L.A. Marathon

Observations on the Sunday, March 21, 2010 L.A. Marathon.

The so-called "Stadium to the Sea" marathon was a good idea. Nice neighborhoods, cool scenery, civic cooperation from West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.

What wasn't so cool was the organization. There were only a few roads open into Dodger Stadium to drop off runners and there was no traffic control to be seen anywhere.

Chris and I left Baldwin Hills at 6am to be at Dodger Stadium by 6:30am. On any other Sunday this would have been a breeze but once we hit the 110 n. we were in horrible gridlock. Nothing was moving. It was so bad that runners were getting out of cars and buses and walking along the freeway to get to the stadium in time for the start of the race.

Turns out that all of the cars, buses and shuttles had to merge onto one street to get to the stadium. There was no opening of other lanes to ease congestion nor were there alternatives to the Stadium Way exit -- it was either the 110 or south through the 5.

Once the runners trudged into the stadium they discovered that organizers had not set up enough bathrooms for the crowd. The lines for the port o potties were enormous so runners ended up pissing and shitting in the hills and bushes surrounding the stadium.

Runners need to empty their stomachs and bladders before races but it seems Frank McCourt and his marathon organization didn't get that memo. They could have opened up the stadium to runners -- it has plenty of bathrooms -- but that did not happen.

It was an entirely different scene across town in Santa Monica. I parked my car as close as I could to the finish line without having to feed a meter or pay for a parking lot (12 & Santa Monica) and rode my bike around the rest of the morning. I saw families camping out at the finish line; restaurants prepping for the onslaught; regular exercisers out for runs or rides; and people in generally great moods.

Unlike the mess at Dodger Stadium, Santa Monica was civilized and prepared. The eastbound side of San Vicente was closed for the race but the westbound lanes were wide open to traffic. It was awesome -- you could ride alongside the route with very few cars to worry about. I think residents either hunkered down or left for the day because there really weren't that many vehicles.

I met my family/Chris cheering section at 14th and San Vicente. It was super mellow. There were some residents out but mostly there was a lot of space.

The first wheelchair racers came in no time, followed by the elite women runners and the elite men. More runners started coming through and we saw Chris after a while. His bright orange shirt, floppy hair and facial hair made him easy to spot. He gave his cheering section a wave and continued on -- only two miles to go!

I followed him via bicycle for the rest of the race. He was beat and hurting but crossed the finish line in three hours and eight minutes. That is fast. He was the 208th person across. Awesome!

It was a little hectic catching up with him after the finish but since he was in front of the masses, we were able to reunite without much hassle. Runners and fans were directed down to the pier. To get back to our car in downtown Santa Monica we had to hit the boardwalk, climb up to Ocean and cross the street south of the Pier. That part was a little tricky but my planning had worked and the walk to the car wasn't too long for the fatigued Chris.

Santa Monica was turning into a parking lot by this time, so much so that the guy trying to take our parking spot didn't even get mad 'cause he had to wait for me to re-attach my bike rack and secure the bike for the ride home.

Dodger Stadium was a mess but the truth is, the marathon is a great event that brings people together and generates good vibes. Strangers congratulate strangers for finishing the race. People cheer on people they know only by the names on their bibs. My future husband finishes with an amazing time, in good health, and with lots of love and support from friends, co-workers and family who came out to cheer him on.