Los Angeles Marathon 2009

Los Angeles Marathon officials can rest easy today.

They caught a huge break from Mother Nature. The marathon isn't expected to be run in sweltering temperatures. There won't be cause for pacing and worrying and sweaty brows and clenched jaws.

There's probably no need to say prayers and wait and hope.

They're awfully lucky. They rolled the dice, and apparently won't get burned.

Next year, remove the gamble from the equation.

Today is May 25. Running the race this late in the year in Southern California was the most ridiculous idea ever. That anyone ever considered it is laughable.

Clearly, no one who signed off on this has ever run a marathon.

But why consult the people who pay the registration fees and pound the pavement around Los Angeles for 26.2 miles and give officials a reason to have an event to make a mess of, anyway?

Thankfully, once soaring temperatures have given way to a 60-something degree day mixed with clouds and sun. The threat of heat-related deaths shouldn't be a factor.

The marathon can't be left to chance again, and it's all up to the Los Angeles City Council.

When the race date was moved from the first Sunday in March, when it has been scheduled since its inception, to the end of May, runners were justifiably outraged.

The race was and still is broken, there's no question, and has had many problems before Frank McCourt took over ownership rights last year. The date was not one of

those problems. McCourt wants the Los Angeles Marathon to be on par with Boston and Chicago, but the race doesn't attract elite runners and isn't even a must-event for Angelenos anymore. There's work to be done, and this public-relations nightmare didn't help.

The city council needs to approve the proposed change. Three city council members - Tom LaBonge, Janice Hahn and Bill Rosendahl - introduced the measure and earlier this month it passed an initial test of approval but still needs approval of the entire council.

The city council was pressured into moving the race to a Monday in order to not disrupt services at churches that sit along the marathon's 26.2-mile route.

It's one Sunday a year.

Instead of working with neighboring churches to allow parishioners alternate locations or times for worship, the city council caved and voted to move the marathon date.

About 14,000 runners are expected this year, down about 3,000 from last year. And last year's nearly 17,000-runner field was down a few thousand from the previous year. The fear of heat probably wasn't the only reason runners retreated, but this was a blow, and organizers must be sweating it out. If you lose runners one year, it will be hard to lure them back.

Many are surely running in Rock 'N' Roll Marathon on May 31 in San Diego. When the Los Angeles Marathon was in March, some runners participated in both. Those who did were forced to make a choice this year.

Yet another reason the city council needs to approved the change, and do it quickly.

Race organizers were hoping to have the 2010 date set by today so it could use today's marathon as the kickoff for next year's race.

The mantra should be something along the lines of "we've come to our senses."

Running 26.2 miles is one of the most grueling activities the human body can endure. I know. I ran the Los Angeles Marathon two years ago. I ran it in March, and it seemed awfully hot those last 13 miles.

This year's race is nearly three months after its usual date. Everyone makes mistakes. The city council made a big one here - subjecting runners to the possibility of 90-degree temperatures - but at least LaBonge and others recognize it.

May cooler heads prevail. Move it back.