Posted: December 13, 2004

Athletics: City of Los Angeles Marathon to Celebrate 20th Edition in March

Higher Stakes for "The Challenge", Training Menus at Area Restaurants and More

LOS ANGELES - (December 8, 2004) - For two decades, the City of Los Angeles Marathon, presented by Honda, has led the world of marathoning in race-day innovations. Over the years, the list of firsts has included the use of ChampionChip transponders attached to runners' shoelaces to track individual start, course splits and finish times; the introduction of "The Challenge," a dramatic race-within-a-race pitting men against women on a level playing field for a cash prize; the availability of personalized bibs for runners and the introduction of the first ever pre-marathon bike ride.

On March 6, 2005, the L.A. Marathon will turn 20 and the anniversary race comes with still more innovations designed to enhance the experience of the 25,000-plus athletes who will set out for personal bests.

Among the highlights are a Fitness Training Menu program which the L.A. Marathon will launch on January 1, 2005 and continue through race day in conjunction with dozens of L.A. area restaurants. Included among them are five stars in the renowned Patina Group crown including Zucca Ristorante, Cafe Pinot, Nick & Stef's Steakhouse and Kendall's Brasserie & Bar in downtown L.A. and Pinot Bistro in Studio City, Calif. In partnership with OpenTable.com and the California Restaurant Association, the L.A. Marathon will point training marathoners toward participating casual- and fine-dining restaurants for carbohydrate- and protein-rich lunch and dinner menu selections to fuel their nutritional training needs leading up to race day.

For marathoners who will start event day with the 11th annual Acura L.A. Bike Tour - an approximately 20-mile leisure ride through the traffic-free streets of Los Angeles - a new "Spa On Wheels" shuttle will transport an estimated 120 biathletes from the bike tour finish line to the marathon start line on Figueroa Blvd. at 6th Street. The shuttle will offer mini neck, arm, shoulder and foot massages and will provide Sparkletts water, Gatorade and Clif Bars over the three-mile transport. Secure storage for cycling equipment will be provided.

This year's Los Angeles Marathon will be broadcast via the World Wide Web for the first time courtesy of NBC4 (Channel 4) in Los Angeles. The Webcast will enable a global audience to experience NBC4's live broadcast of the marathon in real-time by logging onto NBC4.TV or by linking through lamarathon.com. The Webcast simulcast, along with NBC4's and KVEA's (Channel 52 in Spanish) live broadcasts will air on Sunday, March 6 from 8am to noon.

"The Challenge" returns for the second year and the stakes have been raised. In this unique format, the elite women start the race approximately 20 minutes ahead of the elite men and compete for a cash bonus of $75,000 for being the first person to cross the finish line. The bonus reflects an increase of $25,000 from the $50,000 cash bonus in 2004.

Other cornerstone events of the L.A. Marathon also return in 2005. Thousands will take to the streets by participating in the Emerald Nuts 5K Run/Walk. The Los Angeles Wheelchair Race will gather one of the largest fields of physically challenged athletes in the world. The event is one of the most respected competitions for wheelchair athletes in the United States and more than 100 athletes are expected to participate. The Wheelchair Division follows the same course of the runners and offers one of the largest prize purses in wheelchair racing.

Since its inception, the L.A. Marathon has raised more than $16 million for local charities by encouraging participants to run for a cause. Once again, the L.A. Marathon promises to deliver what has become known as the "Million Dollar Morning," as 50 charities will benefit from the anticipated $1 million raised by runners who complete the 26.2-mile run.

The L.A. Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, is the largest marathon in the state, fourth largest in the country and seventh largest in the world. It is known among serious runners as one of the more difficult courses in the world, and yet it is expected to draw 30,000 runners in 2005. Runners from all 50 states and 80 countries are anticipated. Historically, 80 percent of all participants have hailed Southern California as their home making the race one of the city's most highly participated and defining events.

The L.A. Marathon presented by Honda takes place Sunday, March 6, 2005. In addition to American Honda Motor Co., Inc., marathon sponsors include American Airlines, City of Angels Medical Center, NBC4, KVEA 52 (Telemundo), Saucony, Sparkletts and Emerald Nuts. To date, more than 350,000 runners and walkers have participated in the L.A. Marathon. For more information or to register for L.A. Marathon XX visit www.lamarathon.com or call (310) 444-5544.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.