Surviving The Marathon

With more than 20,000 runners taking to the streets for Sunday’s 14th annual Los Angeles Marathon, portions of the city will have to contend with some accompanying headaches, such as road closures and altered bus service.

But officials are hoping the problems can be held to a minimum.

“People just have to plan ahead a little bit and be patient,” marathon spokesman Laurence Cohen said.

A major concern for residents along the 26-mile course is street closings, which begin at 5 a.m. at the marathon’s start at Figueroa and 6th streets in downtown.

The Los Angeles City Department of Transportation and marathon officials have devised a staggered schedule of road closures based on a 12-minute-per-mile pace after the marathon begins at 8:45 a.m. Streets nearer to the start will generally be closed before dawn and reopen by 11 a.m. Streets closer to the end will generally close around 6 a.m. and will reopen by midafternoon.

Here are some estimated closing and reopening times, respectively, for key intersections along the marathon route:

* Figueroa and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: 5:20 a.m.; 10:30 a.m.

* Rodeo Road and Crenshaw Boulevard: 5:30 a.m.; 11:30 a.m.

* Wilshire Boulevard and Rossmore Avenue: 5:40 a.m.; 1 p.m.

* Hollywood Boulevard and Orange Drive: 5:45 a.m.; 1:30 p.m.

* Hollywood and Vermont Avenue: 5:50 a.m.; 3 p.m.

* Wilshire and Virgil Avenue: 5:55 a.m.; 3:30 p.m.

There are some suggested alternate routes to avoid congestion. Motorists in Hollywood are encouraged to use La Brea and Franklin avenues to get around the marathon course on Highland Avenue, Vine Street and Hollywood Boulevard. In the Central City area, motorists can cross Crenshaw by using the Santa Monica Freeway.

The slowest marathon runners will be forced to run on the sidewalks if they are still on the course when it is reopened to traffic. But the finish line will remain open until the last entrant crosses. Last year, it was open for 11 hours.

A total of 60 MTA bus lines will be temporarily rerouted in the Central City and Hollywood areas, an MTA spokesman said. The changes will mostly likely occur between 4:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The bus lines affected include 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 51, 53, 56, 60, 66, 70, 76, 78, 79, 81, 83, 84, 96, 97, 102, 163, 180, 181, 200, 201, 204, 206, 207, 210, 212, 318, 362, 401, 420, 439, 444, 446, 462, 483, 484, 485, 487, 550 and 601.

Notices about the temporary changes have been available on buses serving the affected routes for the past week. Additional information can be obtained by calling the MTA at (800) 266-6883.

Normal schedules for the Metro Red Line subway, the Metro Blue Line and the Metro Green Line will be unaffected by the marathon.

The Red Line’s 7th Street Metro Center station is within two blocks of the race’s start and finish lines.

Marathon participants will be able to get free rides on the MTA on Sunday, provided they show the driver their race bib number. Anyone accompanying the participants must pay the full fare, MTA spokesman Rick Jager said.

For marathon entrants planning to drive to downtown, an estimated 18,000 parking spaces will be available Sunday morning, most of them at a cost of $4.

The lots where parking will be available include the Music Center, the Arco Plaza, the 7th Street Market Place, the California Plaza, the Wells Fargo Tower and the Library Towers. Officials said the parking lots will open at 4:30 a.m.

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Surviving The Marathon

For most runners, Sunday’s Los Angeles Marathon XIV will involve a series of small triumphs--from getting to the starting line on time to making it up the highest hill. Here is a guide to the race.

QUICK FACTS

Sunday

Bike tour start: 6 a.m. at Coliseum.

Wheelchair start: 8:20 a.m. at 6th and Figueroa streets

Walkers/runners start: 8:45 a.m. at 6th and Figueroa streets

5-Kilometer run/walk start: 9:30 a.m. at Los Angeles Convention Center

Entries: About 20,000 runners

Distance: 26.2 miles

Course closure: Vehicles will be allowed back on the streets on a staggered schedule. Competitors then must use sidewalks.

QUICK NOTES

REGISTRATION

No signups on Sunday, except for the 5K. Registration for the marathon is available until 5 p.m. today at Quality of Life Expo at Los Angeles Convention Center.

PARKING

Parking for runners is available downtown. Exit at Spring, Broadway or Grand off the 101 (Hollywood) Freeway and choose one of the many lots near starting line. Or exit at 3rd or 4th Street off the 110 (Harbor) Freeway. Runners are advised to arrive early in downtown area and to be prepared for heavy vehicle traffic.

* Source: Times files:https://www.lamarathon.com