Chris Chavez wrote this piece for RunBlogRun today. Chris Chavez writes for ESPN.com and several other sites. We asked Chris to ask some of the top finishers about their thoughts on the LA Marathon course and what the marathon trials course looks like to them. Here are their thoughts….
While the weather dominated chatter among elite athletes heading into the race, as the 2015 ASICS LA Marathon is in the books the focus will shift on how Los Angeles will fare as the host of the 2016 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials next February.
Next year’s race will be run on a different criterion course and the race day will be moved to February to avoid conditions that may be considered too warm.
Here is what a few of the elite men had to say after the race:
Jared Ward, 2015 U.S. Marathon Champion – 2:12:55
“You get to experience LA. The course will be different, but the fans will be there just the same. I’m thrilled to get back to LA and roll again next year.”
On experience having run in 2015 being an edge:
“Maybe a little bit just for training in LA. We’ll be on a different course. It was fun to come out here and check out how things are. I love it.”
Matt Llano, 2nd 2015 U.S. Marathon Championships – 2:16:12
“I liked it actually. As hard as the hills were, I kind of liked having them in there. The undulations kind of help to keep you engaged in the race and stay focused. With a course like Chicago, you can kind of zone out and get stuck in one rhythm. It’s nice to run a nice flat course as well, but it’s also nice to have those change of elevations. It mixes up the terrain a little bit and levels out the playing field.”
Mike Morgan, 3rd 2015 U.S. Marathon Championships – 2:16:55
“I hope the weather is slightly better for Los Angeles next February, but at the same time I embrace the warmer conditions. For my sake, let it be 100 degrees!”
Stephan Shay, 6th 2015 U.S. Marathon Championships 2:18:16
“It’s going to be tough. It’s going to allow some guys to sneak in from that top ten. I think there’s going to be some guys that kind of blow up at the Trials. It’s going to be tough, because the weather is unpredictable that time of year — it could be pretty ideal conditions or it could be like it was today. You just never know. I think it’ll make things just that much more interesting.”
Scotty Bauhs, Marathon debut in 2:32:34
“As an athlete, it doesn’t matter where it is. You have to show up and be ready to go. As a Californian, I love that it’s in LA.”
