In this still-young year of 2025, the people of Los Angeles have had much to grieve. The January wildfires consumed so much more than they ever have before.

• 104,174 Total Emergency Responses
• 507 Wildfires
• 57,768 Acres Burned
• 29 Fatalities (pending coroner confirmation)
• 16,251 Structures Destroyed

And now, as it has so many times in its four-decade history, the Los Angeles Marathon comes up on the calendar, perfectly situated to help begin the healing.

Ritual For The Soul
In the wake of crisis, we often find runners taking to the streets, whether alone or in mass gatherings. Not to escape, but to engage with the deeper workings within themselves, while sharing their common human bond.
***

Those who run understand it’s more than just an exercise for the body; it’s a healing ritual for the soul. Sunday’s 40th Los Angeles Marathon is forecast to be overcast and cool—ideal weather for long-distance running. But it’s as if Mother Nature empathizes with the wounded psyche of LA, and is delivering a veil of gray to reflect the darkness the year has so far wrought.

Yet, when the starter’s signal releases the 26,000 runners to the streets of LA, beginning at Dodger Stadium, each of their thousands of footfalls will strike against the chaos within. With each breath, the rhythmic cadence will stitch together the fragments of the area’s fractured psyche, mending it anew.

For many, running is an internal exploration through the labyrinth of the mind—an investigation often disturbed by life’s intrusions and responsibilities. Races like the LA Marathon are culminating experiences that reward all the dedication of preparation. In this light, racing is not a diversion, but an engagement, complete and profound.

“The feelings one experiences in racing are the same for all who do it,” said two-time U.S. Olympic marathoner Kenny Moore. “The same feelings of doubt and exhilaration, joy and anguish exist whether you are a freshman running high school cross-country or a finalist in the Olympic Games,” or, for that matter, an entrant in the Los Angeles Marathon.

For Old & Young Alike

Through their effort, the LA marathoners will affirm the possible, offset loss, and show how hope can surely rise from the ashes.

Consider the story of United States Forest Service Cpt. Jerry Garcia, a Palmdale resident who battled the Eaton Fire in Altadena. Jerry is more than an avid long-distance runner. In 2017, he won the Angeles Crest 100-Mile Ultra Marathon in Altadena. Then, this January, he and his team fought the devastating wildfire that swept along that same trail where he triumphed in 2017. Today, Jerry will help pace the 2:55 group at the LA Marathon.

Meb’s Biggest Win

Or think of UCLA grad and 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi. Meb ran the 2014 Boston Marathon with the names of the four victims who perished in the previous year’s finish-line bombings scribbled on his race number for inspiration. With that emotional edge, Meb became the first American male champion in Boston in 31 years.

These stories, and thousands more like them, remind us that running is not just a physical act but a deeply personal and emotional one, as well. While marathon day has a way of expressing what words alone cannot.

A Test of Our Limits

In an age where technology often replaces human effort with convenience and ease, the marathon stands as a throwback, a powerful reminder of our enduring need to test ourselves, stripped of convenience. 

The Super Shoe revolution notwithstanding, running still requires the least in equipment while demanding the most from within. It imposes no skill but draws every bit of effort we can muster.

For many, this struggle brings enlightenment and liberation—qualities that no modern advancement can replicate. Each mile stretches not just the body but the soul. Each stride sheds a burden, becoming a small leap toward grace.

As the runners of the 2025 Los Angeles Marathon take to the streets on March 16, they will embark on a journey that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. They will push themselves to new limits, testing their resolve and resilience.

And when they cross the finish line in Century City, exhausted but triumphant, they will recognize that the true power of running lies not in achieving their goal but in mapping their journey: from the pre-dawn training runs to late-night cravings sacrificed, all the way to the final step across the line.

For in the end, it won’t be the medal that hangs around their neck that defines their effort, but the weight that was lifted from their shoulders. It wasn’t the cheers of the crowd that sustained them, though they were dearly glad to have them, but the quiet strength they discovered within themselves.

As it has for its first 39 years, the 2025 Los Angeles Marathon presented by ASICS will transcend the boundaries of sport, though the competition itself will be fierce. Instead, it will serve as a mirror, reflecting both our human frailties and our capacity for triumph. It will remind us that within every breath and stride lies a testament to resilience and fortitude, this year dedicated to the first responders who battled the LA wildfires.

Their courage and commitment will be drawn upon time and again throughout the day, reminding us of the true meaning of service and community.

Together, runners, volunteers, sponsors, and fans will come to the 2025 LA Marathon to celebrate one simple, profound human truth: forward is the only way to go.

ONWARD!