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Marathon Details - Long Beach Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > CA > Long Beach > Long Beach Marathon

Long Beach Marathon

Long Beach Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

Long Beach, CA USA

October 5, 2025

http://www.runlongbeach.com

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Race Details

The Full Marathon starts next in Downtown Long Beach in the same spot that the Long Beach Grand Prix racecars start. Runners enjoy the sunrise while starting their journey through the 36th largest city in the United States. After a slight climb over the Queensway Bridge, runners circle the picturesque Shoreline Park Lighthouse and around Rainbow Harbor. A slight ocean breeze and cheering spectators greet runners as they pass by the start and finish Festival area at mile 6.5. Three miles next to the Pacific Ocean and a CLIF shot at mile 10 prepare full marathoners for the miles ahead, but not before a visit to the friendly Belmont Shore neighborhood. After passing The Split, runners head to Marine Stadium, pass Blair Field and Wilson High School and head to California State University, Long Beach. The campus is alive with cheerleaders, the CSULB band, sports teams, organizations and clubs, sororities and fraternities, faculty and the school Mascot, Prospector Pete. A quick 5K and a few minor hills on campus leaves runners with only 10K to go. Runners head back to Ocean Boulevard and make their way via a downhill finish to the Finish Line Festival where they are presented with their hard-earned medal and a full post-race festival with a great band, a beer garden, and plenty of food.

Contact Information

Name:	Gisele Schaaf
Address:	RUN Racing 10545 Humbolt St Los Alamitos, CA 90720
Phone Number:	562-795-8900
Fax Number:	562-795-8935
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (242)

Course 4.0

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.6

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Number of comments: 242 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 25 > ]

