA expo, and though their shirts have not been among the best, the goody bag is great. I'll be checking in the future to find out if the start gets changed to an earlier time (I suggest 7 AM). | |
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f. p. from Brisbane Australia
(12/22/2003)
"Great marathon - spectators magnificient" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The only element missing in this great run is shade. Hilly, but much easier than Boston and much, much easier than Sydney [Australia's Olympic course 2000]. Need to pace yourself to about 20 miles then go for it. Drink plenty and run in what little shade you can find. GOOD LUCK. |
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