Tens of thousands of runners trekked across the Southland in this year’s L.A. Marathon, a 26.2-mile trek stretching from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica.
Roughly 24,000 people were competing in the race’s 33rd-annual installment, which began just before 7 a.m. at Dodger Stadium. More than just making the crosstown trek, runners have come from all 50 states and 63 countries to participate in “stadium to sea” event, organizers said on its website.
Weldon Kirui, a 29-year-old from Kenya, was the first to cross the finish line shortly after 9 a.m. with a time of 2:11.46 for his second L.A. Marathon victory in three years, and Ethiopia’s Sule Utura Gedo, 28, nabbed first place in the women’s competition with a time of 2:33.50.
Related: Watch KTLA’s live finish line cam and get a full list of race results
As of 3:30 p.m., the majority of participants had crossed the finish line, according to the city of Santa Monica. But others had fallen ill during the race, with a total of 86 people receiving medical attention and 14 of them taken to a hospital. Of the transported patients, four were suffering life-threatening injuries, according to race officials.
Several streets had been closed along the race’s route, which winds through downtown L.A. before heading west to Santa Monica via Silver Lake, Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
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In addition to the handful streets still fully closed to through traffic, other roads were only open to residents. Click here for the locations and times of hard closures; click here for a list of streets that are local access only.
There are some surface streets motorists can use to traverse the marathon course. Drivers can take Bundy Drive between Olympic and Wilshire boulevards, Fairfax Avenue between Olympic and Santa Monica boulevards, and the 405 Freeway, although the Santa Monica Boulevard exit will be closed.
Metro is running enhanced service on its Expo and Red lines, with longer trains on the Red Line and more frequent service on the Expo Line. However, those planning to take the bus Sunday were advised to allow extra time as around 50 routes will be subjected to detours. Click here for more details on bus schedules.
Participants were given a maximum of 6 hours and 30 minutes to complete the race. Runners were competing in male and female divisions across 15 age categories, with the top three finishers in each group taking home an award.
The event offers plenty of perks for spectators who don’t want to commit to a cross-town trek, with a bevy of musical acts and vendors stationed throughout the race. Click here for more info on viewing events.