The Word on L.A. Streets Is It’s No Run-of-the-Mill Marathon
Misty-eyed and riding the MTA No. 33 home from work, I finished Bill Plaschke’s heartfelt and inspiring column about the truly heroic efforts of Mr. Blanco [“It’s Not Who Gets to the Finish Line First,” Feb. 25]. My civic pride in Los Angeles is well known among my friends and family, but never did it well up in me as it did while reading Mr. Plaschke’s article.
We are Los Angeles. We have no “New York” styled anything. Especially not a marathon. As Angelenos, either transplants or natives like myself, we would do well to try to nurture a unified pride in our diverse city. If I had a dime for all the people I’ve met who brag at great length of the myriad benefits other cities provide while living here, I would be a billionaire. Of course, even then I wouldn’t leave L.A.
P.S. I think adding elephants to the route would be a great idea!
FREDERIC E. BLOOMQUIST
Venice
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Finally, someone got it right! Bill Plaschke is the first journalist outside of the running community I’ve seen, heard or read who has succinctly and movingly captured what taking part in a marathon is all about--and I don’t mean just the “human interest” perspective of the guy who finished last.
A marathon is not about elite runners who deign to show up if the organizers wave enough money at them, but rather about the so-called average people. We’re the ones who get up before dawn to run before work, sandwich hours of training into an already too-full life and then pay $35 or more, plus parking, for the pleasure of pounding the streets of Los Angeles for the better part of a day.
I hope Bill Burke reads Plaschke’s article and realizes that instead of fretting over 50 elites who don’t give a damn about the Los Angeles Marathon (unless the price is right), he should focus on the other 19,550 participants for whom this marathon is one of life’s greatest experiences.
JULIE GRIFFITH
Santa Fe Springs
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I was concerned about the impression made by Jim Hodges’ Feb. 25 article about the L.A. Marathon [“Has It Become a Circus?”].
Sunday will be my fourth L.A. Marathon and I have run those from other cities, though not the ones referenced. I believe a community event is a much greater goal than simply a TV event. L.A. is an active kind of place, and simply hiring people to run for us is inappropriate.
I certainly don’t care who wins, and anyone who does should go run, bike or blade until they forget about it.
JIM HOCH
Playa del Rey
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Your “Circus” story on the Los Angeles Marathon does a disservice to both the Los Angeles Marathon, which is an outstanding event, and the circus, which can also be a lot of fun.
I have run the Los Angeles Marathon for the past two years, and plan to compete again this year. You have really missed the point. As one of 20,000 runners, I am pleased that there are activities for bikers, all 15,000 of them, and skaters and other runners and the Senior Walk. This is an outstanding community event.
TIMOTHY M. O’CROWLEY
Rancho Palos Verdes
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I have run and finished the first 11 L.A. Marathons. I will not run the 12th. On Feb. 4, I wrote to Bill Burke asking that he refund my $50 entry into this year’s race, explaining that I’d had second thoughts about supporting his insult to runners. In refusing my request, on Feb. 19 Mr. Burke wrote and suggested that since he anticipated all 20,000 runner bib numbers would be sold out by March 1, I could get my $50 back by selling my number to “all the others who can’t get in.”
Some may look at Burke and see a perfect fool, but we runners who have supported the L.A. Marathon all these years are the real fools.
RIC MUNOZ
West Hollywood