As a previous running shoe store employee who’s personally fit about a thousand people, and someone who has run 7 marathons and 88 half marathons, I know finding the right pair can be challenging. That’s why local running stores and experts are invaluable. If you have no idea where to start, consider going to a local running store. Running store employees see countless styles, brands, and foot types every day, so they understand what works and what doesn’t – but remember, no one knows your feet better than you do. Running shoes aren’t more expensive at running stores, so you can get the expertise and knowledge of a running store employee at the same price as the shoe is sold online.

If you’re training for an upcoming race—like the Los Angeles Marathon—it’s especially important to find shoes that will support you through the many miles of preparation. 

Keep in mind, there is no best running shoe. I can’t emphasize this enough. The best running shoe for you is different than your favorite influencer, best friend, or training partner. Everyone’s feet are different—even your left and right foot. 

Key Factors When Choosing Running Shoes 

Size (Length) 

Getting the right length is essential, especially for marathon training. Always leave about a thumb’s width between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. Did you know when you’re running long distances, your feet swell? Your feet are actually a different size before and after you start your long run. Getting this extra space allows for natural foot expansion and helps prevent blisters, black toenails, and general discomfort. Remember that your feet may change over time, so get measured regularly. The general rule of thumb is to get a running shoe 1/2 to 1 full size bigger than your casual shoes. Plus, like jeans, not all running shoes fit the same. A size 10 in one brand may be very different than a size 10 in another. 

Size (Width) 

Width is often overlooked but crucial. Shoes that are too narrow can lead to issues like bunions and holes in the pinkie-toe area. Many running stores carry wide and double-wide options, so don’t hesitate to try a wider fit if needed. More room is better than squeezing into a too-tight shoe. Wearing too narrow of a shoe can cause issues in your plantar fascia. Finally, many brands only widen the toebox, not the heel, of a running shoe. That way, you can avoid slipping. 

Heel Fit 

Your heel should feel secure yet comfortable. If your heel slips, try lacing to the top eyelet for a snug fit. Avoid shoes that feel tight around the heel; a little movement is normal, but discomfort here won’t improve with time. 

Feel 

Above all, the feel of the shoe matters. A myth that is passed around is the need to break in running shoes. You shouldn’t need to break in a running shoe at all, and it should be comfortable right from the start. Running stores often let you test the shoes on an in-store treadmill or even around the block. Those first steps can reveal if the fit is right. You should never leave the store with a running shoe that doesn’t already feel comfortable. Many stores also have a flexible exchange policy in case you need a second option. 

Conclusion: The Best Running Shoes for You 

With so many shoes to choose from, finding the right one can seem overwhelming. There’s no single “right” answer to finding the best running shoes; instead, focus on what feels good and keeps you injury-free through training and beyond. Whether it’s for daily runs or marathon prep, a good pair of shoes should support your feet, fit well, and feel great. 

Hollie Sick is a Los Angeles Marathon Ambassador and dedicated competitive runner living and working at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Her enthusiasm for running is evident in her participation in the Los Angeles Marathon, which she loves for its unparalleled crowd support. Hollie ran the 2024 California International Marathon in a time of 3:19 and has a goal of running a sub-3:15 at the Los Angeles Marathon in 2025. She enjoys spending her free time hiking, swimming, and exploring the outdoors. Plus maintaining her blog fueledbylolz.com that has everything from running shoe reviews, gear reviews, hikes, trail runs, training logs, and more. 

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It’s important to understand that we count the number of races held, not just the number of years. The first race was in 1986, making it race number 1. Every year after that adds one more race number. So, in 2025, we will have held 40 races, but it’s not an anniversary celebration.

To help explain this, check out the table below. It shows the race numbers starting from 1 in 1986 all the way to 40 in 2025.

Join Us in Celebrating 40 Years Running  

The Los Angeles Marathon is more than a race; it’s a celebration of community and determination. Join us as we prepare for our 40th running in 2025, honoring our journey from race number 1 in 1986 to this milestone event. Don’t miss out—register today!

