If You’re in the Running for a Place in the Second Annual L.A. Marathon . . .

On March 1, the streets will come alive with an expected 12,000 runners of every age, occupation and running experience as the second annual City of Los Angeles Marathon gets under way.

Running a course that begins and ends in Exposition Park, entrants will pound through culturally diverse neighborhoods as they pass through downtown, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Olvera Street, mid-city, Hancock Park, Crenshaw and Hollywood.

By comparison, the New York Marathon drew more than 20,000 runners last year. But organizers say the Los Angeles run is moving up in the ranks of city-hosted marathons, buoyed still by the collective euphoria of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and last year’s successful first L.A. Marathon (which drew almost 11,000).

Among top runners signed up so far, according to organizers, are the 1986 New York Marathon men’s division winner, Gianni Poli; the 1986 L.A. Marathon men’s division winner, Ric Sayre; Nancy Ditz, last year’s winner in the L.A. women’s division; New Zealander Rod Dixon, who won the 1983 New York Marathon; Maria Trujillo, winner of the women’s division in the 1986 San Francisco Marathon; leading Canadian marathoner Art Boileau, and Eloy Schleder Rodriguez, who won both the 1986 Australian Marathon and 1986 Rio de Janeiro Marathon.

For Cash and Prizes

They’ll be competing for $405,000 in cash and prizes, according to L.A. Marathon President William Burke, with the first-place male and female runners receiving $15,000 each plus a new Mercedes.

Previous marathon experience is not a prerequisite. About 44% of the participants in the 1986 L.A. Marathon were competing in their first marathon.

Whether winning or just stumbling across the finish line is your goal, running a marathon requires training.

You should have started months ago, according to Charlie Hoover, marathoner and owner of the Phidippides Running Store in Marina del Rey. “Don’t wait until the last minute. We had people coming in and asking for training advice just two weeks prior to last year’s race.”

There are no hard-and-fast rules for training, Hoover said. “A professional trains all year, putting in 80 to 120 miles a week. The average middle-of-the-pack runner can get away with 35 to 50 miles of training--including one long run--each week. But it really depends on the individual and what he wants to accomplish.”

On the other hand, overtraining can be the marathoner’s worst enemy. According to Dr. Anthony Daly, a Marina del Rey orthopedic and sports medicine specialist who is team doctor for the Los Angeles Clippers and was medical director of the 1984 Olympics, “The average runner gets into what we call the ‘overuse syndrome’--too much, too soon. They push the body beyond what it’s capable of doing at the time and that can result in any number of injuries.”

“Most injuries occur prior to the race,” agrees Dr. Dan Silver, a Westwood specialist in arthroscopic surgery and the treatment of sports-related injuries. “If you’re in the middle of a workout and you start experiencing unusual pain or exhaustion, slow down or walk for awhile. If you don’t start feeling better after a few minutes, call it quits.”

“Don’t change your training routine the week before the race,” warns Lazlo Tabori, who has coached the San Fernando Valley Track Club for 14 years and is personal running coach to a number of top runners. “Cut back on your mileage a week or so before the marathon, but increase the quality of your workouts. And no crazy diets.”

In fact, Southern California, with its mild climate and varied landscape, offers runners the opportunity to do just that--to train in a variety of locations and under all kinds of conditions. From miles of open beach running to traversing the trails and roads of the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountain ranges, a runner can not only get in shape but enjoy the scenery as well. Runners refer to it as “adventure running.”

Most veteran runners are familiar with the standard running locations around the city: Griffith Park, San Vicente Boulevard in Santa Monica, Sepulveda Dam Recreation Center and Lake Hollywood reservoir.

Use the following list of suggested sites as a starting point for developing your own agenda of more interesting routes. Compiled with the help of dedicated adventure runners--including marathoner Charlie Hoover and Lee Prebble, who is commissioner of athletes for the L.A. Marathon--it includes runs of varying lengths, inclines and declines, all off city streets.

In preparing for one of these runs, keep in mind that safety should be your first consideration. Some of them will take you far off the beaten path, so take a running buddy along and carry your own water supply. (The numeral that begins each of the 10 routes below corresponds to a site on the accompanying map.)

Little Sycamore Canyon

1--To Pacific Coast Highway; 11 miles one way.

