Finally Here! The Inaugural Hollywood Half Marathon

Hollywood finally had its own Half Marathon. Hollywood Half Marathon & 5K / 10K was a brand-new and exciting Hollywood themed event with a catch phrase of “Run with the Stars in The Entertainment Capital of the World.”

The Hollywood 10K & Walk of Fame 5K started on Hollywood Boulevard between Highland & Sycamore at 8 a.m. on April 7, which saw nearly 3,000 participants filling the street. It was quite a rare occasion to see Hollywood Boulevard, which is usually packed with tourists, closed besides such events as the premiers and the "red carpet" for movies/films.

Two hours in advance of the 5K & 10K, the half marathon started near Universal Studios City Walk. The marathon was limited to 7,500 participants, and was sold out months before the race date.

This 13.1mile took runners through the heart of Hollywood, Studio City, Sunset Boulevard, and along the Walk of Fame. Runners were welcomed to come as they are, but they were also encouraged to dress up as their favorite celebrity. As the runners reached the goal, they were to walk down a movie-premiere style red carpet and photo backdrop to celebrate their victory in style when receiving the beautiful Hollywood Star Medal.

“I decided to run this marathon because it was a brand new event, and the star medal seemed to be really gorgeous. The race was very entertaining and fun because the whole event had the essence of the world’s famous ‘Hollywood’ everywhere. It was my first time to be on the red carpet which was exciting too!” said Marian Leonard, a 31-year-old Hollywood Half Marathon finisher.

The next event organized is the Florida Hollywood Half Marathon on Dec. 2, 2012. This race is going to be the east coast edition of the Hollywood Half Marathon, which would be limited to only 5,000 participants. The organizers plan to have the red carpet to bring the glitz, glam, and star-studded theme to Florida. 

Also, the Hollywood Half Marathon & 5K / 10K next year is already scheduled on April 6, 2013. Register before it sells out and be sure to mark your calendar. 

Check out the details at the event's social network accounts.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HollywoodHalf

Twitter: Hollywood1/2Marathon @HollywoodHalf https://twitter.com/#!/hollywoodhalf

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.

SoCal Runners Traveling to Run

Four runners out of seven runners that I have contacted so far for this project were not in town this weekend. That was all for the same reason. They all flew to Japan to participate in the Tokyo Marathon 2012, the largest marathon in my home country Japan, which was held on Feb. 26. The four participants included one Japanese, one Korean and two Americans all living in Southern California.

There are tons of marathons and running events in California, but why would they go all the way to Japan just to run? 

“When you run in California, unfortunately the view does not change much within the 26.2 miles” said Emily Jo, a 21-year-old college student wearing a “Hong Kong Marathon Finisher” T-shirt. She said she enjoys going abroad to participate in marathons in small countries because the scenery changes and never gets her bored during the race.


In fact, the course of the Tokyo Marathon symbolizes the past, present and the future of Tokyo. During the unforgettable 26.2 mile journey, the runners had the chance to thoroughly enjoy numerous famous sightseeing spots, such as the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower and the world’s largest fish market, and reached their goal at Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center.

Some runner’s purpose is traveling, like Andrea Wood, 28, an office worker who began running five years ago and competed three marathons around the world. “I always wanted to visit Japan and I thought this marathon would be a good opportunity to make it happen. I also ran the Amsterdam Marathon because I wanted to travel to Holland. ” She started running to get fit and add some spice to her travel experiences. 

Zack Dixon, 36, was participating for the “International Friendship Run” and the charity “Tsunagu.”  The Tokyo Marathon this year was held as a major fundraising event for those affected by the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Zack said “I wanted to do something for Japan after the tsunami, and I thought I could contribute by running, which is the one thing I am good at.” “Many people came to cheer,” he said, “and it was awesome running in the middle of the capital.”

Another participant, Chihiro Tamada, 32, a Japanese woman runner’s motivation was different. “I always wanted to run the Tokyo Marathon, but when I was living in Japan, I couldn’t get selected. But now I live in the states and it is much easier to be accepted to participate.” The marathon tends to be 10 times over subscribed.

More than 35,000 runners took part in the Tokyo Marathon 2012, with around 10% of those being international. 

It seems that each runner have their own good reason to travel all the way to run in foreign countries from sunny California.

Surf City, Here We Run!

The 16^th annual Surf City USA Marathon drew 20,000 runners to Huntington Beach. The Surf City USA Marathon, also called the California’s Classic Oceanfront Marathon, is conducted on Super Bowl Sunday which was Feb. 5 this year. The race featured a full marathon, which saw 3,000 participants, and a half marathon, which saw 17,000.

All races started on Pacific Coast Highway at Huntington Street in front of the Waterfront Beach Resort. Huntington Beach stretches for miles with wide, uninterrupted golden beachfront as far as the eye can see, perfect for barefoot strolls and California sunsets. Runners wind through the legendary surfing beaches of Southern California. Many retro surf bands entertained along the course and also at the Finish Line Festival (Beer Garden Beach Party) at the end of the race.

All finishers received a unique surfboard medal. This is called the Signature Surfboard Medal Series and many runners travel from all over the world to run for the famous Surfboard Finisher Medallions, which is an "original" surfboard style medal for this particular marathon.

Every element in this marathon is “SoCal (Southern California) style.”

As I was watching the runners pass by, I noticed such a variety of runners. Runners who are dressed in all sorts of costumes such as a tuxedos, rabbit-suit, and cheer-leader uniforms. There were also some participants who were holding the U.S. flag, runners wearing the exact same run-wear as their friends running together, and runners running with their dog, etc. Watching the colorful crowd, you would also recognize that some runner runs for different motivations.

Alongside the course was filled with people who have come to support and cheer the runners, as well as the volunteers. The supporters were families of runners, friends, and people who did not even know any single runner running this marathon. They were all cheering the runners in their own way. The whole event was filled with a sense of unity.

Running right beside the ocean and the dynamic waves, listening to the cheers and music performed, running under the blue sky and bright sun, running with the wind. The runners definitely looked good running through the exclusive oceanfront course. Marathon is surely a tough recreation/sport, yet makes the runners look so good, fresh, and excited. The expressions on the supporter’s faces cheering for the runners were amazing as well.

Pacific Coast Highway never looked so good!

The Surf City USA Marathon is owned and operated by Pacific Shoreline Marathon, LLC. The organization is committed to creating unique experiences to inspire active lifestyles for participants from all over the world, and for years to come. There is another big event associated with the Surf City USA Marathon.

The Beach Cities Challenge is a race series that includes three Southern California marathons – the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, the Orange County Marathon, and the Long Beach International City Bank Marathon. Runners who complete any combination of half or full marathons in all three events consecutively will receive a special Beach Cities Challenge Medal.

Coming next is The OC Marathon on May 6, 2012.