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2024

2023

2022

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2011

2010

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Global Running Day is approaching on June 5. Let's come together and celebrate the joy of running with our community!

Our partner run clubs are hosting events across LA, featuring a variety of distances and routes. From track sessions to scenic strolls, there's something for everyone.

Check out the list of events below and join us in person next week.

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Adding to the excitement, the elite women’s field will start with approximately an 18-minute head start on the men as part of our annual Marathon Chase, which will reward the first runner to reach the finish line in Century City with a winner-take-all $10,000 bonus.

Women’s Elite Field
The top contender in our women’s field is Kenya’s Stacy Ndiwa, who returns after winning the women’s race last year in a personal-best time of 2:31:00. Ndiwa surged near mile 19 and ran away with the women’s title and also held off men’s winner Jemal Yimer in the homestretch on Santa Monica Boulevard to win the Marathon Chase.

Olga Mazuronak of Belarus should be another one of the top contenders in the women’s race this year. She owns a 2:23:54 personal best and has a long list of strong finishes at big, international marathons, but she’s also a local runner who has lived in Los Angeles for the past year or so. She was the fifth-place finisher in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 (2:29:06), the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2019 (2:36:21) and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (2:24:48).

Other top runners in the women’s elite field include Ecuador’s Silvia Paredes, a 2016 Olympian with a 2:40:58 personal best; Kenya’s Pamela Rotich, who won the Malaga Marathon (2:33:52) in Spain in December; and Canada’s Rachel Hannah, the 2015 Pan Am Games bronze medalist who has raced well in major races including Chicago (2:36:04) and most recently won the 2023 Indianapolis Marathon (2:35:17).

Men’s Elite Field
Our men’s field is also deep with talent. Leading the way this year is Kenya’s Dominic Kipyegon Ngeno, who placed third at the Eindhoven Marathon in the Netherlands last October in a personal best 2:07:26. Meanwhile, Kenya’s Moses Kiptoo Kurgat brings a personal best of 2:08:40 to Los Angeles and most recently won the 2022 Kuala Lumpur Marathon in 2:11:05.

We’re excited to have a pair of Eritrean runners who have been training in Flagstaff, Arizona, entered in our elite field: Tsegay Tuemay has a personal best of 2:09:07 and last October won McKirdy Micro Marathon (2:11:04) in New York, while his training partner and countryman Tesfu Weldegebreal owns a 62:48 half marathon personal best as he approaches his marathon debut.

Other fast runners in our field include: Kenya’s Cosmas Kiplimo, who owns a 2:09:44 personal best and last October finished third in the Geneva Marathon (2:10:44) in Switzerland; Kenyan Sammy Rotich, who won the Austin Marathon (2:14:25) and placed second in Grandma’s Marathon (in a personal best 2:10:08) in 2022; and Ethiopia’s Belay Tilahun Bezabh, who won the 2019 NYC Half Marathon in New York City (1:02:10), placed third in at the Hamburg Marathon (2:14:01) in Germany in 2021 and most recently finished sixth in China’s Dalian Marathon (in a 2:11:49 personal best) last October.

The current course records on our Stadium to Stars route are the 2:08:26 that Ethiopia’s Bayelign Teshager ran in 2020 and the 2:25:04 effort of Kenya’s Delvine Meringor in 2022. The fastest times ever run in Los Angeles are from our Stadium to Sea course—the 2:24:11 women’s mark of Ethiopian Askale Mariachi in 2019, and the 2:06:35 men’s record performance from Ethiopia’s Markos Geneti in 2011.

We can’t wait to see what these runners can do on our Stadium to the Stars course on March 17. We hope you’ll join them and chase your own goals on your journey to the finish line.