W. M. from Riverside (10/7/2024) "Great event" (about: 2024) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Overall great event. Loved the course so much. Just a bit frustrating when the half-marathoners merged in for like the last 2+ miles or so. There were so many of them. Some were taking selfies or having their spectator friends come into the course to take pics with them - completely oblivious to the fact that some people had gone twice as long as them and were on the final stretch pushing through pain to clock a time. I almost tripped and fell maneuvering between two of them, and quite a few times had to break stride and dodge to avoid collision. My last marathon had full on dividers to keep them separated and I wished this one would've as well.
Wayne Wright from Morro Bay, California USA (12/17/2022) "Go Beach" (about: 2022) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 INTRODUCTION: I am a racewalker with a median marathon completion time of 5:25:41. The Long Beach Marathon was my sixty-ninth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon: 68 degrees, 89 percent relative humidity, overcast skies and no wind. The course started on Shoreline Drive adjacent to the waterfront. Traveling west for the first mile, we backtracked to the bridge crossing over Queensway Bay. The bridge, at 36 feet in elevation, was the only noticeable incline we had for the first ten-plus miles. Several views of the Long Beach landmark Queen Mary were present during the first several miles, beginning with the crossing over the bay. After a loop on Queensway Drive, we went back over the Queensway Bay bridge returning to Shoreline Drive. We then turned back toward the bay, passing by the Aquarium of the Pacific at mile 4.6, eventually embarking on a walkway running alongside Queensway Bay and Rainbow Harbor. Of interest to marathoners, there were park benches along the course commemorating earlier Long Beach Marathon events. About six and a half miles into the race, we went onto a three-mile bike trail that took us on Alamitos, Junipero, and Belmont Beaches that afforded us with unobstructed view of the San Pedro Bay. At the end of the trail, we reversed course on Ocean Boulevard where, at a little more than halfway into mile 11, we headed inland on an out-and-back, an out-and-back within an out-and-back, and a loop course. The first crest, at 36 feet in elevation, took place on Nieto Avenue at East Vista Street between miles 11 and 12. Our out-and-back within an out-and-back was alongside Marine Stadium, site of the 1932 Olympic rowing competition, beginning at mile 12 and ending just after mile 13. The second crest, at 54 feet in elevation, was located at Clark Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, about halfway between miles 15 and 16. Beginning just before mile 17, we embarked on a loop around California State University, Long Beach. It was here where we approached the highest point of the course, at 83 feet, at mile 18. We began our return toward the coast just past mile 19, arriving at Ocean Boulevard just before mile 24. The final two miles took us westward on Ocean Boulevard, allowing us a final view of the coastline and the Queen Mary as we travelled past Bluff Park. At mile 26, we turned left on Shoreline Boulevard, where we crossed the finish line just steps away from where we started. Weather at the finish was 73 degrees, 69 percent relative humidity, scattered clouds, and southwest wind of 6 mph. ORGANIZATION: Fairly organized event run by Motiv. Decent water station support by the volunteers, though a few of them got distracted in the latter stages of the event. Excellent traffic control by the Long Beach Police Department. SPECTATORS: Sparse. Some spectators on the course. No live bands present. CONCLUSION: For those who like running alongside the Pacific coastline, this would be a race to consider. With the half marathon starting 90 minutes after the marathon, there is little interference with the other race, giving marathon participants plenty of space to run in. Well done, Long Beach.
N. S. from Chicago (10/10/2017) "Great flat L.A. area marathon." (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my 8th marathon and my 6th state. What a great marathon to run in. I am from Chicago, which is very flat. Course - For the most part its flat. The only hills you will mostly encounter will be at Long Beach State University. The course runs through some of downtown LB, next to the Queen Mary, next to a beach, and through neighborhoods and Long Beach State. I consider this a moderately flat course. Organization - Perfect. Gear check was great. Water stations were fantastic. I love how they started the 3,000 marathoners seperate from the 13,000 half marathoners. Only complaint is that the half marathoners and marathoners combine at mile 22 or 23. This started to become an obstacle since the marathoners ran into the walking half marathoners. And there were plenty of those. I feel like I lost some time on this. Water Aid Stations - They had NUUN and water at the aid stations. It seems like every other mile or mile and a half. This was huge. We got lucky with the weather because I can see how the weather can be hot. I read it neeared a 100 degrees a few years ago. We had hot weather the day before, but this morning was cloudy and started while sun was down. Low sixties and I believe when we finished it was upper sixties. We lucked out. There was plenty of GU on the course, some coconut water aid stations, and a big shout out to Sigma Chi!! They actually had water bottles for us at an aid station at Long Beach. That actually helped since I was able to get more water and douse myself with a shower while I was running. This is a good marathon to run if you are a beginner. I heard the L.A. Marathon is hilly, so this is a good one to do if you want a flat course. Hotels won't be a problem. I stayed at a friends house, but I heard there were plenty of hotels in the area and cheap depending where. The marathon was easy to get too. I used Uber. Great job Long Beach!! And thank you Snails Pace Pacing Group for a job well done!!
