Faster Route for Marathon

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday unveiled a new Los Angeles Marathon course that is designed to reduce friction between runners and residents of neighborhoods along the route of the annual event that draws more than 25,000 athletes, 12,000 volunteers and more than 1 million spectators.

The new course that will debut during the 22nd annual race in March 2007 will begin at Universal Studios Hollywood, wind its way along many of the city’s main thoroughfares and several neighborhoods before finishing 26.2 miles later opposite the Central Library at 5th and Flower streets.

One result of the new course will be faster times for many runners who will no longer have to climb as many hills as in the past. Race officials hope that the promise of faster times will offset grumbling by longtime participants who’ve come to appreciate the course’s challenging topography.

The point-to-point route made public during a press conference Monday at Universal Studios Hollywood will replace a course that began and ended in the same location -- an attractive feature for runners who could park their cars before the race and have easy access to them at the finish line.

But the old course created lengthy traffic delays for residents and motorists along the circuit.

The new route was determined after years of discussions and negotiations involving the marathon, the city and One L.A., a group that represents more than 100 congregations, schools, unions and nonprofit organizations.

Although the new route passes through many of the same neighborhoods, it is designed to shorten delays for motorists and others whose weekend routines have been interrupted by the annual race. Local religious leaders who’ve objected to having religious services disrupted were generally receptive to the new route.

“The Sabbath will be less impacted by this route,” said Clyde W. Oden Jr., senior pastor of the Bryant Temple A.M.E. Church on West Vernon Avenue. Oden, an occasional marathon runner, said that about a third of his congregation has experienced difficulty getting to church on race days.

Although fewer lengthy delays are expected, religious leaders will continue to press Villaraigosa and race operators to eventually shift the race from what, for many, is a day of worship. Joung M. Song, senior pastor of the Mijoo Peace Church on Bimini Place, and, like Oden, a member of One L.A., urged Villaraigosa and race operators to move the race to a Monday when a federal holiday is scheduled.

Moving the race to the last day of a three-day weekend might satisfy those along the course whose daily routines are interrupted, but it’s uncertain whether a Monday race would suit the needs of the television station that broadcasts the race and corporate sponsors who use it to market goods and services.

Race organizers described the new course as extremely runner-friendly because it eliminates many of the hills that made it difficult for athletes to generate U.S. and world marathon records.

The race topography “is pretty much downhill,” said L.A. Marathon President William A. Burke, who expects both elite athletes and middle-of-the-pack runners to enjoy faster times.

Burke said the new route was “the overwhelming favorite” among 67,000 runners polled. But he also acknowledged that “you don’t change a course like this without a lot of headaches and heartaches.”

Pat Connelly, coach of the L.A. Roadrunners, a group that trains runners for the race, said more athletes will be able to use the new, faster course to qualify for the Boston Marathon and other premier races.

The race will continue to weave through many of Los Angeles’ best-known neighborhoods, including the Crenshaw district, Koreatown, Hollywood and the new district rising near Staples Center.

It will include stretches along Hollywood and Sunset boulevards and end in the downtown business district.

Because the race will start and finish in different locations, athletes will be encouraged to use public transportation, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Red Line, which will transport participants free of charge on race day.

In an e-mail, Michele Biagioni, a spokeswoman for the L.A. Leggers running group, said that race officials, the MTA and the city will have to answer transportation-related questions as the race draws near.