The 2020 Los Angeles Marathon will draw 27,000 runners from around the world to compete in a 26.2-mile race from the Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica Beach this Sunday.
L.A. County officials have declared an emergency in response to six newly confirmed local coronavirus cases, but organizers reassured the public Wednesday that the marathon will still happen as scheduled.
They said they were working closely with authorities to monitor any developments in the outbreak, and that they will announce any change of plans involving the event.
Here’s what you need to know about the race:
How to watch
KTLA Channel 5 will have live coverage of the event, starting with a countdown at 6 a.m. Sunday. Viewers can also watch the race on digital-stage.ktla.com and the KTLA 5 News app. KTLA’s Facebook page will also have a livestream from the finish line cam.
City public transportation officials encouraged those who want to cheer on participants in person to take the L.A. Metro Rail.
The course
The race begins at the Dodger Stadium and ends at the intersection of Ocean and California avenues in Santa Monica. The marathon will start as follows:
6:30 a.m.: competitors who use wheelchairs
6:42 a.m.: competitors who use handcycles
6:45 a.m.: women’s elite competitors
6:55 a.m.: men’s elite competitors and full field
The L.A. Marathon has an app that will let users track runners and receive updates on the race, which has 6 1/2-hour limit for participants.
Last year, L.A. Marathon winner Elisha Barno of Kenya crossed the finish line in 2:11: 46. Ethiopia’s Askale Merachi won the women’s division in 2:24:12.
Results of this year’s marathon will be available on this page on L.A. Marathon’s website.
Street closures
Major thoroughfares along the course will be blocked for certain periods between 4 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Click the following links for locations and times:
• course closures, from Elysian Park to Santa Monica
• ramp closures, including on the northbound and southbound 110 Freeway in Central L.A., on the northbound and southbound 101 Freeway from downtown L.A. to Hollywood, on the southbound 405 Freeway in the Westside, and a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica
• streets only accessible to affected residents in Elysian Park, downtown L.A., Echo Park, Silver Lake, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West L.A. and Santa Monica
• street closures in Beverly Hills from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• street closures in West Hollywood
Entertainment along the course
The L.A. Marathon have planned a series of performances and other events. That includes the following:
• L.A.-based Japanese group Koshin Taiko Drummers will perform at the mile 4 marker in Little Tokyo.
• The Sunset Triangle Plaza in Silver Lake will host a “breakfast party,” where local Australian cafe Roo Coffee will offer coffee and discounts. Singer and songwriters will also perform.
• The West Hollywood Cheerleaders, the Channel Q Radio station and Rolling Stones tribute band “The Hollywood Stones” will perform in the West Hollywood part of the course.
• Classical pianist Hamid Pasha will perform on the northern end of Rodeo Drive. On the other end of the street, next to Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the Great American Swing Band will put on a show.
• At mile 20 in West L.A., school marching bands from across the region will play in addition to the “rivalry row” put on by the University of California Los Angeles and University of Southern California.