J. L. from CA (12/10/2015) "Unseasonably hot but flat" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This year's race was unfortunately way too hot (100 degrees+) for a marathon. The organizers allowed the half marathoners to start with the marathoners which made the course extremely crowded until they split off. The marathon course is flat I guess, but it's dull and has no shade. There were a decent number of bands and spectators, including some handing out ice bags and frozen goodies. The marathoners rejoin the half marathon course near the end where it's all the HM walkers who are difficult to dodge.
T. H. from Trabuco Canyon, CA (10/29/2015) "Long Beach Beats the Heat" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A record heat wave arrived in Long Beach on marathon weekend. It was 105 on Friday at the Expo and the marathon organizers sent out warnings to the runners to beware of the heat. They added water stations and ice to some of the aid stations. The volunteers were outstanding in support of the runners. I probably finished two of the hottest marathons in 2015, LA and LB. It was still rewarding to finish even though a slow time was inevitable. It was my 15th finish in LB and by far the hottest (97) when I finished at about 11:30am. I will be back in 2016 for the Beach Cities Challenge medal for the 6th time!
Kyle EricSon from Corona, CA (10/23/2015) "A Step Backward In My Opinion" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I have now run the full marathon 13 times in a row, dating back to 2003 (does anyone else remember when they offered an in-line skating marathon?). In the last several years the race has gotten much better with the routing of the course through CSULB, the earlier marathon start time, etc. Unfortunately, this year I think it took a giant step backwards. I was disappointed to see the marathon start extremely crowded this year with all the early or 'preferred' starters for the half-marathon. When I saw that they were offering that option this year, I assumed it was for people with disabilities, the elderly or people who needed the entire day to complete the course. However, from what I could see, these early half-marathon starters were all relatively young, healthy and had no need to be starting early. As a result of the over-crowded marathon start, I had to start in the second wave, couldn't catch-up to the pace group that I had planned to run with, and all the early water-stops were more crowded and hectic than usual. Please go back to the separate starts for the marathon and half-marathon as it used to be!
C. L. from La Canada, CA (11/3/2013) "Fourth time's a charm?" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 4-5 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was the 4th time I've run Long Beach; previously ran the half twice (2007, 2008) and the full once (2009), and ran the half this year. I race mostly 5K/10K distances, so for me, longer races are a big deal. I did consider doing a different course this time, because of my previous experience with the chaos of Long Beach race morning traffic and parking. So I was all ready to sign up for Santa Clarita's half, which is in early November, but then I rescheduled for Long Beach since it fit my schedule better, and also really wanted to break two hours - would happily take 1:59 - which meant a flat and fast course. This year, however, I sprung for a hotel room within walking distance of the start line. It wasnt cheap, even for the 'runners special' rate, but it was worth every penny to be able to wake up at a sane hour and walk to the start line with zero stress. I stayed at the Hilton, which is just about a mile from the start line, and one of the hotels that did not require a multi-day stay. Not to mention the Hilton is a very nice facility, even though I didn't spend a whole lot of time in it. On to the race. Separating the full from the half marathoners (the full marathon started 90 min earlier this year) was a welcome change from previous years, given the sheer size of these races. For the half, the 7:30 AM start was reasonable; it's typically not very hot in Long Beach this time of year, usually low to mid 60s, and this year was no exception. The start area was fairly well organized, considering that there were about 14,000 of us. Although the corrals were, as usual, entirely on honor system, and the boundaries between the corrals were poorly marked. That could use some improvement. With an estimated finish time under 2 hrs, I was fortunate to be in the first corral (its nominal cutoff was 2:10), which was snugly packed but not super crowded. Nevertheless, I saw some people in it who, judging by their shoes and the amount of stuff they were carrying, sure looked like walkers. No offense to walkers, but they definitely didn't belong there. How about next time, requiring proof of a recent race finishing time - 10K, half or full marathon - a PDF of a results printout would be fine - and then color code the bibs for each corral. That might help seed people where they belong. The race course was modestly but not overly crowded, but again, may have been the luck of being in the first corral. A number of of twists and turns on the first few miles of the course, but it didn't seem to be a problem, perhaps because I was expecting them, but overall the pack was very courteous and people were paying attention to where they were going. The water stations were well spaced, well managed and not crowded. Plenty of water and sports drink. I do only