The Los Angeles Marathon has two finish lines this year — and people aren’t happy about it.
As temperatures in LA hit 88 degrees, organizers offered runners the option to finish their race early at the 18th mile and still receive their medal if they were “having a tough day.”
For the first time, the annual LA Marathon is offering up participation medals for those who opt out at mile 18. Jonathan Alcorn For CA PostWhile the winner Nathan Martin, of Michigan, took first place over Kenya’s Michael Kamau, there was an early escape route on offer as temperatures hit 88 degrees.
Martin won the men’s pro race by 00.01 of a second with a time of 2:11:16.50, the closest finish ever.
But for the less-than-athletically inclined, The McCourt Foundation, announced another route to the finish line.
“If you’re having a tough day and want to end your race before [mile] 26.2, you can choose to take the turn at Mile 18 and head into the finish line early,” The McCourt Foundation, which is hosting the event, announced on its website Friday.
“You do not need to notify anyone of your decision and can opt to take this route at any time.”
Runners can choose to finish the marathon race once they hit the mile-18 marker along the route. Jonathan Alcorn For CA Post
Previous LA Marathons have been canceled or moved earlier or later due to hot and humid conditions. Jonathan Alcorn For CA Post
The neurological disease charity foundation announced this rule change just two days ahead of the 26.2-mile race, adding this option was available only this year and that “there is no shame in making a smart decision for your body.”
“You will still receive your finisher medal and any challenge medal you’ve earned, and your official race results will be updated at a later date to reflect your time and mileage,” the foundation added.
People online trolled marathon organizers for allowing what they see as participation medals for not finishing the race. Jonathan Alcorn For CA PostBut people on social media disagreed.
“People who don’t finish the marathon can identify as people who do finish the marathon,” Lisa Cusack, a district chair for the GOP, wrote on X.
“Next thing you know, they’re going to talk about how brave the people that stop at 18 miles are compared to those who finish, because it takes a big person to quit and embrace that emotional and mental strain of recognizing when you need to quit,” another person added.
The weather during the marathon was unseasonably warm for an LA winter. Jonathan Alcorn For CA PostThe move is a first for the marathon, which has been a major event for the city since being inspired by the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Previous races have been canceled or moved earlier or later due to hot and humid conditions — prompting some trolling online.
“Can I submit my application to be a marathon finisher by mail and just have them send me my medal afterwards?” one X user asked.
The LA Marathon has been considering the weather in all its planning, according to Meg Treat of Treat Public Relations, the PR agency that spoke to Runner’s World.
Race participants agree to congratulate one another on receiving their LA Marathon medals. Jonathan Alcorn For CA Post
Exhausted marathon runners take a break along the race route in Los Angeles. Jonathan Alcorn For CA Post“Our weather conversations have been ongoing. … We start actively monitoring it with the LA Fire Department, which partners with the National Weather Service, 10 days before the race,” Treat told Runner’s World.
“Earlier this week the team was alerted about the warmer temperatures … and we communicated to our runners about how they could have a safe race day.”
The race was held Sunday March 8 and moved through Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Echo Park, Hollywood and Beverly Hills before ending at the Avenue of the Stars. Jonathan Alcorn For CA PostPeople also pointed out that while they were “all for safety,” the decision to award a medal to runners who opt out at mile 18 still didn’t make sense.
“If you don’t finish because it’s too hot, no one cares and that’s totally fair. But you can’t get a medal for running less than a marathon,” one user wrote on X.
Tired runners tend to their aching feet in Century City near the end of the route. Jonathan Alcorn For CA PostWith over 27,000 registered participants, the LA Marathon — known as “Stadium to the Stars” — is a 26.2-mile course starting at Dodger Stadium.
The race moves through Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Echo Park, Hollywood and Beverly Hills before ending in Century City on Santa Monica Boulevard at Avenue of the Stars.
This runner looked particularly pleased with his LA Marathon performance. Jonathan Alcorn For CA PostRunners who choose the early-finish route can do so without notifying officials and can opt in “at any time.”
The exit point is “just past Mile 18 on Santa Monica Blvd,” where runners are directed by “Charity Half Finish / Charity Half Split” signage on the left side of the road, along with cones, barricades, and other course controls guiding runners toward the finish.
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At their highest point, temperatures reached about 20 degrees above the average.
