Downtown Businesses Expect Run for Their Money With Marathon

After the starting gun is fired and the Los Angeles Marathon begins Sunday morning, downtown businesses expect to see customers running into their stores.

Retailers, restaurants, hotels and others are gearing up for the first marathon that will start and end in downtown Los Angeles. Many are hoping the new route will boost business on race day and improve the area’s image overall. Event organizers estimate that 300,000 spectators will descend on the downtown area.

“Lots of the retailers are really jumping on board this and trying to make this event happen for what is normally not a very strong day for retail business downtown,” said Holly Barnhill, a marketing consultant who is organizing marathon-related events.

The 11th annual race will begin near Seventh Market Place at 7th and Figueroa streets and will end at 5th and Figueroa in front of the Los Angeles Public Library. In previous years, the start and finish line was at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Marathon officials changed the route after some residents along the former course complained of traffic disruptions and some top runners asked officials to make the route faster. Also, marathon officials wanted to showcase downtown through this high-visibility event.

To make the most of the crowds, various stores will stay open longer and hold special promotions.

Seventh Market Place expects to be one of the day’s big winners. The mall will open at 7 a.m. instead of noon and offer entertainment and promotional activities for marathon family members and supporters until 5 p.m.

At Dara Michelle, an accessory store in Seventh Market Place, the staff is looking forward to large crowds.

On a normal Sunday, “If we even get 200 customers that’s good,” said assistant manager Elsa Duenes. But on Sunday, she expects the number of patrons to reach 800.

Another downtown mall, Broadway Plaza, at 7th and Flower streets, will open two hours earlier and the stores will conduct an indoor sidewalk sale.

Managers of Cafe Pinot, located close to the finish line at 700 W. 5th St., also expect lots of traffic. The entire restaurant will be rented out for a private party, and the takeout window will be open for spectators.

“This really brings people into the heart of downtown,” said Melissa Cable, marketing manager for Cafe Pinot. “It’s going to really open people’s eyes to downtown Los Angeles.”

Seven downtown restaurants will operate food booths at a street festival sponsored by the Downtown Marketing Council. The Family Festival will be held on Olive Street between 5th and 6th streets, the marathon’s reunion area where families of the runners congregate.

“Since it’s the first year, it’s hard to estimate [the turnout], but we know that all eyes will be downtown and certainly a lot of bodies,” said Becky Zahrly, marketing manager for the Downtown Marketing Council.

McCormick & Schmick’s, one of the participating restaurants, will cook enough of its clam chowder for 1,000 hungry spectators at the festival, according to General Manager Scott Smith. That evening, when the restaurant on West 5th Street opens at 4:30 p.m. as usual, Smith said the staff will be prepared for over 400 people.

“That’s a 1,000% increase almost,” he said.