LA Marathon Returning to Beverly Hills in 2013

The Beverly Hills City Council agreed at Tuesday's study session to have the Los Angeles Marathon course again run through the city in 2013, despite opposition from some residents because of street closures caused by the race.

Marathon organizers had sought to have the race go through the city for three additional years, but the council agreed only to review the impact following next year's race, Therese Kosterman, the city's public information manager, told City News Service.

The 26-mile, 385-yard marathon course for 2013 enters Beverly Hills at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Doheny Drive, continues south on Doheny to Burton Way, west when it becomes the south roadway of Santa Monica Boulevard, south on Rodeo Drive, west on Wilshire Boulevard, returning to the south roadway of Santa Monica Boulevard through the city limit.

Beverly Hills, along with Santa Monica and West Hollywood, was added to the marathon route in 2010 as part of the "Stadium to the Sea" course which took the race outside of the Los Angeles city limits for the first time.

In March, then-Beverly Hills Mayor Barry Brucker told City News Service that the marathon would benefit the city "in the form of bringing new visitors to Beverly Hills' businesses, national exposure for the city and community spirit for those who are able to watch the marathon in person or attend the block party on Rodeo Drive."

"However, those benefits must be balanced against the clear inconvenience to residents, churchgoers and businesses whose customers are negatively affected by the road closures," he said.

The marathon has agreements with Santa Monica and West Hollywood for the race to go through those cities next year and with Los Angeles through 2015, according to Howard Sunkin, the race's executive director.

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