water for races up to this distance, but it was very clear which drink areas were which. As for flat and fast&the course is definitely that. A few trivial hills in the early miles, and then flat and straight along the bike path and Ocean Blvd. I also noticed more spectators along the course than in previous years. Moreover, they were making more noise and holding more signs! Fantastic! Thank you everyone who was out there to cheer us on! When all was said and done, I finished over 5 min faster than that 2 hr goal, and gleefully waving my hands in the air. Doesn't get much better than that. The finisher's medal was wonderful. I heard later that some of them got mixed up (evidently some 5K medals were given in error to half and full marathoners&) but I got a correct one. The post-race food/drink, as usual for Long Beach, leaves something to be desired - a lot of other races have more quality and variety - but I've come to expect that. However, the coconut water was a nice touch. So next year is the 30th anniversary of this race, and I might just come back for it. But if I do, absolutely will stay in a nearby hotel the night before.
J. F. from Bend Oregon (10/19/2013) "Love the Pacific Ocean" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Lots of great energy at the start line despite the half hour delay due to traffic and road closure issues. Prepare for 8 miles or so on concrete. The beauty of the Pacific Ocean can do only so much to distract you from knowing that your calves are going to be very sore. Loved the support from the students at Long Beach State University!! The out and back on the 2nd half allows for a great view of the front runners. LOVE to watch them run. Stayed at the Queen Mary, and despite asking FOUR different people, no one told us that the road way would be closed in the morning. Also, no one told us that there was a FREE water taxi which would take you to the start. Overall, loved the event. Lots and lots of half-marathoners. Makes you feel like you run fast as you pass all of them on the last 4 miles of the marathon. Very fun event.
T. H. from Orange County (10/18/2013) "Thanks for the Marathon Improvements" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Run Racing is listening to the previous years' comments and has implemented some needed improvements. An earlier start (6:00 am) for the marathoners was the best change. The delayed start should be fixed next year. The bike tour starting in the opposite direction and only covering 20 miles of the course was good. By getting to the marathon early there are no problems with traffic, parking, access to porta-potties, etc. The Beach Bum Club is great and the beer garden wasn't crowded after I finished the marathon. The Best of Long Beach is the band belting out classic rock tunes until 2:00 pm. Keep the course, the aid stations and the volunteers which were all great. I have already signed up for the 30th edition of Long Beach. See you there!
D. S. from SoCal (10/18/2013) "Great Race Overall" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have run the full and the half in years past - both several times - but ran the half this time around. If I had run the full, I definitely would have appreciated starting ahead of the halfers this year - the ~20 minute delay at the start line, not so much, tho'. :-/ As others have mentioned, the start line corrals are loosey-goosey - self-seeded and not well delineated. In spite of being in one of the first corrals, I still spent a fair amount of time working my away around walkers. I love the course itself - first 10 miles are particularly scenic. I did not run this year using GPS, but am pretty sure some of the mile markers were incorrectly placed based on my (wildly) erratic splits (ergo my 4 star rating). Totally messed up my pacing. Water and Gatorade along the course was plentiful as were volunteers. A+ in that regard. My biggest beef w/ this event is traffic control race-day morning . . . or lack thereof. There is no police presence downtown to direct traffic and optimize flow - all of the downtown signal lights are cycling normally, creating numerous totally unnecessary bottlenecks at various intersections that have little to no cross-traffic. Net result is a HUGE, multi-mile backup on the 710 freeway approaching the downtown area . . . and a slow trickle of vehicles into the actual parking facilities. Setting all of the signal lights to flashing red, at a minimum, would be a significant improvement. And speaking of bottlenecks . . . REALLY wish they would improve the finish area. After crossing the finish line and wending my way toward the expo, I found myself asses to elbows w/ hundreds of my fellow (and equally hot and sweaty) finishers attempting to exit thru a relatively small opening in the fenced runners only area, only to then run into a huge throng of spectators pressing in from all sides and further impeding progress. Kept thinking what a complete unmitigated disaster it would be if there was some kind of incident or emergency requiring immediate evacuation of the area. Since I was waiting for some friends to finish the full, I had plenty of time to cool down and check out the finish-line expo. I ultimately camped out in the beer garden and thoroughly enjoyed the band . . . and the beer - love that Shock Top! Felt very badly, tho', for the slower marathoners who arrived only to find that the beer had run out. As an aside, have to say the Beach City Challenge thing, in conjunction w/ the OC and Surf City marathons, is pretty cool - as someone who has completed the consecutive three-event cycle more than once, I was pleasantly surprised to be presented with a huge beach towel in addition to an especially hefty medal . . . and got a second free beer to boot. Sweet! In spite of my frustrations, I will be back!

