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Los Angeles Marathon unveils new route for 2010
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November 9, 2009 - Los Angeles - Organizers of the Los Angeles Marathon unveiled more details about the new 'stadium to sea' route for the 2010 race this morning. The marathon will start at Dodger Stadium and run through Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood before ending at the beach in Santa Monica. The previous course, which has changed several times over the years, never took advantage of the prime beachfront location in the Los Angeles area, focusing mainly on downtown Los Angeles.
The new 2010 Los Angeles marathon course runs through a variety of settings, including downtown Los Angeles, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, the 'Walk of Fame' on Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood and the Santa Monica Pier on Santa Monica Boulevard. In addition to the more scenic setting, the new course has another benefit for runners -- it is mainly downhill, with approximately a 400-foot elevation loss from start to finish. Click here for a detailed LA Marathon course map.
The Los Angeles Marathon has been in flux over the past few years. The race has transferred ownership several times, and the frequent date changes have confused runners and the community alike. In 2008, the marathon was sold to Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, and the 2009 marathon saw a host of changes. Originally, there was talk that the date would move from its original spot in March to one in February. However, several church groups in the Los Angeles area opposed the date change because it makes it more difficult for their congregants to get to church.
After a long battle, the date for the 2009 route was moved to May, so the organizers could take advantage of the Monday Memorial Day holiday. Because of so many changes, the 2009 marathon had just over 14,000 finishers -- compared to more than 17,000 finishers in 2008 and over 20,000 finishers in 2007. With a new course and a firm date, organizers hope the Los Angeles Marathon will finally be able to establish itself as a big-city event comparable to Chicago or New York.
The 2010 Los Angeles Marathon will be held on March 21, 2010.
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Video tour of the 2010 Los Angeles Marathon course.
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