Wearing my Deadliest Catch gear while helping runners at Mile 18

LA is a dangerous place when it rains. Getting around is barley doable on the freeways and streets, so 19,000 people thought it might be better to run and/or walk across town.

The rain started seconds after the race started. It was the overall winner’s, Markos Genet, debut as a professional marathoner. He also set a new course record, 02:06:35. An American woman, Amy Hastings, lead the women’s field most of the day. It was her pro debut as well. She came in second with a valiant effort. There was wind, hail and sideways rain. All-in-all it was a crazy day.

This LA Marathon was about attitude. You had to be in it to win it. You had to have that attitude. You had to survive the rain, wind and cold wearing little more than a plastic bag. Every runner was quite extraordinary.

Then there were the people of LA and volunteers that braved the rain to support their heroes. They dressed in layers, umbrellas and high spirits. They cheered as if their favorite team had just won the Super Bowl. And, they did it for hours.

When you run a marathon you join an elite club. Today’s runners have joined that club and get a special badge of honor by running a marathon that will go down in the lores in LA Marathon history. I am glad I was a small part of it.

Congratulations from SoCalRunning.com

A special thank you to all the Sole Runners, family and friends that helped at the Mile 18 Aid Station. You helped get our runners and many other runners through a tough day

Race Focused, Steve Mackel – MarathonTraining.TV Founder