Los Angeles Marathon
Los Angeles Marathon race day weather
Mild temps, strategic pacing needed
Runners will face temperatures starting at 53°F and reaching 62°F by the end, with moderate humidity at 58%. A light headwind will be present throughout most of the race, particularly challenging between miles 1 and 22. Runners should adjust their pace conservatively in the early miles and stay hydrated, especially as they tackle the rolling terrain and experience variable wind conditions.
Pace Calculator
Enter a finish time to see what race day does to it.
Get forecast alerts for Los Angeles Marathon
We'll text or email you when the forecast shifts — so you can adjust gear, pacing, and strategy. Max one per day.
Los Angeles Marathon route and elevation
The Los Angeles Marathon course has about 940 ft (287 m) of climbing and 1,166 ft (355 m) of descent, a net drop of about 226 ft (69 m). It is flatter than 50% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 5, with 115 ft (35 m) of climbing and a 1% average grade.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 3.6 to 4.6: climbs about 130 ft (39 m).
- Miles 4.9 to 5.4: climbs about 110 ft (34 m).
- Miles 19.7 to 21: climbs about 105 ft (32 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:30:50 here (50 seconds slower).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 4:01 here (1 minute slower).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:31 here (1 minute slower).
Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.
Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
| Mile | Climb | Descent | 3:30 | 4:00 | 4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 ft | 149 ft | 7:38 | 8:44 | 9:50 |
| 2 | 3 ft | 119 ft | 7:34 | 8:38 | 9:42 |
| 3 | 26 ft | 26 ft | 7:58 | 9:06 | 10:15 |
| 4 | 31 ft | 43 ft | 7:55 | 9:03 | 10:11 |
| 5 | 115 ft | 63 ft | 8:24 | 9:36 | 10:48 |
| 6 | 100 ft | 52 ft | 8:22 | 9:34 | 10:45 |
| 7 | 34 ft | 60 ft | 7:52 | 8:59 | 10:07 |
| 8 | 31 ft | 42 ft | 7:55 | 9:04 | 10:11 |
| 9 | 65 ft | 11 ft | 8:25 | 9:37 | 10:50 |
| 10 | 12 ft | 30 ft | 7:54 | 9:01 | 10:09 |
| 11 | 16 ft | 22 ft | 7:56 | 9:05 | 10:12 |
| 12 | 12 ft | 49 ft | 7:50 | 8:56 | 10:04 |
| 13 | 44 ft | 7 ft | 8:16 | 9:28 | 10:38 |
| 14 | 49 ft | 32 ft | 8:07 | 9:16 | 10:25 |
| 15 | 12 ft | 194 ft | 7:22 | 8:25 | 9:29 |
| 16 | 6 ft | 23 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:09 |
| 17 | 61 ft | 19 ft | 8:19 | 9:30 | 10:43 |
| 18 | 41 ft | 13 ft | 8:12 | 9:23 | 10:32 |
| 19 | 28 ft | 57 ft | 7:51 | 8:58 | 10:06 |
| 20 | 24 ft | 19 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 21 | 83 ft | 0 ft | 8:41 | 9:54 | 11:09 |
| 22 | 21 ft | 30 ft | 7:55 | 9:04 | 10:12 |
| 23 | 15 ft | 27 ft | 7:56 | 9:03 | 10:11 |
| 24 | 27 ft | 55 ft | 7:51 | 8:59 | 10:06 |
| 25 | 3 ft | 56 ft | 7:46 | 8:52 | 9:59 |
| 26 | 65 ft | 23 ft | 8:19 | 9:31 | 10:41 |
| Last 0.2 | 5 ft | 2 ft | 1:47 | 2:02 | 2:18 |
Explore the Los Angeles Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
Get your personalized Los Angeles Marathon race plan
A mile-by-mile breakdown of where your time goes, weather-adjusted splits, fueling timeline with aid stations, packing checklist, carb tracker, spectator guide, all built around your goal and race-day conditions.
About the Los Angeles Marathon
The Los Angeles Marathon (formerly known as the City of Los Angeles Marathon) is an annual running event typically held each spring in Los Angeles, California, since 1986. The marathon was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games hosted in Los Angeles, and has become one of the largest marathons in the country, with more than 25,000 participants, thousands of volunteers, and hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Race weekend
Tips from Runners
From 46 race reports by runners: what worked for them, not official race information.
If you start in the open corral, expect to weave through the Dodger Stadium parking lot in the first mile. Don't burn energy fighting it, because the field thins once you leave the stadium and head down the hill.
Ease up the climbs around miles 4 and 5 near Walt Disney Concert Hall and let people pass. You can make the time back on the downhills that follow.
Brake on the steep San Vicente Blvd descent around mile 15. Runners who held back there had more left for the Beverly Hills and Century City miles.
Your supporters can see you twice on the out-and-back, once heading west past mile 18 and again on the way back. Getting between other watch spots is hard with the closures and parking.
Know that the turnaround sits near Bundy Drive around mile 22. The way back has downhills on Sepulveda you can use to pick up speed.