Marathon Chase
The Marathon Chase will provide a special competition among the elite runners that will play out live on local television KTLA Channel 5, as well as streaming on KTLA.com and KTLA+ digital mediums. To facilitate the challenge, the women’s elite starting time will be set based on the expected men’s and women’s winning times estimated at approximately 18 minutes. (The final margin will be based on the average times of the competitors and will be announced the day before the race.) This head start on the men’s elite field should put the top female and top male runners within seconds of each other heading into the final mile as they approach the finish line. The first runner to reach the finish line will receive the $10,000 bonus.

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Hussle, who was born in Los Angeles, was not only a skilled lyricist and hip-hop musician but also an entrepreneur, actor and thoughtful activist who worked to build and unite the South Los Angeles community.

Hussle’s The Marathon Clothing (TMC) brand will enter a team of 15 or more runners, with all funds raised by each runner benefitting the Neighborhood Nip Foundation. The participating team is sponsored by The Marathon Clothing (TMC), The Marathon Water, and Puma.

“We are honored to be able to partner with the LA Marathon. It means a lot to us because it’s something that Nip spoke about and had an interest in being a part of. He told the whole team about it and how he wanted the brand to do something with the LA Marathon, especially since it’s in L.A.,” Sam Asghedom, Hussle’s brother, told The Hollywood Reporter. “Nip actually wanted to run the marathon. He told us all to get ready and get in shape for it. That’s why it feels so good for this to be coming to fruition.”

The Neighborhood Nip Foundation will kick off programming in 2024 with a reconstruction of the Nipsey Hussle Plaza property, located at 3420 W. Slauson Avenue, the original location of his Marathon store. The renovated site will serve as a community center for elementary and high school students and will focus on academics and music.

“Hussle’s ‘marathon’ mentality and mindset fueled his ability to persevere against all odds and achieve greatness in every endeavor of his life,” Asghedom said. “We are so proud and honored to be a part of the LA Marathon. As Hussle would say, ‘Life is a marathon, run a lap.”

“Nipsey Hussle’s iconic legacy is a beacon of inspiration for everyone in the City of Los Angeles and we are delighted to welcome the Neighborhood Nip Foundation as an official charity partner,” said Melissa Christian, Charity Director for the Los Angeles Marathon. “The Los Angeles Marathon is so much more than just a race; it’s a platform to empower communities and this partnership truly embodies that spirit, uniting our neighborhoods in a shared commitment to build a healthier world while celebrating Nipsey Hussle’s enduring legacy of resilience in the city he loved.”

The Los Angeles Marathon Nonprofit Partnership Program

Each year the Los Angeles Marathon hosts thousands of runners who choose to make their experience more meaningful by running on behalf of a charity. With 105+ Nonprofit Partners, our Nonprofit Partner Program connects the philanthropic community to the passionate race participants willing to raise funds and create awareness for meaningful causes. Since its inception, the Nonprofit Partnership Program has raised more than $68 million to benefit our partner organizations.

Team TMF is the official fundraising program for The McCourt Foundation. Fundraising for Team TMF means every mile you run makes a difference and supports our mission to cure neurological diseases while empowering communities to build a healthier world. When you join Team TMF you run for free with a commitment to fundraising and enjoy exclusive perks and get access to exclusive fundraising incentives.

For more information about our charity partners or how to run with one of our charity partners, visit the our Charity Info page here.

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Here are eight tips to remain active, stay on track for race day and enjoy the holiday season to the fullest.

1. Be realistic

The holiday season is a tough time to maintain a consistent running regimen. Holiday events, travel, family time and even late-year work deadlines can get in the way of your regularly scheduled runs. The first tip in approaching your training schedule is to be pragmatic about the time you realistically have for running. Everything on your schedule is important—including your running—but knowing your priorities for any given day will help you understand when you can find a window of time for running.

