Soaking Up the LA Marathon 2012

Last Sunday, on March 18, 1 million spectators watched more than 23,000 runners run through the City of Angels in the 27th Annual Honda Los Angeles Marathon.

All participants started off at Dodger Stadium just after 7 a.m. under cold and cloudy skies. The weather forecast predicted there might be a chance of rain, as it did during last year's marathon, when 2.36 inches fell. However, there was no rain throughout the entire race.

The so-called "Stadium to the Sea" course, is considered to be among the top 10 marathons in the world. Runners continued through downtown L.A. and into Echo Park on the East side of town before hitting the famous landmarks, including Hollywood, West Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica Boulevard. Then runners tackled an incline at the Veterans Administration grounds in Brentwood and continued to head west to the Pacific, crossed the finish line at the world’s famous Santa Monica Pier.

In the long history of L.A. Marathon, there has been a tradition for encouraging entertainment along the way. Music by local bands, dancing, cheerleading and other sorts of entertainment kept spirits up, runners going and spectators staying. Many spectators, families and friends of the runners were shouting out the runner’s name, as the bibs had their names printed on them.

The reward ahead in Santa Monica was the shiny blue Pacific in all its glory. Every finisher expressed joy, happiness and excitement when they reached the goal.

“The 26.2 mile journey was longer than I thought and was quite tough. But when I reached the goal, I forgot about all that. I was so excited and incredibly proud of myself for my big accomplishment. Many friends came out to support me and I had so much fun.” said Kevin Wagner, a 36-year-old first-time runner.

So now do you feel like participating in the Honda L.A. Marathon next year? Mark your calendars for March 17, 2013.

St. Patrick’s Day Community 5K Run/Walk

SoCal was pouring this Saturday with rain and wind starting up around 6 a.m. However, believe it or not, Redondo Beach painted the town green.

The wildly popular St. Patrick's Day 5k Run/Community Walk & Kids Dash Little Leprechaun “Dash for the Gold” Event, put by the Village Runner, took place on March 17 at Redondo Beach, Calif.

The event was open to the entire public and a portion of registration fees benefit Saint Lawrence Martyr Education Foundation located in Redondo Beach.

As the clock hit 8 a.m., all participants started either walking, jogging or running. There were such a variety of people in the event. For example, there were people jogging with their dogs, couples walking with their baby-cart and a group wearing a pair of shoes that had heels more than 10cm high.

An 80-year-old woman, who was the oldest participant in the race, celebrated her birthday that day by jogging with her daughter and grandchildren. Many participants praised her when she reached the goal.

All participants received a St. Patrick's Day Run t-shirt. There were also age division awards and cash prizes to the top three overall male and female finishers in the 5K.

Although it was a raining so hard, everyone had smiles on their faces. 

 “I enjoyed running with my friends in the neighborhood. My mom bought me these green T-shirt and socks for me.” a 7-year-old boy Edward Murray said, with a big clover face print.

This race might be the perfect example of why people love the South Bay. There is always a great community celebration going on right in their own backyard, and you could feel the sense of community.

The participants had a happy and healthy St. Patrick’s Day for sure.

Santa Monica Track Club

Santa Monica Track Club (SMTC) is one of the most competitive track clubs in the United States, and possibly the most successful in the world. This has been particularly evident at the Olympics and World Championships.

The Club’s dedication to its athletes has yielded 27 medals, including 19 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze. Twenty-seven Club athletes have qualified for the Olympics in 53 different events. Also, the Club has won 18 world championships, set or tied 37 world records and 60 American records.

The Club’s alumni include such luminaries as Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell, Danny Everett, Steve Lewis, Kevin Young, Johnny Gray, Jenny Spangler, Carol Lewis, Joe DeLoach and Mike Marsh. None of these great athletes would have achieved their goals without the support from the Club and Foundation in their developing years.

In an interview, Prince Mumba, an Olympian said, “The reason I came to Los Angeles in 2008 was because I knew that Santa Monica Track Club was an excellent club and I always wanted to train as a part of it.”

SMTC was founded in 1972 by Joe Douglas, who still serves as the Club’s President and head coach, with the mission to help track and field athletes achieve their best. The Club has also created programs for youth and community athletes.

“I want to support those who love to run, that’s all,” says Douglas, who has spent more than 40 years of his career in this field. “In my opinion, athletes have to be focused and disciplined in order to be successful. I just help them do that, and we do it as a team.”

While the Club’s mission is to train and guidance track and field athletes and road running athletes of all levels, the focus has remained on developing post-collegiate athletes seeking to represent the United States in the Olympics and World Championships. 

Aiming for a bright Olympic medal in London 2012

Last Wednesday, I had a chance to interview Prince Mumba, a 27-year-old athlete, who is a member of Zambia's national track and field team. Mumba is already chosen as a candidate for the Men’s 800m in the upcoming London Olympic 2012 scheduled this summer.

He is now an Olympic athlete in track and field, but back in his youth, his dream was to become a soccer player. “Unfortunately, I injured my knee and I had to quit soccer when I was 12 years old. Then I started to run.” 

In his home country Zambia, soccer is promoted more than any other sport, and track, not as much. This is the reason he moved to the United States and chose Southern California as a place to train since the weather was similar to his home country.

“Even after I became a runner, I am still having a hard time with the condition of my knees, but I have to live with it. When it hurts badly or when the training is hard, it makes me want to quit running, but I wake up next day and I end up running. After all, I guess I love to run.”

Mumba trains everyday except for Sunday. “I train three hours a day, either at Santa Monica College or at the beach. I enjoy running both. Tracks are better for my knees and it is also better to keep track of my time. However, running along the beach is sometimes a good refresh.”

At the end of the interview, he told me what he wants to accomplish in the near future. “My goal and motivation are very simple. I want to compete in the London Olympics and win the medal. Even if I can’t get a medal, I definitely want to finish in the top 10,” Mumba said firmly.

“I am really looking forward to London and I am so excited to run the race. For the meantime, I have to keep training hard and take very good care of my knee so that I can compete with the top level athletes across the world.”

※ Take a look at how he trains : 

  Prince Mumba Shaping Up - Track Practice

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul-lsEAY6FI