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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Marathon is underway, with runners using a different course than in previous years, the smallest field since its inaugural edition in 1986 and eight months later than usual.
After being run on the ``Stadium to the Sea'' course from Dodger Stadium to near the Santa Monica Pier from 2010-2020, the 2021 edition will run on the ``Stadium to the Stars'' course which begins at Dodger Stadium, then heads west to Brentwood, where runners will double back on San Vicente, Sepulveda and Santa Monica boulevards, ending at Avenue of the Stars in Century City.
The change was made because ``the dramatically increased costs quoted by the city of Santa Monica for the 2021 running of the marathon, and future events, made remaining in Santa Monica financially infeasible,'' the McCourt Foundation, which conducts the race, said in July 2020 when it announced the switch.
``The finish on Avenue of the Stars also allows exciting modifications not previously possible in Santa Monica such as enhanced spectator viewing and celebrations at the finish line,'' the foundation said.
Organizers expect a field of more than 13,000 runners, from 50 nations, all 50 states and 127 runners who have run all 35 previous editions of the race. The race drew a record 27,150 entrants from all 50 states and a record 78 nations in 2020, the 21st time in 22 years it topped 20,000 entrants.
``Our operations team has always been planning for a reduced field size in order to safely host the marathon and provide for adequate social distancing at the start line and on the course,'' Dan Cruz, the marathon's head of communications, told City News Service.
One factor in the drop -- far fewer runners from the Students Run LA free marathon training program for at-risk middle school and high school students. There are usually several thousand runners from the program in the race.
There will be 70 graduates of the program in Sunday's race, with City Councilman Joe Buscaino, a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, running with them.
Despite the drop, the Los Angeles Marathon will again have the fourth- largest field among U.S. marathons, a distinction it held each year from 2016- 19. It had the world's largest field in 2020, when the New York, Chicago, Boston and Berlin marathons were all canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The New York Marathon is also being run Sunday, its traditional date. The Orange County Marathon is being run as a half-marathon Sunday. It is customarily held in May.
The 1986 Los Angeles Marathon drew 10,787 entrants, a figure topped each of the next four years, growing to 19,161 in 1990. Records were also set 1992 and 1997, with the 20,000-mark surpassed for the first time in 1999.
The McCourt Foundation announced last November that the 2021 Los Angeles Marathon would be held May 23 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It announced in March the race would be held Nov. 7.
The Los Angeles Marathon is being run in the fall for the first time. It has been held in March since its inaugural edition in 1986 except for 2009 and 2016.
The race was shifted to May 25 in 2009, Memorial Day, after its rights were bought in 2008 by a group controlled by McCourt. The City Council stipulated that the race be shifted to a Monday holiday to limit the impact on Sunday morning church services.
The Memorial Day date drew criticism from runners because of the likelihood of warmer weather. Then-City Councilwoman Janice Hahn called holding the race on Memorial Day ``really kind of an insult and disrespect to our veterans and those who have served this country.''
The marathon returned to March the following year.
The race was run on Feb. 14 in 2016 so it could coincide with the U.S. Olympic Team Marathon Trials held a day earlier.
The 2022 race will be held March 20.
Proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a proof of a negative COVID-19 test result is required prior to entry for all participants, staff, volunteers, media and spectators entering the secured start line area at Dodger Stadium.
Face coverings are required while inside the Dodger Stadium start line secured area, except when actively eating or drinking. Runners are allowed to remove their face coverings after crossing the start line.
Organizers are recommending spectators along the course wear face coverings along with everyone attending the finish line festival.
Barbara Ferrer, the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said she is ``comfortable'' with plans for the marathon, despite slight upticks in COVID-19 transmission and concerns that such a large gathering of people could prompt more virus spread.
Race organizers have been working with health officials ``to plan for this event to be as safe as possible,'' Ferrer said during an online media briefing Thursday.
``They've made a lot of modifications so that the runners will be safe,'' Ferrer said. ``And, of course, in terms of spectators, it's up to all of us to keep our distance if we're in crowded places, as always. ... It's a long route, so people have plenty of opportunity to spread out.''
Ferrer said race organizers have worked to add ``extra safety measures,'' but the biggest challenge will be to limit extended gatherings of crowds of people.
``So I feel comfortable,'' she said. ``It's an outdoor event. The biggest issue with outdoor events is just when there's a lot of crowding for a long period of time, so hopefully spectators avoid being in those situations. And I know the marathon organizers have really gone to great lengths to limit the amount of crowding that's going to happen among the runners.
``The good thing is, when they're running, they're often not very close to everybody else for extended periods of time, and that too will make it safer for the athletes,'' Ferrer said.
The marathon's Health & Fitness Expo, where runners pick up their race packets, was held Friday and Saturday in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium instead of its customary site at the Los Angeles Convention Center because there is less COVID-19 transmission outdoors.
The race is set to start at 6:30 a.m. for athletes with disabilities, followed at 6:45 a.m. by the professional women at 6:45 a.m. and at 6:55 a.m. for the professional men and the remainder of the field.
The temperature at Dodger Stadium at the start of the race is forecast to be 53 degrees, with 100% humidity and light and variable winds, according to the National Weather Service.
When the men's winner crosses the finish line in Century City at approximately 9:05 a.m., the temperature is expected to be 64 degrees with 65% humidity, according to Rich Thompson, a weather service meteorologist.
Most of the field will be running with temperatures in the mid-60s with 60%-70% humidity and winds 4-6 mph, Thompson said.
From Dodger Stadium, runners will head through downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood and Brentwood then back through Westwood to Century City.
The race has 45 official charities
The race's premier charities are: -- Angel City Pit Bulls, which is dedicated to creating a better future for pit bulls through education, public advocacy, adoptions and owner support; -- Students Run LA; -- Team World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development and advocacy activities seeking to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice in nearly 100 nations. Featured charities include: -- The American Cancer Society; -- Children's Hospital Los Angeles; -- The Justin Turner Foundation, which supports homeless veterans, children (and their families) battling life-altering illnesses and diseases and youth baseball organizations. Turner's wife Kourtney will be running in the marathon for the third time; -- Kitten Rescue, which finds homes for homeless cats and kittens; -- The Los Angeles LGBT Center; and -- Students Off And Running (SOAR), which provides no-cost Los Angeles Marathon training to hundreds of children in need living in the Santa Clarita Valley.
The men's and women's winners will each receive $6,000, the runners-up $2,500 each and third-place finishers $1,500 each.
The men's race has been won by a Kenyan every year since 1999, except for 2011, 2014 and 2020 when it was won by Ethiopians. A U.S. runner last won in 1994.
African women have won nine of the last 11 races, with runners from the former Soviet Union winning the other two times. A U.S. runner last won the women's race in 1994.