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Organizers, Officials Hope to Put L.A. on Marathon Map With March 9 Race

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In the world of big-time marathon running, Los Angeles rates as little more than a dot on the map. Except for the men’s marathon in the 1932 and 1984 Olympics and the women’s marathon in the ’84 Games, there has never been a world-class marathon in the city. That may change soon. On March 9, the first Los Angeles Marathon will be run. Organizers and city officials are predicting that it will finally put Los Angeles on the marathon map.

Friday morning, at a press conference on the steps of City Hall, Mayor Tom Bradley and William Burke, president of the Los Angeles Marathon Inc., announced the date, detailed the course--start and finish line will be at the Coliseum--and introduced the sponsors. Mostly, though, they wanted it known that they intend for this city-sanctioned marathon to be on the same level as those in Boston, New York and Chicago.

Said Bradley: “After the success of the Olympic Games, we came to the conclusion that Los Angeles ought to join the ranks of those first-class cities in this country and the rest of the world that annually hold marathons. It is my expectation that, at some point and quickly, Los Angeles will rank with the best in the world.”

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Burke said that his organization already has a million-dollar budget, sponsorship by Coca-Cola, Trans World Airlines and Air Cal, among others, and is currently negotiating a national television deal.

Expectations may be high for the L.A. Marathon, but it most likely won’t become an instant world-class race if organizers are unable to draw a representative share of the elite men and women marathoners. Fall and spring are the heights of the marathon season, and the L.A. Marathon will be competing against world-class races in Boston, London and Rotterdam--all in April.

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