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LA Marathon

March 21, 2010 by · Comments Off on LA Marathon 

LA MarathonLA Marathon:Organizers of the Los Angeles Marathon hope their new stadium-to-the-sea course results in faster times and a better experience for the more than 25,000 runners who are expected to participate Sunday morning. Here’s a look at some race tidbits:

Ideal conditions

The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a temperature of 55 degrees at Dodger Stadium for the start of the race shortly after 7 a.m. By the time the elite runners reach the finish line near the Santa Monica Pier a couple of hours later, the temperature is expected to have reached only the low 60s. Winds are expected to be light along the route.

A new rush hour

About 250 buses are expected to take nearly 10,000 people from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to Dodger Stadium from 3 to 6 a.m. Sunday. Shuttles will run every half-hour. Parking at Dodger Stadium is free.

Battle of the sexes

The first man or woman to cross the finish line two blocks north of the Santa Monica Pier will win a $100,000 challenge bonus. The women get a head start of 18 minutes 47 seconds, a handicap calculated by comparing the average times of top runners of each gender. In six previous challenges, the women have won three times and the men three times. “Historically, every second year it’s a Russian woman, so probably it’s my year this time,” Silvia Skvortsova of Cheboksary, Russia, said through an interpreter. Defending race champion Wesley Korir of Kenya won the challenge last year.

Different approach?

Tariku Jufar of Ethiopia acknowledged making a tactical mistake last year on the way to finishing second behind Korir. Jufar said that by leading practically the whole race he expended too much energy before the final miles. “This year I am improving the plan,” Jufar said through an interpreter.

Don’t forget to recycle

Race organizers have arranged for 1.75 million cups along the course, with 50,000 gallons of Dasani water and 15,000 gallons of Powerade to refresh runners.

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