From the Ventura Freeway exit on Westlake Boulevard west toward the coast. Stay on Westlake Boulevard until it becomes Highway 23. After a few miles, 23 merges with Mulholland Highway. Follow Mulholland Highway until it meets Little Sycamore Canyon Road.

This isolated two-lane black-top road will take you through some very beautiful country for a one-way, 11-mile run to Pacific Coast Highway. Your legs will get a lot of downhill work, but long portions of the road are flat. At six miles, you will pass the majestic pinnacles of Sandstone Peak. At eight miles, the road intersects with Yerba Buena Road. Turn left and follow Yerba Buena to Pacific Coast Highway. Work out a shuttle system for someone to meet you at the end of the run, as the 11-mile run back will be primarily uphill.

Charmlee County Park

2--Head inland from Pacific Coast Highway on Encinal Canyon Road, about 15 miles north of Malibu Canyon. It’s four miles to the entrance to the park, a left-hand turn off Encinal Canyon Road.

For open-trail running combined with spectacular scenery, this is hard to beat. The park is surrounded on three sides by distant mountains. One can also see the coastline for miles and miles in either direction. One highlight of the park is a large meadow surrounded by clumps of California oaks. Locate the main trail heading out of the parking lot toward the ocean. The trail basically makes a large loop back to the parking lot with numerous minor trails going off in all directions. A good spot for an hour or two of open running.

Malibu Creek State Park

3--Six miles round trip. The entrance to the park is off Las Virgenes Road, approximately 6 1/2 miles from Pacific Coast Highway or four miles from the Ventura Freeway. Park winter hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a $2 parking fee.

Begin your run on the road leading out of the parking lot and into the park. At a half-mile mark you will come to a junction. Turn right on High Road (there is a signpost). For three-fourths of a mile you will pass through a beautiful oak-lined area that parallels Malibu Creek.

At 1 miles, you will reach a point where High Road meets Tower Road and Crags Road. Turn to the right on Crags Road. At the top of the hill, look down onto beautiful Century Lake with its variety of wildlife, including Mallard ducks and Great Blue Heron. Continuing down the hill, you will cross Malibu Creek at the two-mile point. Look for a water faucet on the right.

At three miles you will come to the site, marked by an abandoned Army jeep and a sign, where the TV series “MASH” was filmed. This is a good point to turn around. For a variation on the way back, take Tower Road when you come down the hill from Crags Road. For more distance, follow some of the other trails.

Chatsworth Foothills

4--Take the Tampa Avenue exit off the Ventura Freeway and head north on Tampa to Rinaldi Street. Turn left and park where the road ends.

This is a great route for just getting out and kicking up your heels. There are miles of dirt paths and fire trails running in all directions, up and down rolling hills and stream crossings. You will have great views of the San Fernando Valley atop any number of hills. There are stores near the intersection of Tampa and Rinaldi if you want to pick up something cold to drink.

Mulholland Drive--Santa Monica Mountains

5--Mulholland to Topanga Canyon Boulevard; 16 miles round trip.

Exit off the San Diego Freeway on Mulholland Drive in the Sepulveda Pass and head west (away from Los Angeles) to where the pavement ends. This unpaved section of Mulholland Drive runs west for eight miles to Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and will give you some spectacular views of the San Fernando Valley on one side and the Los Angeles Basin on the other. This can be a hot, dusty run, so it’s probably a good idea to carry water with you. There are numerous side trails to explore along the way. For a manageable 16-mile run, turn around at Topanga Canyon Boulevard and come back the same way.

Ocean Run

6--Santa Monica Pier to Torrance; 20 miles one way.

There’s nothing quite like running along the beaches--a great run to see the sights and get in shape. We’re arbitrarily starting this run near the Santa Monica Pier, but you could pick it up at any number of locations along the bike path from Santa Monica to Torrance.

From Santa Monica, follow the bike path south along the bluffs overlooking the ocean. It loops around Marina del Rey all the way to Torrance’s RAT Beach (Right After Torrance--so-called by many runners). Water fountains are available at various locations along the way. The whole distance, Santa Monica to Torrance, is about 20 miles. Again, arrange for a friend to pick you up at your end destination.

Sam Merrill Trail

7--To Echo Mountain; five miles round trip.

To Mt. Lowe Campground; 10 miles round trip.

