LA marathon March 18th

Just received an email from my day tour provider (A Day in LA) advising that the marathon on Sunday, March 18th may be very disruptive to the tour due to increased traffic and closed streets. We will be staying at the Wyndham Santa Monica and picking up the tour in Santa Monica. They suggested we may want to change dates or cancel. Sunday is our only full day in the LA area, so our only options are to go ahead with the tour or cancel and make other plans.

Are there any locals or other knowledgeable folks out there who can tell me just how bad it will be, and help me out with a little 1st hand experience? I'm thinking that as long as I don't have to drive :D maybe it won't be that big of a deal????

Hi Rocky1,

I am not an LA local nor do I have specific knowledge of said marathon. That being said, I DO know that Marathons are incredibly disruptive to traffic and the surrounding area. The Santa Monica, metro LA area has it's traffic headaches without the added closures of a marathon. Your hotel, the Wyndham Santa Monica located near the Santa Monica Pier, is just a few blocks from the finish line. The LA Marathon is billed as one of the largest in the country with over 25,000 participants and hundreds more spectators (not the mention exhibitors and volunteers.) https://www.lamarathon.com/race-weekend/street-closures

Unfortunately, you are staying right in the thick of the finish area. https://www.lamarathon.com/event-info/the-course/the-finish

Your choices come down to 1) change your accommodation location (yeah, I know, not a great option) or 2) stick with the tour but know there will be significant delays which will impact your tour (bring along LOTS of patience) or 3) make other plans (which would still be impacted by the marathon.)

I'm sorry to be such a "Debby downer" but if the tour company mentions changing the date or offers cancellation, then the marathon will negatively affect the tour. Good luck with your choice and safe travels.

Here’s the problem:

First look at the route map:

https://www.lamarathon.com/event-info/the-course/course-map

Notice that it starts at Dodger Stadium at 6:30 am...and goes right through Hollywood past 5he Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theater...and right down the Sunset Strip...and through the heart of Beverly Hills past Rodeo Drive...and ends in Santa Monica...

So, not only will road closures affect traffic, a lot of areas you will want to see will be overrun with spectators...

That said, the event is SUPPOSED TO last for 6 and a half hours...so, theoretically over by 1:00 pm...however, experience tells us it could disrupt things beyond that.

But, since it’s your one opportunity, I would ask the tour provider if they could rearrange the tour to start a little later and start early with sites away from the route, then visiting, say, Hollywood, toward the end of the tour after things are supposed to be over. If your provider can’t do it, try contacting some other tour providers.

Any would likely have to alter the normal tour...but they should, at least, be able to give you some sort of tour.

Good luck...

Thanks for your responses. We'll see what the tour company says about what accommodations they will make. Another option is to cancel and just hang out around Santa Monica and drink left-over green beer:cool:. We might be a little jet-lagged anyhow.

Thanks for your responses. We'll see what the tour company says about what accommodations they will make. Another option is to cancel and just hang out around Santa Monica and drink left-over green beer:cool:. We might be a little jet-lagged anyhow.

Another option is to take the metro into LA.

metro.net.

One of the lines ends near the pier. You can hit Hollywood (Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre etc) and get up to Union Station. Check out Union Station, Olvera Street and Philippe’s French Dip.

Doing this you’d be going in the opposite direction of the sea of humanity trying to get to the end of the Marathon.

Never done the LA marathon but an avid marathoner here and would tell you it will disrupt your plans and ability to navigate around the city.

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Another option is to take the metro into LA.

metro.net.

One of the lines ends near the pier. You can hit Hollywood (Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre etc) and get up to Union Station. Check out Union Station, Olvera Street and Philippe’s French Dip.

Doing this you’d be going in the opposite direction of the sea of humanity trying to get to the end of the Marathon.

Be aware that some stations/stops may be closed during the event. metro.net would (should) provide that information.

I did the L.A. Marathon a few years back, and it will be crazy anywhere along the route. The course cut-off time is probably 6 1/2 hours but there may be people finishing up to 7 or more hours even if the course is officially "open" by then. Think 25,000 participants, plus family members and just general spectators all along the route. Traffic will be terrible. How long is the tour supposed to be? I tried to look up this operator but wasn't able to get to the website. If they can pick you up later and head first towards the areas where everyone will have already passed (i.e., Chinatown, Hollywood) it might be ok. There will definitely be a LOT of people near your hotel which is just south of the finish line.