A couple of couples who completed the race, walked in coupled comfort to their respective cars located about four blocks from the Universal City Metro Station. Image Credit: Copyright 2007 - ecj-MAXINE
Remnants - The L.A. Marathon XXII - 2007 Aftermath
The gun sounds, and their off – running 26 miles through the streets of Los Angeles … where “Nobody Walks …. “!
The starting line area of the new point-to-point course (L.A. Marathon XXII - 2007) around the Universal City Metro Line station was quite eye opening. Most people, who were interested in the event, came to the course or watched it on television in the comfort of their own home.
My wife and I are prone to walk around the neighborhood in which we live and it just happens to be about one mile from the new starting line area of the race. Late in the afternoon, we began our walk and the most compelling and interesting post event to the main event was happening right before our eyes.
Many people hobbled as they came off of the escalator out of the Metro station at Universal City near Campo de Cahuenga. Image Credit: Copyright 2007 - ecj-MAXINE
Almost no one stops to think about what happens once the 26 mile running race is over. What happens to the competitors? Where do they go? How did they get to the starting line and how do they get back home to recover from such a tremendous ordeal?
I can tell you that a fair number of them do not have a running club or entourage to make sure they are taken care of or pampered. They arrive at the starting line via public transportation or they drive and park in the neighborhood just to end up walking to the check-in point and line up with the thousands of other runners in the race at the starting line.
The gun sounds, and their off – running 26 miles through the streets of Los Angeles … where “Nobody Walks …. “!
Balloons strung over Cahuenga Boulevard near the starting line. Image Credit: Copyright 2007 - ecj-MAXINEAfter anywhere from about 4, 5, 6, or 7 hours runners finish. Each runner who crosses the finish line in downtown Los Angeles, receives a medal attached to a red ribbon to hang around ones neck, and gets wrapped in a specially printed and logo’d sheet of plastic to prevent the participant from cooling down to fast.
The race was run and completed, now what?
A couple who completed the race, walked in coupled comfort to their car located four blocks from the Universal City Metro Station. Somehow the experience of the days ordeal seems to be sumed up by the expression on the billboard ahead. Image Credit: Copyright 2007 - ecj-MAXINEOk, so we walk two blocks to the Metro Station, hop the subway train, and get back to where we started … we need to get home!
More photos located here!
Here are some of the photo captions located at NowPublic related to the remnants of the Los Angeles Marathon XXII - 2007.
One man exclaimed after posing, “And I’m 49! This was my second L.A. Marathon. I completed one last year.” He was happy to be alive.
One man was walking and asked directions to the starting line - He wanted to visit where it all started earlier that day. He was walking in the wrong direction along Lankershim Blvd. His face was framed in caked, dried sweat salt almost as an additional badge of honor to go with his completion medal.
Stiff, smiling, and wrapped in plastic, a runner is walking to get to his car and make the drive home.
Gate 2 at Universal City with the north side mountain that holds the HOLLYWOOD sign on its south side for all of the world to see.
A successful female runner and very proud male friend at the starting line of the LA Marathon XXII – 2007 (approximately eight hours later).
Temporary crowd control fencing near the starting line of the LA Marathon XXII - 2007.
Close-up of an "only in LA" movie billboard used to drum up distribution. The tell tale sign is the release date - "Coming Soon". Image Credit: Copyright 2007 - ecj-MAXINE