The Los Angeles Marathon posted this on their official website:
Having a Tough Day? 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 Blvd, 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.
Just announced! You have the option of watching the course video on YouTube from the comfort of your couch while you gorge yourself on donuts, paying your $300 entry fee, send a SASE to the LA Marathon, and have your finisher medal mailed to you! No need to attend the race! Be sure to wear your finisher medal proudly into work on Monday!
Your twin cities marathon is another former top race that has become a joke. If it's not cancelled because it's warm, then you get 2:16 winning times.
I'm by no means defending giving finisher medals to those who ran 18 miles. But what LA did on a warm day shows once again how stupid TCM was to cancel. There's almost always a way to safely run the race and still be smart about how you incentivize people to not over do it.
Just announced! You have the option of watching the course video on YouTube from the comfort of your couch while you gorge yourself on donuts, paying your $300 entry fee, send a SASE to the LA Marathon, and have your finisher medal mailed to you! No need to attend the race! Be sure to wear your finisher medal proudly into work on Monday!
They could have quite honestly given them a (smaller) medal for completing a half-marathon for getting past the 13 mile mark. Counting 18 miles as a finish is random.
Mass participation has royally f**ked up this sport. There are no standards any longer. You can do no training, buy your way into a WMM with a charity donation, and walk the whole stupid thing in a costume. Big races are now business. Private equity buys race series, raises prices, lessens quality, and then tells critics to f**k off because PE is selling an experience, not a certified athletic competition. Athletes don't matter. Influencers and scenesters do. You don't even need to have common sense any longer! Proper pacing? Training for heat? Taking appropriate precautions? Nope! Sanctioned dropout zones because 18 miles is still an accomplishment.
This almost angers me more than doping. At least dopers can justify their actions because of personal financial reward. Imagine being so shallow that getting a $3.00 hunk of stamped medal and a selfie is worth cheapening the marathon. Vibes and Strava kudos!
Congratulations to all that put in the work, made good decisions, and toughed it out. You may not have set a PB, but you certainly earned your laurels.
Mass participation has royally f**ked up this sport. There are no standards any longer. You can do no training, buy your way into a WMM with a charity donation, and walk the whole stupid thing in a costume. Big races are now business. Private equity buys race series, raises prices, lessens quality, and then tells critics to f**k off because PE is selling an experience, not a certified athletic competition. Athletes don't matter. Influencers and scenesters do. You don't even need to have common sense any longer! Proper pacing? Training for heat? Taking appropriate precautions? Nope! Sanctioned dropout zones because 18 miles is still an accomplishment.
This almost angers me more than doping. At least dopers can justify their actions because of personal financial reward. Imagine being so shallow that getting a $3.00 hunk of stamped medal and a selfie is worth cheapening the marathon. Vibes and Strava kudos!
Congratulations to all that put in the work, made good decisions, and toughed it out. You may not have set a PB, but you certainly earned your laurels.
I am not sure I get your point. Are you not able to still run as hard as you want and achieve the satisfaction that comes with that?
What would they do with the medals with 2026 on them anyways? It allowed the organizers to put the decision on the runners to lessen their risk. And are you impressed either way with someone's finisher medal?