More than 27,000 racers rose before dawn this morning to yawn, stretch and don their gear to take on the iconic streets of Los Angeles today during the 2026 ASICS Los Angeles Marathon. An unseasonably warm day is predicted. The race launched in waves, the temperature rising to near 60 degrees, with the bulk of the runners taking off at 7 a.m.
In fact, higher-than-usual temperatures prompted organizers to announce runners need to only complete 18 miles of the 26-mile, 385-yard-course to receive a finisher’s medal.
The 41st race winds from Dodger Stadium to Century City. The marathon sold out way back in January.
Related: Kids get an early start on LA Marathon running on Saturday
The marathon launched at Dodger Stadium and then winded through L.A. before finishing on the Avenue of the Stars in Century City.
The “Race Day Weather” portion of the marathon’s website informs runners: “If you’re having a tough day and want to end your race before 26.2, you can choose to take the turn at Mile 18 and head into the finish line early. You do not need to notify anyone of your decision and can opt to take this route at any time. This option is available for this year only.
“How to find it: Just past Mile 18 on Santa Monica Boulevard, look for the Charity Half Finish signage on the left side of the road. Signs, cones, and barricades will be in place to help direct you to this exit and toward the finish line.
“You will still receive your finisher medal and any challenge medal you’ve earned, and your official race results will be updated at a later date to reflect your time and mileage. There is no shame in making a smart decision for your body.”
The temperature was 59 degrees at 7 a.m. when the bulk of field started at Dodger Stadium.
The first group to start were the professional elite wheelchair athletes at 6:30 a.m., followed by handcycles and para athletes at 6:35 a.m. The elite women started at 6:40 a.m. and the elite men and the full field began at 7 a.m. The Charity Half Marathon starts at 8:15 a.m. Mayor Karen Bass was expected to serve as starter.
The elite field includes Matt Richtman, who last year became the first American man to win the Los Angeles Marathon since 1994 when he ran a course record-2:07:56. The marathon has been run on the course since 2021.
Athanas Kioko, second in 2025 in 2:10:55, is also in the field, as is fellow Kenyan Dominic Ngeno, the 2024 champion.
Tejinesh Gebisa Tulu of Ethiopia will be defending her women’s title. An African woman has won 13 of the last 16 Los Angeles Marathons.
Savannah Berry of Bakersfield, who finished third last year, is also returning to the race, seeking to be the first American woman winner since 1994.
The elite women started 15:45 ahead of the elite men for the Marathon Chase, with the overall first finisher receiving a $10,000 bonus.
The chase was part of the marathon from 2004 to 2014, with women winning seven times and men four. It was discontinued in 2015 when the race served as the USA Marathon Championships. It was revived in 2022 with women winning each of the first three times since its revival, with Richtman winning last year.
The race is one of the four largest marathons in the U.S. and ranks among the top 10 globally.
This year, more than 27,000 runners from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and more than 63 countries take on the 26.2-mile challenge. Among them are 86 legacy runners, a dedicated group of men and women who have completed every L.A. Marathon since its debut in 1986.
Runners range in age from 12 to 87 and 79% fall in Millennial or Generation Z year-born groups. Nearly 41% (a little more than 9,100) indicated that they are running their first marathon. In addition, 6,468 indicate they have run two or more Los Angeles Marathons.
In 2026, there are 3,472 student runners from the Students Run LA program.
Runners started at Dodger Stadium. Along the way they experience –or see in the distance — Chinatown, the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument (Olvera Street), City Hall, Little Tokyo, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Music Center, the Pantages Theatre, the Dolby Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, parts of Historic Route 66 in West Hollywood, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Westwood, Brentwood and the finish line in Century City.
Marathoners will enjoy the more than 100 entertainment and “cheer” zones at various mile-markers.
What started as an ambitious post-Olympic vision after the success of the 1984 L.A. Olympic Games became a reality when the City Council opened bids for a marathon in 1985. Since then, more than 800,000 runners have logged more than 20 million miles through L.A.’s streets.
The inaugural event in 1986 set a U.S. record as the largest first-time marathon with 10,787 registrants lacing up for the challenge. Since then, the race has evolved, changing ownership five times and solidifying its place as one of the nation’s premier marathons.
The first-place male and female finishers each take home $25,000. In addition, the Marathon Chase bonus adds $10,000 to the first runner — male or female — to cross the finish line. The women will receive a 15:45 head start.
The marathon isn’t just about competition — it’s also a powerful force for good. Each year, runners help raise millions for charity.
In 2026, more than 1,600 charity runners representing more than 125 official charities are expected to raise more than $4 million across the 5K, half marathon and marathon events.
The McCourt Foundation, which organizes the marathon, has more than 650 runners in its Team TMF, who have raised money for the foundation.
The more than 125 charities benefiting from the race include the Live Like Braun Foundation, which describes itself as celebrating “the enduring spirit and legacy of Braun Levi,” an 18-year-old tennis star who was struck and killed by a vehicle in Manhattan Beach driven by a suspected drunken driver May 4, less than two months after he ran the Los Angeles Marathon.
The foundation seeks to raise awareness about impaired driving risks and makes grants for scholarships to graduating high school students who embody Levi’s drive, passion and enthusiasm and repairing and building public tennis centers.
A 65-member “Run Like Braun” team has entered the marathon, seeking to raise money and awareness for the foundation.
“To run like Braun means to push your body to its limits, just as Braun did,” according to the foundation. “It’s not about running for the result, but running for a purpose.”
Levi completed the 2025 marathon in 4:39:03, after what the foundation called “little to no training.”
Jenia Resha Belt pleaded not guilty on Jan. 13 to murder, gross vehicular murder while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license in connection with Levi’s death.
The race is being run a week earlier than originally planned to avoid a conflict with next Sunday’s Oscars.
Children who love to run got a chance to experience the thrill of starting their own fun run at the official marathon start line Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
About 450 children participated in the L.A. Kids Run, a ¼-mile run that is a point-to-point course that ended at the nearby L.A. 5K finish line (a short walk from the starting line).
City News Service and reporters John Davis and Holly Andres contributed to this report.