Taking the Metro to Union Station and the race shuttle from there worked for a few runners. A 2023 runner heard the school buses had a dedicated route into the stadium.
Arrange a pickup spot a walk away from the Century City finish. Runners found rides nearly impossible right at the finish because of road closures and traffic.
If you ride the shuttle from Century City to the start, board well ahead. A 2024 runner's bus took close to an hour in traffic and some buses arrived just before the gun.
- If you start in the open corral, expect to weave through the Dodger Stadium parking lot in the first mile. Don't burn energy fighting it, because the field thins once you leave the stadium and head down the hill.
- Ease up the climbs around miles 4 and 5 near Walt Disney Concert Hall and let people pass. You can make the time back on the downhills that follow.
- Brake on the steep San Vicente Blvd descent around mile 15. Runners who held back there had more left for the Beverly Hills and Century City miles.
- Know that the turnaround sits near Bundy Drive around mile 22. The way back has downhills on Sepulveda you can use to pick up speed.
- Your supporters can see you twice on the out-and-back, once heading west past mile 18 and again on the way back. Getting between other watch spots is hard with the closures and parking.
- Taking the Metro to Union Station and the race shuttle from there worked for a few runners. A 2023 runner heard the school buses had a dedicated route into the stadium.
- Arrange a pickup spot a walk away from the Century City finish. Runners found rides nearly impossible right at the finish because of road closures and traffic.
- If you ride the shuttle from Century City to the start, board well ahead. A 2024 runner's bus took close to an hour in traffic and some buses arrived just before the gun.
Los Angeles Marathon FAQ
When is the 2027 Los Angeles Marathon?
Is the Los Angeles Marathon a Boston Marathon Qualifier?
What is the time limit for the Los Angeles Marathon?
What will the weather be like for the 2027 Los Angeles Marathon?
What is the elevation gain of the Los Angeles Marathon?
Is the Los Angeles Marathon hilly?
What is the weather usually like for the Los Angeles Marathon?
What was the hottest Los Angeles Marathon?
What was the windiest Los Angeles Marathon?
Los Angeles Marathon reviews and race reports
A hilly tour from Dodger Stadium through Hollywood, undone by a lonely out-and-back past the finish. It ends uphill.
The out-and-back past the Century City finish — Many runners said the hardest part was passing the finish line around mile 18 or 19, running west to a turnaround near mile 22, then coming back. Seeing the finish with miles still to go hit hard, and the back stretch has its own rolling hills.
Sepulveda and the 405 underpass — The climb onto Sepulveda and under the 405 around mile 20 is a bleak stretch with few spectators. It is open road with little to look at, and several runners hit their low point there.
The climb to the finish on Santa Monica Blvd — Several runners called the last mile into the Century City finish a cruel uphill. An embankment beside the business park at the top can funnel wind straight into runners.
Downtown hills, then Hollywood crowds — The race drops downhill from Dodger Stadium through Chinatown, then climbs near Walt Disney Concert Hall around mile 4 with drummers on the hill. Crowds build through Echo Park, Sunset and Hollywood, and spectators hand out fruit and drinks, though one runner found the early miles thin.
Cramps plagued the race, but a unique start made it memorable.
I started 43 minutes after the gate opened. Even with 30k people, most were out the gate by about 25 minutes, so the first 1.5 hours was a unique experience. I was limited by cramps. Cramps everywhere. Calf cramps were run through, abductor, hip flexor, glute, hamstring cramps I walked until they subsided a bit.
Struggled with crowding and pacing at the start, but persevered.
The start of the race was much more crowded than I expected. Our group (4:50) started in Corral E, which is the last of the seeded corrals. Right at the start we have a slight uphill, and I could see the pace leader start to drift off. I found myself doing a good chunk of weaving just to keep up, and I looked at my watch and noticed the pace was 12:30, which was a far cry from the 11:04 we were supposed to be doing.
Navigated heat and crowds while maintaining a strong finish
The biggest challenge at this point wasn’t my fatigue—it was weaving around walkers. The course had narrowed, and since I had picked up speed, I had to maneuver around large groups of people. The heat was brutal, at every aid station I would grab 2 cups of water, one for drinking and one for pouring on myself to keep from overheating. This helped out a ton!
Faded at mile 19 but enjoyed the energized crowds in Century City
Mile 19-22: The crowds were great coming into Century City—definitely the most energized and biggest crowds of the race. I think I even saw the winner of the LA Marathon finishing up his race on the opposite side of Santa Monica at mile 26 as I passed mile 19. Running past the finish line and knowing I still had 8ish miles left, especially as I was bonking, was tough psychologically and the rolling hills on Santa Monica and the hill on Sepulvida really did me in.
Perfect weather and festive atmosphere made for a fun race experience
From that point through to the finish, it felt like one big party. I'm sure it helped that the marathon fell on St. Patrick's Day paired with perfect weather (a low of 50 and a high of 70 accompanied by abundant sunshine). I can't heap enough praise on the volunteers and spectators who lined the streets Sunday morning. Every aid station I encountered offered ample opportunity to pick up both electrolytes and water.