2. Enjoy the season

As much as we all have race goals we’re trying to hit in March, enjoying the holiday season—especially time with family and friends—doesn’t have to be compromised. Will your running schedule get disrupted by festive parties and big family dinners? Yes, that’s probably pretty likely. But there’s no such thing as a perfect training buildup to a race, so allow yourself some flexibility and be as consistent as possible. Enjoy the season and don’t let the inevitable missed long run or skipped speed workout create unnecessary stress.

3. Plan ahead

If you have travel or holiday events planned in the coming weeks, try to plan your training runs in advance—especially your long run for the week. They might not all work out the way you planned, but it will give you a leg up when it comes to maintaining consistency. If you can do a 45- to 90-minute long run during each peak holiday week—even if it’s not on your usual long run day—it will go a long way in maintaining your aerobic fitness through the holidays.

5. Something is better than nothing

Remember: consistency is what’s most important in your training. The key to avoiding a fitness rut is to stay active and eliminate big gaps of not running by making time for short runs—even if it’s only 15 to 30 minutes on some days, if that’s all you can spare. Remember, the essence of Newton’s First Law of Motion—a body at rest will remain at rest, a body in motion tends to stay in motion.

6. Invite family and friends

If you’re connecting with family and friends or traveling during the holiday season, consider asking others to join you for an easy run. It’s a great way to renew personal connections, have fun conversations and run in new or different locations while also getting your daily run in. Don’t worry if those runs are at a slower pace or shorter distance than you expected. Just enjoy the company and the moments.

7. Seek out local events

Whether you’re traveling or at home during the holiday season, seek out fun holiday running events organized by running clubs, running stores and race organizations. There are a lot of holiday 5Ks around the country and around Los Angeles! Find one and join in! 

8. Make sure you’re following a training plan

The best way to keep training during the holidays is to make sure you have a long-term training plan to follow. We recommend training with the LA Road Runners, but there are several SoCal running stores and numerous local running clubs and coaches that offer training programs. Following a plan (and potentially working directly with a coach) will allow you to balance your training over the scope of several weeks and accommodate for altered workouts, missed runs or busy days spent traveling or celebrating the spirit of the season.

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The 2024 Los Angeles Marathon is quickly approaching and here are 10 reasons we think you should register to be at the start line with us this March:

