Last year's rainy L.A. Marathon. Photo by Calvin Fleming, via Flickr creative commons.

Metro Rail is a great way for spectators to view thousands of runners during the 27th annual Los Angeles Marathon set for Sunday, March 18.

SPECTATORS: Eight Metro Rail stations are within walking distance of the race course: the Chinatown and Little Tokyo/Arts District Gold Line stations and Union Station, Civic Center, Vermont/Sunset, Hollywood/Western, Hollywood/Vine and Hollywood/Highland Red Line subway stations.

RACE DAY DETOURS: Metro Bus service will be diverted to bypass the 26-mile ‘Stadium to the Sea’ marathon race course. Here is the service advisory for the detours.

SPECIAL RAIL SERVICE: Metro to operate six-car trains on the Red and Purple subway lines and two-car trains on  the Gold Line. Purchase a day pass to avoid lines after event. Staff will assist customers transferring to and from bus service at Vermont/Santa Monica Red Line station and where needed.

In the third year of the crosstown route from Dodger Stadium in downtown Los Angeles to Ocean Avenue, the 26-mile course will start at Dodger Stadium, run east through Chinatown and continue on to the Little Tokyo Historic District and parts of downtown Los Angeles, turn west on Sunset Boulevard to Hollywood Boulevard to Santa Monica Boulevard to through West Hollywood and Beverly Hills and continue on to San Vicente Boulevard to finish at Ocean Avenue just steps away from the Santa Monica Pier. Route maps and information: www.lamarathon.com.

This year the eight Metro Rail stations within walking distance of the race course are the Chinatown and Little Tokyo/Arts District Gold Line stations and the Union Station, Civic Center, Vermont/Sunset, Hollywood/Western, Hollywood/Vine and Hollywood/Highland Red and Purple Linet subway stations. The Metro Rail system will operate on normal Sunday service schedule.

Metro Bus service will be diverted to detours in downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles and Santa Monica. See service advisory at metro.net.

More than 50 Metro Bus lines will be detoured. They are lines 2, 4, 10, 14, 16, 20, 28, 30, 33, 40/42, 45, 55, 60, 68, 70/71, 76, 78/79, 81, 83, 84, 90, 92, 94, 96, 105, 156, 180/181, 200, 201, 204, 206, 207, 210, 212, 217, 222, 305, 485/487, 534, 550, 704, 720, 733, 745, 757, 780, 794, and the 910 Silver Line.

All detours will begin at 4 a.m.

Regular Metro Bus service on some lines will be restored as the race progresses but full service on all lines is not expected to resume until approximately early evening.
For more information on routes and schedules call (323) GO-METRO or (323) 466.3876 or visit Metro’s Trip Planner at www.metro.net.