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W. M. from Riverside (10/7/2024) "Great event" (about: 2024) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Overall great event. Loved the course so much. Just a bit frustrating when the half-marathoners merged in for like the last 2+ miles or so. There were so many of them. Some were taking selfies or having their spectator friends come into the course to take pics with them - completely oblivious to the fact that some people had gone twice as long as them and were on the final stretch pushing through pain to clock a time. I almost tripped and fell maneuvering between two of them, and quite a few times had to break stride and dodge to avoid collision. My last marathon had full on dividers to keep them separated and I wished this one would've as well.
Wayne Wright from Morro Bay, California USA (12/17/2022) "Go Beach" (about: 2022) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 INTRODUCTION: I am a racewalker with a median marathon completion time of 5:25:41. The Long Beach Marathon was my sixty-ninth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon: 68 degrees, 89 percent relative humidity, overcast skies and no wind. The course started on Shoreline Drive adjacent to the waterfront. Traveling west for the first mile, we backtracked to the bridge crossing over Queensway Bay. The bridge, at 36 feet in elevation, was the only noticeable incline we had for the first ten-plus miles. Several views of the Long Beach landmark Queen Mary were present during the first several miles, beginning with the crossing over the bay. After a loop on Queensway Drive, we went back over the Queensway Bay bridge returning to Shoreline Drive. We then turned back toward the bay, passing by the Aquarium of the Pacific at mile 4.6, eventually embarking on a walkway running alongside Queensway Bay and Rainbow Harbor. Of interest to marathoners, there were park benches along the course commemorating earlier Long Beach Marathon events. About six and a half miles into the race, we went onto a three-mile bike trail that took us on Alamitos, Junipero, and Belmont Beaches that afforded us with unobstructed view of the San Pedro Bay. At the end of the trail, we reversed course on Ocean Boulevard where, at a little more than halfway into mile 11, we headed inland on an out-and-back, an out-and-back within an out-and-back, and a loop course. The first crest, at 36 feet in elevation, took place on Nieto Avenue at East Vista Street between miles 11 and 12. Our out-and-back within an out-and-back was alongside Marine Stadium, site of the 1932 Olympic rowing competition, beginning at mile 12 and ending just after mile 13. The second crest, at 54 feet in elevation, was located at Clark Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, about halfway between miles 15 and 16. Beginning just before mile 17, we embarked on a loop around California State University, Long Beach. It was here where we approached the highest point of the course, at 83 feet, at mile 18. We began our return toward the coast just past mile 19, arriving at Ocean Boulevard just before mile 24. The final two miles took us westward on Ocean Boulevard, allowing us a final view of the coastline and the Queen Mary as we travelled past Bluff Park. At mile 26, we turned left on Shoreline Boulevard, where we crossed the finish line just steps away from where we started. Weather at the finish was 73 degrees, 69 percent relative humidity, scattered clouds, and southwest wind of 6 mph. ORGANIZATION: Fairly organized event run by Motiv. Decent water station support by the volunteers, though a few of them got distracted in the latter stages of the event. Excellent traffic control by the Long Beach Police Department. SPECTATORS: Sparse. Some spectators on the course. No live bands present. CONCLUSION: For those who like running alongside the Pacific coastline, this would be a race to consider. With the half marathon starting 90 minutes after the marathon, there is little interference with the other race, giving marathon participants plenty of space to run in. Well done, Long Beach.
N. S. from Chicago (10/10/2017) "Great flat L.A. area marathon." (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my 8th marathon and my 6th state. What a great marathon to run in. I am from Chicago, which is very flat. Course - For the most part its flat. The only hills you will mostly encounter will be at Long Beach State University. The course runs through some of downtown LB, next to the Queen Mary, next to a beach, and through neighborhoods and Long Beach State. I consider this a moderately flat course. Organization - Perfect. Gear check was great. Water stations were fantastic. I love how they started the 3,000 marathoners seperate from the 13,000 half marathoners. Only complaint is that the half marathoners and marathoners combine at mile 22 or 23. This started to become an obstacle since the marathoners ran into the walking half marathoners. And there were plenty of those. I feel like I lost some time on this. Water Aid Stations - They had NUUN and water at the aid stations. It seems like every other mile or mile and a half. This was huge. We got lucky with the weather because I can see how the weather can be hot. I read it neeared a 100 degrees a few years ago. We had hot weather the day before, but this morning was cloudy and started while sun was down. Low sixties and I believe when we finished it was upper sixties. We lucked out. There was plenty of GU on the course, some coconut water aid stations, and a big shout out to Sigma Chi!! They actually had water bottles for us at an aid station at Long Beach. That actually helped since I was able to get more water and douse myself with a shower while I was running. This is a good marathon to run if you are a beginner. I heard the L.A. Marathon is hilly, so this is a good one to do if you want a flat course. Hotels won't be a problem. I stayed at a friends house, but I heard there were plenty of hotels in the area and cheap depending where. The marathon was easy to get too. I used Uber. Great job Long Beach!! And thank you Snails Pace Pacing Group for a job well done!!
