event title
Los Angeles Marathon
Los Angeles, CA, CA 92001 United States
Legacy Runners
The Legacy Runners are an impressive group of men and women who have completed every Los Angeles Marathon since its inception in 1986.
In 2023, 107 people were eligible to step up to the start line and going into 2024 there will be 95.
Ambassador Program
The Los Angeles Marathon Ambassador team helps inspire our community of runners, walkers, and fitness enthusiasts. They encourage beginner athletes, celebrate long-time participants, and tell the story of the Los Angeles Marathon through the eyes of the race and the participants. Meet our 2024 Ambassadors here.
Volunteers
The Los Angeles Marathon is grateful for the thousands of people who show up year after year to volunteer. They show up early and stay until the end, helping no matter the weather. They embody the McCourt Foundation mission and we thank you!
If you’d like to volunteer for the Los Angeles Marathon click here.
If you’d like to volunteer for another event, click here.
Sustainability
Los Angeles Marathon is a Gold Level Certified Responsible Sport Event
It takes a great deal of hard work and planning to produce a sustainable event for over 20,000 participants, but the Los Angeles Marathon is committed to taking steps necessary to promote greater environmental responsibility by implementing green initiatives that reduce waste, promote sustainable and responsible consumption, and support the local community in Los Angeles.
In 2022 the Los Angeles Marathon achieved Gold level certification according to the Version 4.3 Responsible Sport Standards as offered by the Council for Responsible Sport. Of the 61 total points offered in the collection of best practices, the event earned all 50 of the 50 credit points applied for. Certified since 2015, the Los Angeles Marathon is among the top ten longest-standing certified events in the world. We could not do this without the support of our participants, volunteers, community groups and partners who come together to help make a difference.
We focus our efforts in the following areas:
- Waste Diversion: In an effort to reduce the environmental footprint, a comprehensive waste diversion system was implements to divert items from the landfill. This included composting and recycling centers at the Start and Finish Lines and Green Team volunteers who served as educational ambassadors and offered guidance to volunteers and attendees about how to properly dispose of their items. As a result of the waste diversion efforts at the 2023 Los Angeles Marathon, 43% of disposed items from the whole course were diverted from the landfill.
- Heatsheet Recycling: The marathon’s waste diversion initiatives also included specialized Heatsheet recycling stations at the Finish Line. After completing the course, runners were given a number of items to help them recover, including bananas and energy bars to replenish their energy, and Heatsheets to regulate their body temperature. Green Team volunteers were activated to help participants divert these items from the landfill by composting their food scraps and recycling their Heatsheets. Over 80 lbs. of Heatsheets were recycled this year.
- Donations to Local Community: donating discarded clothing and food from the finish line
- Bulk Water Stations: In an effort to reduce the environmental footprint of the water distribution operation, the LA Marathon partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to deploy bulk water towers in lieu of plastic jugs. Water towers are large tanks that pull tap water from hydrants or water trucks. In 2023, the partnership successfully deployed 160 water towers along the course – 140 more than in 2020. Through this partnership, the marathon was able to displace about 57,600 plastic jugs and the carbon footprint of transporting the jugs.