Posted: August 3, 2006

Athletics: City of Los Angeles Marathon Announces First "Point-to-Point" Course in Its 22-Year History

Start Line at Universal Studios Hollywood Expected to Attract More Out-of-Town Participants LOS ANGELES - (July 31, 2006) - Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined Los Angeles Marathon President Dr. William A. Burke to announce that the 22nd L.A. Marathon presented by Honda on Sunday, March 4, 2007 will run on an entirely new course, which will likely be the fastest in the race's history. The 26.2 mile race will take place on its first ever "point-to-point" course - beginning in the valley for the first time at Universal Studios Hollywood and ending at 5th and Flower opposite the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles. The course's unique design will eliminate many of the hills from the previous course that made the possibility of U.S. and world records highly unlikely. Both the start and finish line areas are served by the MTA Red Line, which will transport participants and offer spectators the opportunity to watch the progress of the race at various points on the course. For 22 years, the City of Los Angeles Marathon has been a unifying force in the city. As has been the tradition since the race's inception, the course will weave its way through the multi-cultural heart of the city. Participants will pass the Hollywood Bowl, run Hollywood Blvd, Sunset Blvd and through the Crenshaw, Koreatown, Exposition Park, past the Coliseum, Convention Center and Staples Center before ending in the corridor of high rises in the downtown business district. For local residents and out of town visitors, this race is the single best way to discover the richness of the local culture as exemplified by the on-course entertainment and more than one million spectators lining the course and 12,000 volunteers who contribute their time to make each participant's experience a memorable one. "I am pleased to recognize the organizers of the Los Angeles Marathon for their excellent leadership in producing this great event for more than two decades," said Mayor Villaraigosa. "I have participated in this wonderful event and I can assure you there is no better way to see this city and meet its people." "Immediately following this year's race, we set out to design the most business-friendly, church-friendly, participant-friendly and spectator-friendly course in our history, "said Dr. Burke. "This is a mostly downhill course that holds the potential for our fastest times ever. When you combine that with a new Start Line at one of the world's most popular theme parks, we expect the largest increase in out-of-town participants in our history." Roadrunners, the Official Training Program for the Los Angeles Marathon, begins August 19 in Los Angeles, Ventura and the Inland Empire. The proven program with a 99+% finishers' rate is designed to take participants from the couch to the finish line. The early entry fee for the 2007 Los Angeles Marathon is $85 through December 1, 2006. An all-inclusive fee of $145 includes entry into the Marathon and Roadrunners training. Online registration is now open at: LAMarathon.com About the City of Los Angeles Marathon The 22nd running of the City of Los Angeles Marathon presented by Honda under the auspices of Devine Sports will take place the weekend of March 2-4, with the run beginning at 8:15am on Sunday, March 4, 2007. Race day also includes the Acura L.A. Bike Tour and the Emerald Nuts 5K Run/Walk. Prior to Sunday's race, the weekend's activities include the two-day Emerald Nuts Quality of Life Expo taking place on March 2 &3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Other sponsors of the weekend include Acura, American Airlines, Banco Popular, Emerald Premium Snacks, NBC 4, Saucony and Telemundo 52. The race will be broadcast live on NBC 4 and Telemundo 52 from 8am to noon and on the worldwide web at NBC4.tv. The Los Angeles Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, is the largest marathon held in California, the fourth largest in the country and the seventh largest in the world. It is expected to draw more than 26,000 runners from 50 states and 100 countries in 2007. The Los Angeles Marathon is owned by Devine Sports, online at DevineSports.com. Source: Laurence Cohen, TLC MediaWorks

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.

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