Los Angeles Marathon

The Race

The Los Angeles Marathon runs point-to-point from Dodger Stadium in the Elysian Park hills to Avenue of the Stars in Century City, finishing approximately 500 metres from the Pacific Ocean. The course crosses the breadth of Los Angeles: Downtown LA, Little Tokyo, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, and Century City. Every few kilometres is a different city entirely. The course is USATF certified rather than AIMS, which is standard for US road races.

The PB probability here is moderate. The course has rolling sections through the hills in the opening miles and through the transitions between neighbourhoods, and it is not designed as a fast course. Runners chasing times should factor this in. The course's value is in the geography it covers: no other marathon in the world traverses quite this range of urban environments in a single route.

The field of 20,000 is large by most measures, but LA's scale means the race barely registers. Road closures are well-managed and the city moves around the marathon with its usual efficient indifference.

Weather

March is close to the best month to race in Los Angeles. The rainy season is mostly over by early March, temperatures sit at 10--18°C on race day, and conditions are typically clear and sunny. A marine layer often hangs over the finish area in the early morning and burns off before the mid-field runners arrive at Century City. Wind is not a meaningful factor on this course. For runners used to racing in more variable European conditions, the reliability of LA's March weather is one of the more pleasant aspects of the race.

Entry

The Los Angeles Marathon uses direct entry rather than a ballot. Registration opens in June for the following March race and places are available on a first-come basis. Given the field size of 20,000 and the absence of a lottery, this is one of the more accessible major city marathons in the United States.

For international runners, entry is straightforward through the official website. There are no guaranteed entry routes specific to international participants beyond standard direct registration. Charity places and tour operator packages are available but not required.

Race Weekend

Expo and Number Collection

The race expo and number collection is at the LA Convention Center in South Park, Downtown LA. The expo typically runs on Friday and Saturday before race Sunday. Check lamarathon.com for current location, hours, and any changes. Number collection is mandatory; you cannot collect on race morning at the start.

Getting to the Start

Dodger Stadium in Elysian Park is not accessible by Metro and is not practical to reach by car on race morning given road closures. Official race shuttle buses run from multiple city pickup points to the stadium. Check lamarathon.com for the full list of pickup locations and departure times; shuttles typically begin running from 5:00 AM. This is the correct way to get to the start: plan around the shuttle schedule.

The Course

The course leaves Dodger Stadium heading south-east into Downtown LA, then west through Little Tokyo, Echo Park, and Silver Lake. At kilometre 18 the route reaches Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame, where crowd support is at its densest. The course then runs west along Santa Monica Boulevard through West Hollywood, then south through Beverly Hills and into Westwood before the final kilometres through Century City to the Avenue of the Stars finish.

The terrain has rolling sections: the opening kilometres drop from Elysian Park into Downtown, and transitions between neighbourhoods bring some gentle climbs. The Beverly Hills and Westwood sections in the final 10 kilometres are gentler. The last 2 kilometres into Century City are flat.

The Finish

The finish is on Avenue of the Stars in Century City, a wide boulevard that runs through the heart of the office and hotel district. The Fairmont Century Plaza is directly adjacent to the finish. Uber and Lyft are available from the finish area; Century City hotel guests can walk. Post-race food and medal collection are in the finish area on the avenue.

Where to Stay

Stay near the finish in Century City or West Hollywood, not near the start at Dodger Stadium. The start is reached by official race shuttles from city pickup points; proximity to the start does not matter for accommodation. The finish on Avenue of the Stars is surrounded by hotels, and Century City and West Hollywood are the most convenient bases for both the race and the surrounding area.

Book two to three months in advance. LA in March does not face the hotel pressure of a Major ballot race city, but the finish-area hotels fill for marathon weekend. The Fairmont Century Plaza in particular books out early for race weekend.

See & Do

The finish on Avenue of the Stars puts you in Century City, between Beverly Hills and Westwood. Santa Monica and the Pacific are 3km west on flat ground. What follows covers the territory within reasonable post-marathon reach of the finish hotels and the course area.

Getty Center

3.5km (2.2 miles) from the finish by taxi or Uber. Richard Meier's travertine campus sits above the 405 freeway in Brentwood, reached by a tram from the base station that spares the post-race legs. The collection: European paintings including van Gogh's Irises, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts from the medieval period through the 20th century. The architecture and J. Paul Getty's garden are as much the reason to visit as the paintings. Admission is free; parking carries a charge. In March the garden is in full early-spring condition.

Santa Monica Pier and Ocean Front Walk

2km from the finish on foot, flat all the way west along Santa Monica Boulevard to the ocean. The pier has been there since 1909; the Pacific Park amusement park is at the end of it. The Ocean Front Walk runs south from the pier to Venice Beach: 3km flat on a surfaced path above the Pacific. Walking to the ocean from the Century City finish is a satisfying post-race ritual. You ran toward the sea all morning; this is the arrival.

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

250 S Grand Ave, Downtown LA. 15 minutes by Metro from Century City, or 20 minutes by car. The permanent collection covers Abstract Expressionists, Pop Art, and Minimalism with depth that most European modern art museums don't match. The building was designed by Arata Isozaki in 1986; the nearby Grand Avenue development (Frank Gehry's The Grand, 2022) adds a reason to walk the block. Check current hours before visiting; MOCA's opening days vary by season.

Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Hills

2800 E Observatory Road. 20 minutes by taxi or Uber from the finish. The observatory above Griffith Park was used as the filming location for Rebel Without a Cause; it provides 360-degree views of the LA basin with the Hollywood Sign visible to the north-west. The telescopes are open for public viewing on weekend evenings. The walk from the car park to the observatory is approximately 400 metres on a gentle incline: the only uphill post-marathon walk that can be reasonably justified.

After the Race

The LA Marathon runs in early March, which is one of the better months to extend a California trip. The desert is warm but not yet hot, the wine country is pre-tourist season, and the Pacific coast runs in dry, clear weather. LAX connects directly to San Francisco, San Diego, and connects via Amtrak to the Pacific coast cities to the north and south.

Frequently Asked Questions