J. L. from CA (12/10/2015) "Unseasonably hot but flat" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This year's race was unfortunately way too hot (100 degrees+) for a marathon. The organizers allowed the half marathoners to start with the marathoners which made the course extremely crowded until they split off. The marathon course is flat I guess, but it's dull and has no shade. There were a decent number of bands and spectators, including some handing out ice bags and frozen goodies. The marathoners rejoin the half marathon course near the end where it's all the HM walkers who are difficult to dodge.
T. H. from Trabuco Canyon, CA (10/29/2015) "Long Beach Beats the Heat" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A record heat wave arrived in Long Beach on marathon weekend. It was 105 on Friday at the Expo and the marathon organizers sent out warnings to the runners to beware of the heat. They added water stations and ice to some of the aid stations. The volunteers were outstanding in support of the runners. I probably finished two of the hottest marathons in 2015, LA and LB. It was still rewarding to finish even though a slow time was inevitable. It was my 15th finish in LB and by far the hottest (97) when I finished at about 11:30am. I will be back in 2016 for the Beach Cities Challenge medal for the 6th time!
Kyle EricSon from Corona, CA (10/23/2015) "A Step Backward In My Opinion" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I have now run the full marathon 13 times in a row, dating back to 2003 (does anyone else remember when they offered an in-line skating marathon?). In the last several years the race has gotten much better with the routing of the course through CSULB, the earlier marathon start time, etc. Unfortunately, this year I think it took a giant step backwards. I was disappointed to see the marathon start extremely crowded this year with all the early or 'preferred' starters for the half-marathon. When I saw that they were offering that option this year, I assumed it was for people with disabilities, the elderly or people who needed the entire day to complete the course. However, from what I could see, these early half-marathon starters were all relatively young, healthy and had no need to be starting early. As a result of the over-crowded marathon start, I had to start in the second wave, couldn't catch-up to the pace group that I had planned to run with, and all the early water-stops were more crowded and hectic than usual. Please go back to the separate starts for the marathon and half-marathon as it used to be!
C. L. from La Canada, CA (11/3/2013) "Fourth time's a charm?" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 4-5 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was the 4th time I've run Long Beach; previously ran the half twice (2007, 2008) and the full once (2009), and ran the half this year. I race mostly 5K/10K distances, so for me, longer races are a big deal. I did consider doing a different course this time, because of my previous experience with the chaos of Long Beach race morning traffic and parking. So I was all ready to sign up for Santa Clarita's half, which is in early November, but then I rescheduled for Long Beach since it fit my schedule better, and also really wanted to break two hours - would happily take 1:59 - which meant a flat and fast course. This year, however, I sprung for a hotel room within walking distance of the start line. It wasnt cheap, even for the 'runners special' rate, but it was worth every penny to be able to wake up at a sane hour and walk to the start line with zero stress. I stayed at the Hilton, which is just about a mile from the start line, and one of the hotels that did not require a multi-day stay. Not to mention the Hilton is a very nice facility, even though I didn't spend a whole lot of time in it. On to the race. Separating the full from the half marathoners (the full marathon started 90 min earlier this year) was a welcome change from previous years, given the sheer size of these races. For the half, the 7:30 AM start was reasonable; it's typically not very hot in Long Beach this time of year, usually low to mid 60s, and this year was no exception. The start area was fairly well organized, considering that there were about 14,000 of us. Although the corrals were, as usual, entirely on honor system, and the boundaries between the corrals were poorly marked. That could use some improvement. With an estimated finish time under 2 hrs, I was fortunate to be in the first corral (its nominal cutoff was 2:10), which was snugly packed but not super crowded. Nevertheless, I saw some people in it who, judging by their shoes and the amount of stuff they were carrying, sure looked like walkers. No offense to walkers, but they definitely didn't belong there. How about next time, requiring proof of a recent race finishing time - 10K, half or full marathon - a PDF of a results printout would be fine - and then color code the bibs for each corral. That might help seed people where they belong. The race course was modestly but not overly crowded, but again, may have been the luck of being in the first corral. A number of of twists and turns on the first few miles of the course, but it didn't seem to be a problem, perhaps because I was expecting them, but overall the pack was very courteous and people were paying attention to where they were going. The water stations were well spaced, well managed and not crowded. Plenty of water and sports drink. I do only water for races up to this distance, but