Los Angeles Marathon (Los Angeles Times)
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LOS ANGELES -- Kenyan Wesley Korir won the mens' division of the 24th annual Los Angeles Marathon with a record-breaking time. The women's title went to Tatiana Petrova of Russia.
Korir crossed the finish line with a record-setting time of 2:08:23. The old course record was 2:08:40.
Petrova had the third-best women's marathon in L.A.: 2:25:56.
Korir, a University of Louisville student athlete, said he was singing and praying during the race. His prize package, including a new car, totaled about $189,000.
The elite women were started nearly 17 minutes ahead of the men, to provide for excitement at the finish line, and a $100,000 prize to the winner of the gender race.
More than 17,000 people participated in some way, either running, biking, walking or rolling along the 26.2-mile course.
The wheelchair race began around 7 a.m. and the marathon portion followed about eight minutes later under cool, overcast skies.
Additionally, a 5K run began at 8:30 a.m.
The women runners were given a 17-minute head start to the race.
This is the first time the marathon, usually held the first Sunday in March, has been run this late in the year.
Many runners were upset thinking it would be too hot, however, temperatures were on the cooler side Monday.
Several street closures were in place because of the marathon, including northbound Figueroa Street from Seventh Street to Wilshire Boulevard.
See Map of Race Route
The marathon route started at Sixth and Figueroa streets in downtown. Runners then headed south of Figueroa to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, north on Vermont Avenue to Exposition Boulevard, south on Arlington Avenue around Leimert Park and back up Crenshaw Boulevard to Venice Boulevard.
From there, the race headed north on La Cienega Boulevard, east on Pico Boulevard, through the Fairfax District, east on Sixth Street, then Third Street, south on Wilton Place and east on Olympic Boulevard. At that point, the bike race continued south on Vermont Avenue to Exposition.
Runners continued on Olympic into the downtown area and finished the race at Fifth and Flower streets.
Streets were set to reopen by region after the race ended.
Los Angeles Department of Transportation officials expected streets to open at:
-- 11 a.m. in Exposition Park;
-- Noon in the Crenshaw area;
-- 1 p.m. on Venice;
-- 2 p.m. in the Fairfax District;
-- 4 p.m. in the Wilshire/Westlake area; and
-- 5 p.m. in downtown.
Additionally, five DASH lines -- Crenshaw, Midtown, Pico Union/Echo Park, Southeast and Wilshire Center/Koreatown -- were being rerouted.
Service on DASH Crenshaw was suspended until 12:30 p.m. when the streets reopened and the DASH Midtown restarted service at 1:30 p.m.
Between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday, the Pico Union/Echo Park line was not making stops on Washington Boulevard at Grand Avenue, Figueroa Street or Cherry Street and Union Avenue at Olympic and James M. Woods boulevards.
The DASH Southeast and DASH Wilshire Center/Koreatown was suspending regular service until 5 p.m.
Korir crossed the finish line with a record-setting time of 2:08:23. The old course record was 2:08:40.
Petrova had the third-best women's marathon in L.A.: 2:25:56.
Korir, a University of Louisville student athlete, said he was singing and praying during the race. His prize package, including a new car, totaled about $189,000.
The elite women were started nearly 17 minutes ahead of the men, to provide for excitement at the finish line, and a $100,000 prize to the winner of the gender race.
More than 17,000 people participated in some way, either running, biking, walking or rolling along the 26.2-mile course.
The wheelchair race began around 7 a.m. and the marathon portion followed about eight minutes later under cool, overcast skies.
Additionally, a 5K run began at 8:30 a.m.
The women runners were given a 17-minute head start to the race.
This is the first time the marathon, usually held the first Sunday in March, has been run this late in the year.
Many runners were upset thinking it would be too hot, however, temperatures were on the cooler side Monday.
Several street closures were in place because of the marathon, including northbound Figueroa Street from Seventh Street to Wilshire Boulevard.
See Map of Race Route
The marathon route started at Sixth and Figueroa streets in downtown. Runners then headed south of Figueroa to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, north on Vermont Avenue to Exposition Boulevard, south on Arlington Avenue around Leimert Park and back up Crenshaw Boulevard to Venice Boulevard.
From there, the race headed north on La Cienega Boulevard, east on Pico Boulevard, through the Fairfax District, east on Sixth Street, then Third Street, south on Wilton Place and east on Olympic Boulevard. At that point, the bike race continued south on Vermont Avenue to Exposition.
Runners continued on Olympic into the downtown area and finished the race at Fifth and Flower streets.
Streets were set to reopen by region after the race ended.
Los Angeles Department of Transportation officials expected streets to open at:
-- 11 a.m. in Exposition Park;
-- Noon in the Crenshaw area;
-- 1 p.m. on Venice;
-- 2 p.m. in the Fairfax District;
-- 4 p.m. in the Wilshire/Westlake area; and
-- 5 p.m. in downtown.
Additionally, five DASH lines -- Crenshaw, Midtown, Pico Union/Echo Park, Southeast and Wilshire Center/Koreatown -- were being rerouted.
Service on DASH Crenshaw was suspended until 12:30 p.m. when the streets reopened and the DASH Midtown restarted service at 1:30 p.m.
Between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday, the Pico Union/Echo Park line was not making stops on Washington Boulevard at Grand Avenue, Figueroa Street or Cherry Street and Union Avenue at Olympic and James M. Woods boulevards.
The DASH Southeast and DASH Wilshire Center/Koreatown was suspending regular service until 5 p.m.
