Frank McCourt takes over Los Angeles Marathon

Negotiations with Chicago-based Devine Racing Management were completed a week after the City Council approved a new contract with McCourt's company that calls for the race date to be shifted from the first Sunday in March to the Monday President's Day holiday in February. McCourt's company also will be required to reimburse the city for police, sanitation and other race-related costs.

Though McCourt is providing the financial backing, Going the Distance will be overseen by Los Angeles businessmen Russ Pillar and David Kingsdale.

"Los Angeles is a world-class city and deserves a world-class race," McCourt said in a news release issued Thursday. "I'm looking forward to working closely with Russ and David, Honda Motors and all the other wonderful sponsors, as well as the incredible volunteer base to build this event into one of which we all can be proud."

It will take the new race operating company a bit of time to sort out race details, including issues created by the new race date, McCourt spokesman Howard Sunkin said.

"Our best advice right now is to be patient," Sunkin said during a telephone interview. "We are going to hit the ground running, and changes will be made as immediately as possible, as soon as we can get hands on the infrastructure.

"The transaction closed this morning, the wire transfers have occurred and, in terms of the [city-owned] intellectual property, we have taken control of that. We want the entire running community to be participating in this marathon."

Word of the sale is likely to resonate in the running community -- though some runners undoubtedly will be upset by the change to a Monday in February.

Martha Rodriguez, who works at a downtown law firm, is one of an unknown number of runners who've already paid more than $100 in nonrefundable registration fees. The Feb. 16 date doesn't work, Rodriguez said in an email: "It's just not fair, especially since I have a sister joining me from out of town and she already made her flight arrangements based on the March 1st date."

Long-time runner Phil Steinman said that the earlier racing date could wreak havoc with training regimes, particularly for new runners. "What this really means is that many marathoners will be cramming their training for the LA Marathon later than usual," Steinman said in an email.

The ownership change also is of interest to service providers, part-time workers and even top runners who have not yet been paid by Devine Racing Management for services rendered during past races.

Athlete agent Shawn Hellebuyck said that two of her runners -- the second-place male and third-place female -- have yet to be paid for the 2008 race. "I've been carrying her financially," Hellebuyck said. "But I keep having faith that eventually they'll be paid the thousands of dollars they're owed."

The attorney for a sanitation company that is owed $33,667.83 said earlier this week that Devine had yet to pay his client for services rendered during the 2007 race.

Chris Devine, the race's former owner, said Thursday during a telephone interview that "a lot of the obligations are getting paid today by direct wire transfers. Then we'll make the appropriate telephone calls to talk to other vendors to get them what's outstanding."

Sunkin said that "the obligations clearly rest with Mr. Devine, but we have the utmost assurances that all of the outstanding obligations will be resolved."

When asked if the new race operator will have sufficient capital to ensure that races operate smoothly and vendors are paid promptly, Sunkin said, "We want to make it crystal clear that this race will be run with the utmost amount of dignity, respect and resources. This is a civic asset that belongs to the city of Los Angeles, and we will take it to the level that the city of Los Angeles deserves."

Sunkin also said that the new race operating company hopes to continue sponsorship deals with KNBC, which traditionally has broadcast the Sunday race, and Honda, the race's main sponsor.

Steinman, the long-time runner, voiced a hope that many runners have expressed as the deal was negotiated: "McCourt should have someone design him a fast runner's course that begins in Dodger Stadium and ends at the Beach. This type of course would be so popular that they might have to cap the size of the race."

Sunkin said that the basic course would remain the same in 2009, though some tinkering might occur toward the end to ease traffic restrictions for downtown businesses that don't shut down for President's Day. A Los Angeles Dept. of Transportation spokesman said that the holiday race should be "no more difficult" when it comes to blocking traffic than on a Sunday.

greg.johnson@latimes.com