It was a beautiful crisp morning at Dodger Stadium as more than 26,000 runners – young and old – took off from the starting line with the hope of completing the 26.2-mile trek across town to the Avenue of the Stars.
From Dodger Stadium they made their way toward downtown – running by historic Olvera Street, Chinatown and passing through several communities including Echo Park, Little Armenia, Hollywood, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills before ending in Century City.
Most participants wore the usual running shoes and attire, but some took the opportunity to take a more lighthearted approach. A handful of runners came dressed in banana costumes, while another ran in nothing but a pair of shorts – no shirt or shoes.
This marathon was significant. It was a return to some normalcy for Los Angeles, a city still devastated by the wildfires. It was meaningful that among the runners were firefighters who courageously battled the extreme fire fueled by high winds. This marathon was dedicated to them.
United States Forest Service Cpt. Jerry Garcia, a Palmdale resident who battled the Eaton Fire in Altadena, co-paced the group of runners that sought to complete the marathon in two hours and 55 minutes. He finished with a personal best of 2:40. Garcia, who is an ultra-marathoner, said he was grateful for the opportunity to take on this role. He had trained in the very terrain where the wildfires broke out.
“I guarantee that 90% of the runners in the marathon probably know somebody who lost their home or was personally impacted,” Garcia said.
“When they asked me to pace, I knew it could be about helping runners and being part of an event about the Los Angeles community,” said Garcia. “It’s a trying time right now and it’s about everyone coming together.”
Runners are Fueled by Spectators
Along the route, friends, relatives and strangers cheered the runners on. Friends held up signs and at some of the mile marks, the runners were greeted by DJs, drummers and dancers. Some of the entertainment reflected its community. At mile 2 in Chinatown were the East Wind Dragon Dancers; at mile 4 in Little Tokyo, runners heard the Koshin Taiko Drummers. But the biggest inspiration came from friends and family members who stood at various points of the route, phone in hand, anxiously waiting for that moment when their runner went by to call out their name and cheer and try not to miss the moment to take their photo.
One spectator was 64-year-old Victor Macedonio, who came to support his son in his third LA Marathon.
Macedonio is an experienced marathon runner himself, participating seven times. He fondly recalled when the LA Marathon used to end at the Santa Monica Pier, and how nice the cool breeze felt for runners approaching the finish line.
The South Gate resident was also a coach in the Students Run LA (SRLA) program, which provides free mentoring and marathon training for students in seventh grade and up who go to schools in the LA Unified School District.
Like other SRLA coaches, Macedonio ran alongside his students to train them.
“We started training seven months before the actual marathon, so first they ran three miles, then six, then nine and 13 miles. When the marathon was close, we rested for two weeks, and then they ran 26 miles,” he said.
He’s taken a break from running due to an injured knee, but he’s still open to the idea of going on another 26-mile run in the future, especially as the training will help improve his health and overall well-being.
“It’s a lot of fun because you receive a lot of motivation the whole way,” Macedonio said. “People on the road give you food and drinks that keep you going, and that’s motivation to [finish] … If you train, you can do it easily,” he believes.
Middle Schoolers Participate Through SRLA
While many people running in the marathon are experienced runners, there are scores of people who participate for the very first time. SRLA coach Dulcinea Garcia-Gagnier, a young physical education teacher from George Porter Middle School, prepared for the grueling run after school and on weekends with her students.
The first-time coach is very proud of the team who embraced their goals. All of the participating students were able to make it across the finish line, as well as Garcia-Gagnier – finishing with a time of 6:42.
The 14 students are: April Carrillo, Tomas Cervantes, Jessica Espinoza, Robert Gerena, Alannah Gomez, Melody Guzman, Mariet Perez Hernandez, Adrian Martinez, Ashley Martinez, Alejandro Medina, Jayden Memije, Malakai Padilla, Juan Carlos Turcios and Arthur Urbina.
With this being her very first time to enter a marathon, Coach Garcia-Gagnier said it was “a bit nerve-wracking” waiting for the marathon to start, but once it was underway, she said it was a fun time.
“I was obviously exhausted by the end. At 24 miles, it felt like it was taking forever and that last little loop is insane,” Garcia-Gagnier said. “But I was relieved at the end. I was proud of myself for being able to mentally get myself through everything.
“It’s a physical sport, obviously, but I think it’s a lot more mental [strength] to be able to run and keep going and not give up,” she continued. “Just keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other, until you can make it to the finish line.”
She noted that the same fortitude was demonstrated by her students. One of the boys injured his arm just weeks before the marathon, and for a couple of days, he didn’t think he would be able to compete. Nonetheless, he persevered, running in the marathon with his arm in a cast.
Now that she knows what to expect, Garcia-Gagnier plans to work on her pacing so she doesn’t feel burnt out towards the end. She’s still a bit nervous when looking ahead to next year’s marathon, but at the same time is looking forward to it.
Garcia-Gagnier reiterated how proud she was of her students. One of the seventh graders was able to complete the course in a remarkable four hours and 30 minutes.
“It was cool to see them accomplish their goal and them feeling proud of themselves for doing it,” Garcia-Gagnier said. “They [each] picked a running buddy … to stay with because when you get to those last few miles, it’s like a mental game, but it’s good to have someone there to motivate you.”
The SRLA students have one last event in the school year – Spring into Summer 5K in Boyle Heights on May 4. Afterward, Garcia-Gagnier hopes to hold a potluck for her school’s team to celebrate the students’ accomplishments.