it was very clear which drink areas were which. As for flat and fast&the course is definitely that. A few trivial hills in the early miles, and then flat and straight along the bike path and Ocean Blvd. I also noticed more spectators along the course than in previous years. Moreover, they were making more noise and holding more signs! Fantastic! Thank you everyone who was out there to cheer us on! When all was said and done, I finished over 5 min faster than that 2 hr goal, and gleefully waving my hands in the air. Doesn't get much better than that. The finisher's medal was wonderful. I heard later that some of them got mixed up (evidently some 5K medals were given in error to half and full marathoners&) but I got a correct one. The post-race food/drink, as usual for Long Beach, leaves something to be desired - a lot of other races have more quality and variety - but I've come to expect that. However, the coconut water was a nice touch. So next year is the 30th anniversary of this race, and I might just come back for it. But if I do, absolutely will stay in a nearby hotel the night before.
J. F. from Bend Oregon (10/19/2013) "Love the Pacific Ocean" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Lots of great energy at the start line despite the half hour delay due to traffic and road closure issues. Prepare for 8 miles or so on concrete. The beauty of the Pacific Ocean can do only so much to distract you from knowing that your calves are going to be very sore. Loved the support from the students at Long Beach State University!! The out and back on the 2nd half allows for a great view of the front runners. LOVE to watch them run. Stayed at the Queen Mary, and despite asking FOUR different people, no one told us that the road way would be closed in the morning. Also, no one told us that there was a FREE water taxi which would take you to the start. Overall, loved the event. Lots and lots of half-marathoners. Makes you feel like you run fast as you pass all of them on the last 4 miles of the marathon. Very fun event.
T. H. from Orange County (10/18/2013) "Thanks for the Marathon Improvements" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Run Racing is listening to the previous years' comments and has implemented some needed improvements. An earlier start (6:00 am) for the marathoners was the best change. The delayed start should be fixed next year. The bike tour starting in the opposite direction and only covering 20 miles of the course was good. By getting to the marathon early there are no problems with traffic, parking, access to porta-potties, etc. The Beach Bum Club is great and the beer garden wasn't crowded after I finished the marathon. The Best of Long Beach is the band belting out classic rock tunes until 2:00 pm. Keep the course, the aid stations and the volunteers which were all great. I have already signed up for the 30th edition of Long Beach. See you there!
D. S. from SoCal (10/18/2013) "Great Race Overall" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have run the full and the half in years past - both several times - but ran the half this time around. If I had run the full, I definitely would have appreciated starting ahead of the halfers this year - the ~20 minute delay at the start line, not so much, tho'. :-/ As others have mentioned, the start line corrals are loosey-goosey - self-seeded and not well delineated. In spite of being in one of the first corrals, I still spent a fair amount of time working my away around walkers. I love the course itself - first 10 miles are particularly scenic. I did not run this year using GPS, but am pretty sure some of the mile markers were incorrectly placed based on my (wildly) erratic splits (ergo my 4 star rating). Totally messed up my pacing. Water and Gatorade along the course was plentiful as were volunteers. A+ in that regard. My biggest beef w/ this event is traffic control race-day morning . . . or lack thereof. There is no police presence downtown to direct traffic and optimize flow - all of the downtown signal lights are cycling normally, creating numerous totally unnecessary bottlenecks at various intersections that have little to no cross-traffic. Net result is a HUGE, multi-mile backup on the 710 freeway approaching the downtown area . . . and a slow trickle of vehicles into the actual parking facilities. Setting all of the signal lights to flashing red, at a minimum, would be a significant improvement. And speaking of bottlenecks . . . REALLY wish they would improve the finish area. After crossing the finish line and wending my way toward the expo, I found myself asses to elbows w/ hundreds of my fellow (and equally hot and sweaty) finishers attempting to exit thru a relatively small opening in the fenced runners only area, only to then run into a huge throng of spectators pressing in from all sides and further impeding progress. Kept thinking what a complete unmitigated disaster it would be if there was some kind of incident or emergency requiring immediate evacuation of the area. Since I was waiting for some friends to finish the full, I had plenty of time to cool down and check out the finish-line expo. I ultimately camped out in the beer garden and thoroughly enjoyed the band . . . and the beer - love that Shock Top! Felt very badly, tho', for the slower marathoners who arrived only to find that the beer had run out. As an aside, have to say the Beach City Challenge thing, in conjunction w/ the OC and Surf City marathons, is pretty cool - as someone who has completed the consecutive three-event cycle more than once, I was pleasantly surprised to be presented with a huge beach towel in addition to an especially hefty medal . . . and got a second free beer to boot. Sweet! In spite of my frustrations, I will be back!

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Marathon Details - Long Beach Marathon