LA Marathon Race Date Changed to May 25th, 2009!

If you hadn't yet heard, the LA Marathon date has officially been moved from February 16th to May 25th, 2009 - Memorial Day. For those of you who, by some miracle hadn't heard yet, the rights to the LA Marathon, which was apparently  in financial straights,  were purchased recently by LA Dogers owner McCord, who seems poised to turn the event into a world-class race.

Still there is quite a bit of controversy over the date change and the way it will interfere with the schedules of other locally run marathons - and the fact that it is being held on a day many reserve to honor our fallen veterans.

I personally welcome the news as it will give me several additional weeks to recover from injury and train, but the conditions could be blistering hot in May...AND smoggy.  We'll have to see.

Here is the text of the press release:

The Los Angeles Marathon's new ownership announced yesterday that the 2009 race will be moved to Memorial Day, six days before San Diego's May 31 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.

“It's nuts,” said Tracy Sundlun, vice president of the Competitor Group, which owns the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. “This is bad for the sport. It's certainly bad for L.A. And it's terrible for charities.”

The new date marks the second time since September that the Los Angeles Marathon has switched dates. The race was switched from the first Monday in March to Feb. 16, 2009, before the latest change.

L.A. Marathon President Russ Pillar said city officials, runners and tourism experts wanted the race moved from a Sunday to a Monday holiday.

Former Los Angeles Marathon owner Dr. Bill Burke was harshly critical of the new date.

“I was shocked,” Burke said. “I think it shows the decision was obviously made by somebody who's not a runner. It shows an utter disregard for the running community.

“The weather in Los Angeles, in May, to run a marathon, is horrific. I'm very concerned about mortality in a race held on that date.”

Added Burke, “That, combined with the disregard for those of us who have family and friends who served in the armed forces, we pay respect to them on that day. It makes me sorry I took the money.”

Burke said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pushed for the date change and also wants a point-to-point race. Burke thinks a point-to-point race will necessitate part of the marathon being run through the San Fernando Valley, which in late May could be hot.

While the Los Angeles Marathon has been in existence since 1986 compared to Rock 'n' Roll's 1998 start, the San Diego event is more securely established.

The Los Angeles Marathon has its third ownership in six years. The previous owners, Devine Racing Management, sold the event in September to pay off creditors. Winners from the 2006 event were not paid for nearly a year.

The Los Angeles and Rock 'n' Roll marathons are similar in size. The L.A. race had 17,311 finishers this year, compared to 16,373 for Rock 'n' Roll.

Ryan Lamppa, a researcher for Running USA, a nonprofit distance-running organization, doesn't think the Los Angeles Marathon's new date will affect the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.

“L.A., that's another story,” Lamppa said. “(The race) is three months later, under new management, on a holiday. I'm not sure how that will go. For Rock 'n' Roll, I think it'll be business as usual.”

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