In L.A., It’s Less of a Race and More of a Happening

Fifteen thousand people and a dog named Leroy ran themselves silly on our city streets Sunday.

The city streets are back to normal today, clogged with cars. The 15,000 runners and Leroy are back to normal today, or as normal as people and dogs who do this kind of thing get.

But the city will never be the same. Sunday, Los Angeles went big time.

“Sure, you’ve got a decent little sports town here,” people used to say, “but where’s your marathon?”

Sunday Los Angeles showed ‘em. The City of Los Angeles Marathon was short on superstars but long on everything else you look for in a great marathon, including a man running with a dummy on his shoulders, a one-legged roller skater and a mysterious Mr. Slo-mo, who should hit the finish line by early October.

“This is a lot more fun,” said women’s winner Nancy Ditz, comparing the City of L.A. Marathon to the world’s other marathons of note. “This is like the people’s marathon. Marathoning is not a life and death proposition. The participants here were ready to have fun.”

In only its second running, the City of Los Angeles drew 15,000 runners and 1.4 million spectators, both figures about 40% higher than last year’s.

It also emerged as an event with a personality and a style that sets it apart from other marathons.

“It’s more than a marathon, it’s a happening,” one radio broadcaster gushed.

And a TV guy referred to it as the “athletic Woodstock,” even though nobody got naked and flashed peace signs, and the only bad acid trips Sunday were on lactic acid.

There was music at this Woodstock, though, everything from marching bands to seven Oriental drummers in Little Tokyo pounding out a marvelous beat on huge drums.

There was also sunshine, but not too much sunshine, there was hardly any smog, and there was a well-organized and executed attention to the needs of the runners, from the stars to the plodders and dogs.

“There’s a happening here, all right,” said Rod Dixon, the veteran world-class New Zealand runner. “People in Los Angeles are proud of their marathon. In five years time, when you talk about the big marathons, it will be down to Boston, New York, London and Los Angeles.

“A lot of people say, ‘Why go to a marathon in L.A.?’ Well look at the day. It’s another great day.”

Randy Newman couldn’t have said it much better.

But what about the superstar runners? Most were no-shows, because the L.A. Marathon isn’t a big payday. Can Los Angeles survive without the stars?

“They are developing this race exactly like they did the Bay to Breakers (in San Francisco),” Dixon said. “That was created and developed for the people. Instead of large amounts of money to the elite athletes, they put the money into things for the runners, like T-shirts and water. The elite athletes started to say, ‘I need to run this race, it’s got great media appeal and it will be good for my career to be seen here.’

“At the moment, elite athletes want you to run around after them, but this race will have its time when you (the superstars) need to run here.

“This race (Los Angeles) went from zero to 9,000 (runners last year) to 15,000, and they’ve got a hell of a lot more to worry about than bringing in elite athletes. It’s more important to take care of all 15,000. If an elite runner gets $40,000 to run here and the 12,000th runner can’t get a glass of water, something’s wrong.

“At Boston last year, I heard a lot of runners say, ‘Nobody cared about me.’ I didn’t hear that today.”

It was a rough day for Dixon, at the end of a very rough week. He arrived in Los Angeles on Monday but rushed back to New Zealand when he received word that his 80-year-old father had died of a heart attack.

Physically and emotionally drained, Dixon dropped out of the race at the 16-mile mark and walked to the finish line.

“I just burst into tears and walked off the track,” Dixon said. “I dug down deep, I tried to come back. I said, ‘Hey, come on, dad. See if you can help me.’ But then the whole thing caught up with me.”

Instead, the men’s race went to Canadian Art Boileau, who is only No. 69 in the world (The Runner Magazine marathon rankings), but No. 1 in L.A.

Boileau and Ditz each won a new car and a lot of money. The only reward for most of the other runners was a handsome medal on a ribbon, free water, and the sheer joy and personal satisfaction that comes of beating your body until it screams in pain and breaks out in throbbing blisters and searing cramps.

In other words, Sunday was party time.