1. It’s a Great Race and the Perfect Way to Kickoff Springtime. Not only is the Los Angeles Marathon presented by ASICS an exceptional race built on a legacy that’s 39 years in the making, but it’s also one of the best springtime running events in the U.S. It was inspired by the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics and, since its debut in 1986, has brought together all levels of runners—from first-time marathoners to international champions—for an epic journey through the City of Angels. Come join the celebration of fitness, fun and community and run through a great city, on a great course in great weather.
2. There is No Better Way to See LA. Our Stadium to the Stars course is a 26.2-mile tour of the best communities and landmarks of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Marathon will begin at Dodger Stadium and finish at Avenue of the Stars in Century City. You’ll enjoy world-class entertainment and celebrate one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world as you run through several historic neighborhoods and sections of the city, including Downtown Los Angeles, Elysian Park, Angelino Heights, Chinatown, Bunker Hill, Little Tokyo, Hollywood, Echo Park, Thai Town, Westwood, Little Armenia, the Sunset Strip and Century City. Along the marathon course, you’ll encounter Olvera Street (aka “the birthplace of Los Angeles”), Los Angeles City Hall, Walt Disney World Concert Hall, Echo Park Lake, The Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX. Plus, you’ll be able to see Griffith Observatory and the famous Hollywood sign in the distance.
3. We have a Race Distance for Everyone There are events for runners and walkers of all ages and abilities during the Los Angeles Marathon weekend. While the marathon is the marquee event, we know not everyone is ready to run 26.2 miles. That’s OK, because we also organize the LA Big 5K and Kids Run on the morning of March 16 at Dodger Stadium, and the Charity Half Marathon is another enticing option on March 17. 
4. The Marathon is on St. Patrick’s Day this Year. That’s right, the 2024 Los Angeles Marathon will be on March 17 and we promise you it’ll be THE St. Patrick’s Day Party of 2024. Even if you’re not Irish, running the Los Angeles Marathon is a fun way to celebrate the day. We have a diverse range of entertainment planned along the course and after the race, runners and their friends and family members are welcome to join the official post-race celebration at Century Park! Enjoy live entertainment, the Beer Garden presented by Heineken 0.0, and activations from sponsors and partners. All participants 21+ will receive one complimentary beer.
5. World Class Support: With best-in-class nutrition partners like GU Energy, Electrolit, and Over Easy, aid stations and portopotties approximately every mile, a generous 6h30 time limit while also celebrating everyone who finishes no matter your time, LA Road Runners pace teams helping you meet your race goal, and the LA Marathon Party Pacers reminding everyone the party is the back — we are the 4th largest marathon in the US and a race for runners, by runners.
6. It’s an Eco-Friendly Race. We care about our Earth and we do something about it.  In 2022, we achieved Gold level certification according to the Version 4.3 Responsible Sport Standards as offered by the Council for Responsible Sport. Of the 61 total points offered in the collection of best practices, the event earned all 50 of the 50 credit points applied for. Certified since 2015, the Los Angeles Marathon is among the top ten longest-standing certified events in the world.
7. The Los Angeles Marathon Lifestyle Expo at Dodger Stadium is Free and Open to the Public. We have the best expo location in the industry: the World Famous Dodger Stadium on March 15-16. Free, open to the public, and with FREE parking, it will host more than 100 exhibitors featuring the latest in ASICS running shoes and apparel, dynamic photo opportunities and live entertainment, as well as vendors selling race-day accessories, nutritional supplements and more.The Expo is also the participant packet pick-up site for all runners participating in the Los Angeles Marathon and Charity Half Marathon. (There is no race-day bib pick-up unless you have pre-purchased Start Line Hospitality.)
8. Our Race Swag Has Serious Drip! All participants in the 2024 Los Angeles Marathon will get a green ASICS T-shirt that features key Los Angeles landmarks, while the golden finisher’s medal is designed to resemble a lucky charm—featuring a green shamrock, a multicolored rainbow and the Los Angeles skyline. For LA Big 5K runners and walkers, a bright blue sunrise-themed ASICS T-shirt and Dodger Stadium-themed medal await, and you can snag an LA Double Play Challenge medal by conquering 29.3 combined miles of the LA Big5K and Los Angeles Marathon in the same weekend. If you run the Santa Monica Classic 5K, Rose Bowl 5K and LA Big 5K, you’ll earn the Triple 5K Tour of LA bling, while those who finish the trio of the Santa Monica Classic 10K, Rose Bowl Half Marathon and the Los Angeles Marathon will get a medal. Also, this will be the 39th year, which means next year is 40 years running and you’ll want to be LA Loyal for that.
9. We Support Great Causes & We Believe in Healthy Kids. We have a Nonprofit Partnership Program that has a cause for everyone. If you’re looking to run with purpose look no further than our Charity Info page. You can run for puppies, run for kids, run with Team TMF, run for a diseases that has affected you or for many other amazing causes!Within our mission to build a healthier world, we support life-changing youth health and wellness programs for school age kids in the Greater Los Angeles region. Through these programs we have supported 75,000 students across the Los Angeles Marathon Finish Line through Students Run LA and helped more than 36,000 elementary school students complete their 26th mile at Dodger Stadium in partnership with the LA Unified School District and Beyond the Bell’s 26th Mile program.  These programs are proven models that have spawned similar programming around the country 
10. Last but not least, you will make a difference. By participating in the Los Angeles Marathon you support The McCourt Foundation mission to cure neurological diseases while building a healthier world. Since 1992, the McCourt Foundation has donated more than $6.3 million to neurology research and generated more than $68 million for our 105+ nonprofit charity partners. Thank you

We hope you’ll join us in 2024. Register today.

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