From the Couch to the Finish Line: More than 2,000 Expected to Join LA Roadrunners Training Program in Anticipation of 2012 Honda LA Marathon

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For those with aspirations of crossing the finish line at the 2012 Honda LA Marathon, it's time to get moving. The LA Roadrunners will kick off their 26-week training schedule on Saturday, September 10, with a program that promises to be bigger and better than ever. A brand-new location in the West Valley is among the changes designed to help more than 2,000 runners get to the starting line – and the finish line – for the March 18 race.

The LA Roadrunners is the official six-month training program of the Honda LA Marathon, designed to serve a variety of runners (and walkers) – from first-time marathoners to veteran racers. During the six months leading up to the race, participants will take part in weekly group training runs led by experienced pace leaders, and benefit from a comprehensive training manual and calendar, weekly guest speakers, and technique & nutrition advice.

"The LA Roadrunners program is an effective and fun way for all runners to train for the 2012 race, whether it's your first marathon or your 50th," said LA Roadrunners Coach Rod Dixon, an Olympic medalist and New York City Marathon champion. "We take thousands of runners from the couch to the finish line, and help keep our trainees on track to meet their goals. Each year we see about 99% of LA Roadrunners participants who start the race cross the finish line, many of whom reach a personal best."

This year, the LA Roadrunners is building on its successful Venice Beach and Chino Hills/Inland Empire training programs and expanding into Westlake Village. Each Saturday morning, from September 10 until race weekend on March 18, 2012, runners will congregate at Westminster Avenue Elementary School (1010 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice), Butterfield Park (17671 Mystic Canyon Drive in Chino Hills) and Westlake Village City Hall (31200 Oak Crest Drive in Westlake Village).

On September 10, the Venice program will host an official kick-off event at 8 a.m. in the Westminster Avenue Elementary School parking lot, to introduce participants to LA Roadrunners and cover the week-to-week breakdown of training runs and exercises. The mini-expo will include a line-up of speakers including Coach Dixon, along with a variety of booths for sponsors, local businesses and charities. Organized training runs will begin the second weekend of the program on Saturday, September 17.  

The LA Roadrunners caters to participants of all experience levels. At the flagship Venice location, program participants can choose from 18 different pace groups for runners, walkers and run-walkers that range from a blistering 7:30 per mile (in which runners would finish in less than 3 hours, 17 minutes) to a more moderate pace that will enable walkers to complete the race just under the Marathon's time limit of eight hours.

Runners can sign up for the LA Roadrunners program at the same time they register for the marathon, at www.lamarathon.com. Those who sign up for both the race and LA Roadrunners receive a substantial discount on the training program.

"The LA Roadrunners program can train even the most inexperienced runners and walkers to complete the 26.2 mile race, so we strongly encourage first-timers to come out and join us," said LA MARATHON LLC Community Relations Director Ginger Williams. "This is a great opportunity for runners from all across Los Angeles to come together to prepare for one of the most spectacular races in the country, while making new lifelong friends."

The LA Roadrunners program has successfully trained more than 50,000 runners and walkers who want the satisfaction of completing the Honda LA Marathon. This year, as a result of tremendous interest, the program is expected to serve more participants than ever – more than 2,000. But runners must sign up before the program sells out.

Thousands of runners have already signed up for the 2012 Marathon, which will once again feature the wildly successful "Stadium to the Sea" route that takes runners from Dodger Stadium to the Santa Monica Pier, with a highlight reel of sights in between: famous districts such as Chinatown and Little Tokyo; iconic areas including the Sunset Strip and Rodeo Drive; and noteworthy L.A. landmarks Walt Disney Concert Hall, Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Capitol Records Building and many more.

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 LA Marathon is one of the largest organized road races in the country.

SOURCE LA Marathon