KTLA 5 Named Broadcast Partner for 2010 Honda LA Marathon Presented by K-Swiss

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The Honda LA Marathon Presented by K-Swiss now has a new broadcast home for 2010: KTLA 5. LA's original television station, owned by the Tribune Company, will broadcast the Sunday, March 21, 2010 race live from 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. PDT. For the first time, the race broadcast will be available in high definition, and will have national distribution potential through Tribune's many stations.

In announcing the agreement, both KTLA and marathon officials pointed to this year's unique Stadium to the Sea course, the excitement surrounding the marathon across the greater Los Angeles region, and the evolving methods of distributing and covering live sporting events, in expressing their hopes that this year's broadcast would be better than ever.

"The LA Marathon is a signature Southern California event," said KTLA 5's President and General Manager Don Corsini. "We are thrilled to broadcast the initial running of the terrific new Stadium to the Sea course and highlight the substantial community involvement for this event."

The race, which begins at Dodger Stadium, will finish overlooking the Pacific Ocean near the Santa Monica Pier. It passes through the cities of Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, as well as the federal Veterans' Administration property. Registration for the race is on record pace, and organizers have announced a cap of 25,000 runners. The event is expected to sell out.  

LA MARATHON LLC President Russ Pillar pointed out that KTLA 5's investment in the partnership will provide great benefits for viewers.  "As sports fans know, if you can't be there in person, there's nothing quite like watching an event on television in high definition," Pillar said. "This year, thanks to KTLA 5, viewers will have their first opportunity to see some of the world's greatest runners compete in HD on our world-class race course."

Race coverage will begin at 7 a.m. on race day (with the start of the elite women's competition). The elite men and the rest of the field will begin at 7:20 a.m.  Local coverage will go until 10 a.m. – well past the finish for elite marathoners, who are expected to conclude the race in very fast times due to the downhill trend of the course.

Last week, race organizers announced they had reached a three-year agreement for Honda to be the first title sponsor in the race's 25-year history. Two days later, a presenting sponsorship agreement with Southern California-based K-Swiss was unveiled. Thus, the Honda LA Marathon Presented by K-Swiss will air on KTLA 5 March 21st. On-air talent will be announced closer to race date.

About LA MARATHON LLC:

We inspire athletes and connect communities.  With thousands of volunteers, tens of thousands of participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators, the Honda Los Angeles Marathon presented by K-Swiss is one of the largest organized road races in the country.  For more information, visit www.lamarathon.com.  

About KTLA 5:

KTLA 5 has brought award-winning television news and entertainment to Los Angeles for over 60 years, and was the first television station to broadcast west of the Mississippi. KTLA 5 was the first station to produce its own completely local morning news program in 1991. Currently, KTLA 5 broadcasts more hours of weekly local news coverage than any other television station in Los Angeles. Long-known for its local involvement in the greater Southern California community, KTLA 5 recently celebrated their 63rd broadcast of the historic Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade; broadcasting in High Definition to a viewership that has grown from being a small, local Los Angeles-only audience, to one that now includes viewers from across the US and around the world numbering in the tens of millions. KTLA 5 is a Tribune Broadcasting station. For more information, please visit www.ktla.com.

SOURCE Honda LA Marathon Presented by K-Swiss