Rock 'n' Roll Marathon coming to Los Angeles in 2010

This caught my eye:  ³The idea of competing is not as important as the
social experience, and I think they¹ve captured that.²

Even though I'm a back of the pack runner, this grates on me.  It is a
race, not a social event.  Even if you come in dead last, if you have given
it your all and have done the best you could have done, you are racing.
Socializing is for the pre-race and after-race events, but they are the
icing on the cake, not the cake itself.

-- Michelle

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon coming to Los Angeles in 2010
November 19, 2009 | 1:13 pm
The Rock ?n¹ Roll Marathon series is coming to Los Angeles.

The Competitor Group, which owns the series of marathons held around the
country, announced today that it will open a new half-marathon in L.A.
Scheduled for Oct. 24, 2010, the run will replace the City of Angels Half
Marathon, which has been held since 2006 on the first weekend in December.
Peter Englehart, president and chief executive officer of the Competitor
Group, said an agreement had been reached with the nonprofit group Grove of
Hope to replace the City of Angels event, but he did not disclose the terms
of the deal. 

³We¹ve been blessed with several other good markets on the West Coast, but
L.A. was the missing piece to the puzzle,² Englehart said. ³As we grow our
company, it¹s important to have a presence in L.A., so this was an
opportunity we were looking for.²


Officials expect 15,000 to 20,000 runners to sign up for the inaugural
13.1-mile race. Englehart said there are no immediate plans for a full
26.2-mile marathon, but he sees the event as a warm-up to the L.A.
Marathon, which is held in March.

Russ Pillar, president of the L.A. Marathon, which recently announced its
new ³Stadium to the Sea² route, said he welcomed the half marathon to L.A.

³We at the L.A. Marathon are excited about anything that improves the
health and wellness of everyone in our great city,² Pillar said.

The Rock 'n' Roll series races are known for their entertaining routes, and
the L.A. version will feature live bands, themed water stations and
cheerleaders along the course. The series began in 1998 in San Diego, and
there are now 14 events.

³They¹ve found a niche,² said John Bingham, a columnist for Runner¹s World
magazine who will be an announcer at the race. ³The idea of competing is
not as important as the social experience, and I think they¹ve captured
that.² 

The 2010 race will utilize the existing point-to-point course that takes
runners from Griffith Park near the Los Angeles Zoo, along the L.A. River,
down Sunset Boulevard, near the edge of Echo Park Lake and finishes at the
Los Angeles Civic Center.

-- Baxter Holmes

--
26.2 Because I can
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: MUni at North America Unicycle Nationals
    ... I'm definitely not competing with a 24" against cokers! ... There are two classes in the marathon (just like the ... But you can compete in the normal race ...
    (rec.sport.unicycling)
  • Re: The Penguin. Runners friend or foe?
    ... Her first marathon I ... Now if the organisers ... account for slow runners and walkers. ... if you enter a *race* you ...
    (uk.rec.running)
  • Re: The Penguin. Runners friend or foe?
    ... Her first marathon I ... account for slow runners and walkers. ... shouldn't really expect race organisers & volunteers to be there for you ... discover whether road opening whilst race still in progress was identified ...
    (uk.rec.running)
  • Re: Paying Top Dollar for Punishment, 26 Miles Worth
    ... unable to hike The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, or the ... Violating the permit is a good way to have a race banned - or for the individual to be banned from the race. ... Most races exist because of working relationships between race organizers and local authorities - be they road or trail. ... New York Road Runners and marathon co-founder Fred ...
    (rec.running)
  • Re: The Penguin. Runners friend or foe?
    ... Her first marathon I ... Now if the organisers ... if you enter a *race* you ... To blame runners for being greedy is something I find ludicrous. ...
    (uk.rec.running)