The LA Marathon Comes to Santa Monica – Traffic Comes to a Standstill

by SM mom on March 18, 2010 · 1 comment

in Events,Family Activities,Local Events,Outdoor Fun

Santa Monica Welcomes the LA Marathon!

image001 11 The LA Marathon Comes to Santa Monica   Traffic Comes to a Standstill

Santa Monica Welcomes the LA Marathon

This Sunday, March 21, approximately 25,000 runners will race on the world-premiere course through four cities and past dozens of  Los Angeles landmarks before finally heading through Santa Monica on the way to a finish line that’s just steps from the Santa Monica Pier and beach.  The new “Stadium to the Sea” course enters Santa Monica at San Vicente Blvd. and 26th Street. The course will continue west on San Vicente Blvd. and turn south on Ocean Avenue, heading for the finish line at Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Blvd.

The wheelchair/hand crank race will come through Santa Monica around 8:15 a.m., and the first runners are expected to cross into Santa Monica around 8:30 a.m.

During and after the race, residents and fans are welcome to enjoy the festivities planned in the parking lot north of the Santa Monica Pier.  The Finish Line Beach Party will feature live music, food and beverage, exhibitors and other interactive exhibits. Fans are welcome to come early to watch the race on the big screen video board.

Spectators are strongly encouraged to walk, bike or take public transportation to view the race. With family and friends of 25,000 runners plus spectators joining regular Sunday crowds, parking in the Downtown area will be extremely challenging at different points during the day. Use the city’s live parking information website www.smgov.net/parkingspacenow to monitor parking space availability.

FREE!  Bike Valet parking will be available in the 1550 Beach Lot (north of the Pier) and on Arizona Avenue just east of Ocean Avenue from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For the safety of race participants, residents and visitors, the race course is sealed from vehicles. Street closures will be in effect in Santa Monica and throughout Los Angeles along the length of the course. The City website, www.smgov.net/lamarathon, CityTV cable channel 16 and Radio KRSM-AM 1680 will be providing continuous information and updates on street closures starting at midnight on Sunday, March 21.  KTLA-TV 5 will carry the live broadcast of the race beginning at 7:00 a.m.

What streets will be closed and when?

Street closures will begin between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on March 21 and are expected to begin reopening at the east end of the city at 1:00 p.m. and be completely reopened by 3:00 p.m., at the sole discretion of the Santa Monica Police Department.

Ocean Avenue may be closed near the finish line until 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The westbound lanes of San Vicente Blvd. will be OPEN.  The eastbound lanes of San Vicente Blvd. will be CLOSED.

Ocean Avenue will be CLOSED to all vehicle travel between San Vicente Blvd. and Colorado Avenue; advanced signage will be installed to notify motorists of the roadway closure at Colorado Avenue.

Main Street will be closed between Pico Blvd. and Colorado Avenue during the morning pre-event loading period and until Santa Monica Police authorize a re-opening.  After that, the west side of Main Street between City Hall and the RAND building is a designated runner pick-up area – no parking or standing at any time will be allowed.

The California Incline will be CLOSED.

To access points SOUTH of San Vicente Blvd. from the north, we recommend using 7th Street or Ocean Avenue (northbound) to access the Pacific Coast Highway to travel southbound and access points south of San Vicente Blvd.  Remember, the WESTBOUND lanes of San Vicente Blvd. will be open.

To access points NORTH of San Vicente Blvd. from the south, the I-405 or Pacific Coast Highway is recommended as a means of crossing the race course.

If you have a Marathon-related issue on the day of the race, contact Ginger Williams, Director of Community Relations for the LA MARATHON at ginger@lamarathon.com, 310.271.7200 x103.

Normal service requests or complaints, including blocked driveways, noise or other non-life threatening safety issues, should be directed to the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8491.

As always, call 9-1-1 in the event of a life-threatening emergency.  Also, please be aware that several news and public safety helicopters will be tracking the race and will be present in Santa Monica between approximately 8:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.  Please do not be alarmed by them – it just means the race is here!

The LA Marathon is a total community effort.  Hosting the finish line of the 25th annual LA Marathon is a great honor for the city, and we truly appreciate your cooperation and support.  We’d like to know how we can improve residents’ experience with this exciting event should we be asked to host it in future years.  Please send your comments to manager@smgov.net and ginger@lamarathon.com.

Much more marathon information is available at www.smgov.net/lamarathon!

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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

1 Miles September 14, 2011 at 11:19 am

Many street closures but it is worth it for the community. Love the idea of bike valet!

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