Exit north on Lake Avenue from the Foothill Freeway (210) in Pasadena. Follow Lake until it ends and turns into Loma Alta Drive. On the right is the entrance to the botanical gardens called Cobb Estate. Park on the street. There is a sign at the entrance to the estate marking the “Sam Merrill Trail.” Take the trail leading through the estate, which will bring you to the edge of Las Flores Canyon. Continuing signs direct you along the trail and down into the canyon. You will run across the bottom and continue the trail on the other side.

This is a good hardy run, which will take you to the top of Echo Mountain. The trail is winding, often narrow and uphill all the way to the top of the mountain, approximately two and a half miles.

The more adventurous can continue on the trail for another 2 1/2 miles to Mt. Lowe Campground. There is a drinking fountain there. This is a good place to turn around and come back.

Eaton Canyon--Mt. Wilson Toll Road

8--To Henninger Flats Campground; six miles round trip.

To Upper Eaton Canyon; 13 miles round trip.

To Mt. Wilson; approximately 20 miles round trip.

From the Foothill Freeway (210) in Pasadena, exit north on Altadena Drive. Turn right on Crescent Drive, and right again on Pinecrest Drive. There is a gate leading into the canyon.

The mouth of spectacular Eaton Canyon is the start for this run. The course laid out here is from the bridge at the bottom of the canyon to the Henninger Flats Campground and ranger station, approximately three miles one way. Follow the old Mt. Wilson Toll Road--primarily uphill--to the campground. This run offers a good workout combined with some great scenery. On clear days, you can see Catalina Island in the distance.

For additional mileage, continue up the road--past the campground and ranger station--for another mile and a half and turn left on Idlehour Trail. As it drops down for about two miles, the trail will take you into Upper Eaton Canyon. There are several still pools, excellent for foot-cooling, in the trailside stream. Turn around and retrace your path at any point in the canyon when you’ve had enough.

For even more mileage, stay on Mt. Wilson Toll Road (don’t exit at Idlehour Trail) all the way to the top of Mt. Wilson--for a one-way trip of 9.8 miles.

Santa Anita Canyon--Angeles National Forest

9--To Sturtevant Falls; four miles round trip.

Take the Foothill Freeway (210) to the Santa Anita Avenue exit in Arcadia. Take Santa Anita Avenue roughly north toward the mountains. Continue up the canyon for several miles until the road ends at Chantry Flats Ranger Station.

Within 30 minutes of downtown, Chantry Flats is deep in the Angeles National Forest at an altitude of 2,200 feet. This is your jumping-off point for miles of true wilderness running.

Check in at the Chantry Flats ranger office when you arrive. You will need to sign a permit before taking off. If the office is closed, there is a sign-in sheet right outside the door. Also located near the office is a large map showing the various trails and distances involved. For instance, it is five miles to Hoegee’s Campground. A longer route, the Winter Creek Trail is six miles one way.

The Sturtevant Falls Trail is a fun four-mile round trip that may include some boulder-hopping. Take the trail out of the parking lot and down the several-hundred-foot drop to the Santa Anita canyon floor. There you’ll pick up the trail that follows Big Santa Anita Creek. The trail ends at Sturtevant Falls at the north end of the canyon; return the same way.

For more information on all of these trails, contact the Oak Grove Ranger Station in Flintridge. Phone: (818) 790-1151.

Santa Ana River Bed

10--In Huntington Beach, take Pacific Coast Highway just past Brookhurst Street. Park and look for the path that runs along the river bed.

MARATHON RUNNERS ACROSS AMERICA While the Los Angeles Marathon is getting bigger because of successful financing and publicizing, marathon running across the country is actually decreasing. Total Population of Marathon Finishers in U.S.

YEAR ESTIMATED 1978 108,000 ’79 137,000 ’80 134,000 ’81 143,000 ’82 141,000 ‘83* 157,000 ’84 141,000 ’85 101,000 1986 73,000

* The year of olympic trials and marathon fever was high.

Male/ Mean Age Mean Age Female of Male of Female Year ratio Finishers Finishers 1978 10.8/1 33.3 30.0 ’79 10.0/1 33.8 30.8 ’80 8.6/1 35.4 31.5 ’81 8.1/1 36.0 31.9 ’82 6.3/1 36.2 32.0 ’83 4.5/1 36.4 31.6 ’84 4.2/1 37.1 30.9 ’85 4.3/1 37.4 31.7 ‘86* 4.3/1 37.9 31.7

* Estimate

Source: National Running Data Center