Los Angeles Marathon Reviews & Race Reports
46 reviews from runners who've completed this race
Los Angeles Marathon reviews and race reports
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.