Green Laces!

I was introduced last week to Natalie Spilger, who came up with an inspiring idea called greenlaces.org. By wearing green shoe laces, which are made from 100% post consumer recycled plastic, you make a promise to the planet. The laces serve as a visual reminder of your commitment. Founded in 2008, GreenLaces provides environmental engagement for athletes of all caliber and ages. In its short existence, GreenLaces has gained the support of hundreds of Professional and Olympic athletes representing 10 different countries and educated hundreds of kids through their Green Your Game eco-education programs.

Athletes in support of GreenLaces include Board of Director’s and 3x World Champion Brandi Chastain, Olympic Gold Medalists Hope Solo (W.Soccer) and Cat Osterman (Softballl) and Basketball Player Chris Hernandez.

I’m buying some Green Laces myself, and I hope a bunch of you elect to run the LA Marathon in Green Laces, too.

Peter

Our 5 most popular posts of the last month

Here are the LA Marathon's top five articles from Feb. 1 - Mar. 1, 2009. Results are based on Google Analytics and in order of overall page views.

1. LA Marathon 2.0 - Peter

2. Los Angeles Marathon Announces Prize Purse, Bonuses for Elite Runners - Nick

3. Nick Curl, LA Marathon Race Director - Peter

4. Clif Bar fuels the LA Marathon - Peter

5. Goodies, but no bags - Russ

The Word of Rod

"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon."
Emil Zatopek, winner of 5,000, 10,000 and Marathon at the ‘52 Helsinki Olympic Games

LA Marathon Coordinators Meeting

On Saturday we had our kick-off meeting with all of the coordinators whose hard work makes the Los Angeles Marathon happen. It was a great chance for all of them to get reacquainted with each other and to also meet the new LA Marathon staff. These coordinators handle many important logistical aspects of the race: volunteers, start/finish, elite runners, packet pick-up, etc. They are the mission-critical component of the event, and we're blessed to have such a dedicated and fun group. Join me in welcoming all of our coordinators back to the LA Marathon.

Peter




LA Marathon President Russ Pillar



LA Marathon Community Relations Director Ginger Williams and Sales Director John Wilson



Race Director Nick Curl



Elite hospitality coordinator Teri Jones, in her 24th year with the LA Marathon!



Volunteer Coordinator Manon Levenberg



Rob Alen from Honda in the house!



Finish Line Coordinator Steve Barnum

Official LA Marathon hotels

If you’re running the Marathon and would like to walk to the start (and who wouldn’t), take a look at the Official Hotels of the LA Marathon. The Millenium Biltmore and the Omni Hotel have both extended special rates just for our participants, so take advantage of the opportunity and improve your race day experience.

Peter

Share a ride to the LA Marathon

How many of you are planning on driving to the LA Marathon this year? I’m guessing most of you. So why not share your vehicle and carpool to the Expo and the race? Make new friends AND reduce your carbon footprint. I think it’s a great concept, and this year we’ve partnered with Spaceshare to create our own ridesharing microsite. It’s organized by zip code, so you only need to log in and see who else in your neighborhood is also driving to the event. You can filter rideshare partners based on how early you want to arrive and when you plan on finishing the race. We hope many of you will take advantage of the program. Click Here for more information.

Peter

Students Run LA

No matter who wins this year’s LA Marathon, the greatest success stories will be told by the participants of Students Run LA, a program that challenges at-risk youth to train for and complete the LA Marathon.

Approximately 4,000 secondary students from Los Angeles communities rare currently training to run the marathon this year. More than 99% of these dedicated and amazing students finish the grueling race. And more than 98% of the high school seniors who complete the marathon with SRLA go on to graduate from high school

This vital program has positively affected the lives of more than 30,000 kids by helping teach them to set goals, fulfill commitments and develop character. In addition, SRLA provides these at-risk youths with adult mentoring and the obvious health benefits that result from running.

We’re tremendously proud of our association with SRLA, and we shot this video to show you what they’re all about.

Peter