The Los Angeles Marathon on March 4th will feature yet another new course. The
course will begin at Universal Studios and finish 26.2 miles later downtown. This
new course is reminiscent of the original course which I first ran in
1989, traveling through Hollywood. For quite a few years, Hollywood was
included in the marathon course, and it was especially fun since it covered
streets close to home.
It would be interesting to know how many residents of The Oaks will be participating in the L.A. Marathon. Often I see runners training in our neighborhood, especially on the flatter more “runner friendly” Canyon Drive. Gerry Hans, current Oaks President, has run the Los Angeles Marathon a few times. Former Oaks President, Peter Ellis, and former board member James Rubin have participated in the Bike Tour in the past. If you are planning on participating in this year’s event, please send us an e-mail to let us know, and we’ll list you as an Oaks FINISHER when it’s over! Mail us at marathon@oakshome.org.
If you are not ready to tackle the 26.2 miles, perhaps you would like to take a 2.6 mile walk down to Hollywood Blvd and find a spot to cheer on the runners. As a veteran participant of 7 of the Los Angeles Marathons, I can assure you that runners DO appreciate the support! In fact, it was cheering on runners during the 1988 race that initially inspired me to run my first marathon in the 1989 race.
Details of the event can be found at the race’s website www.LAMarathon.com. Some nearby road closures will most likely be in effect for most of the morning and afternoon on Sunday, March 4th. It’s a good idea to plan your activities accordingly, so you can enjoy your day, whether or not you participate in the race!
