The Los Angeles Marathon is back for 2026, and for the first time in the race's four-decade history, every runner who crosses the finish line at Avenue of the Stars will have the chance to take home a race guide with their name on the cover.
The Santa Monica Daily Press, the official publishing partner of the LA Marathon, announced it will produce personalized editions of the official race guide for this year's event — a print-on-demand program that puts a custom cover on what organizers describe as one of the marathon's most enduring traditions.
Guides will be printed to order and delivered directly to runners' doors for $39, shipping included.
"The official race guide is one of the hallmarks of the marathon and there's a decades-long tradition of runners savoring it as a lifelong keepsake," said SMDP publisher Ross Furukawa. "This year we're extremely proud to be able to add personalization to each publication that elevates the already high-quality publication into a one-of-a-kind memory documenting the achievement of each and every participant."
The personalization initiative is also part of a broader push to reduce waste, aligning with the marathon's longstanding environmental commitments. The LA Marathon is an award-winning, green-certified major race and ranks among the five largest marathons in the country. Printing guides on demand rather than in bulk eliminates surplus inventory and supports the race's ongoing green efforts.
The marathon itself arrives in 2026 carrying the weight of 40 years of Los Angeles history.
Born from the afterglow of the 1984 Summer Olympics, the race was founded by Bill Burke and Marie Patrick and launched in March 1986 with nearly 11,000 entrants — the largest inaugural marathon field in U.S. history at the time. A million spectators lined the streets. Four decades later, it has grown into a sold-out event drawing more than 25,000 runners from all 50 states and more than 70 nations.
What distinguishes the LA Marathon from virtually every other race of its size is the course. Marketed under the slogan "A Landmark Every Mile," the Stadium to the Stars route is a 26.2-mile tour of the city's most iconic neighborhoods. Runners descend from Dodger Stadium in pre-dawn twilight, weave through Chinatown past lion dancers, and cut through Little Tokyo to the beat of taiko drummers before climbing past City Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall. By mile 10, they are on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. By mile 13, the Sunset Strip. West Hollywood's sidewalk crowds — cheering before noon — greet runners at mile 15 with disco music. Then comes Rodeo Drive, Brentwood, and the glass towers of Century City, where the finish line waits at Avenue of the Stars.
More than 125 cheer zones line the route, featuring all-women mariachi bands, school drumlines, DJs and costumed aerial performers. The field is as diverse as the neighborhoods it crosses — roughly 40% of participants are first-time marathoners.
Among them each year are more than 3,000 students from Students Run LA, a free after-school program founded in 1987 that pairs underserved middle and high schoolers with mentors. The program has trained more than 75,000 young runners and boasts a 99% completion rate. At the other end of the spectrum, 93 Legacy Runners — athletes who have finished every LA Marathon since 1986 — still toe the start line each March.
The race's most recent chapters reflect the resilience of the city it traverses. In March 2020, the marathon became one of the last major sporting events held before pandemic shutdowns. In 2025, just weeks after wildfires devastated swaths of Los Angeles County, organizers dedicated the 40th edition to first responders. A 15-year-old fire evacuee from Altadena who had lost his home — and his 2024 finisher's medal — crossed the line again. That same day, Matt Richtman became the first American man to win the race in 31 years, finishing in 2:07:56.
For the Santa Monica Daily Press, the publishing partnership reflects a commitment to the communities the paper covers — and to the idea that a finish line is worth commemorating.
Runners can order their personalized race guide at https://www.smdp.com/2026-asics-la-marathon-race-guide-order-form/