Driver takes on LA Marathon route @ rush hr. Results: faster than runner, slower than wheelchair

[Liberal_in_LA]

It’s a race against time — and traffic
It’ll take the winner of Sunday’s L.A. Marathon a little over two hours to cover the route. Can a redoubtable motorist beat that time during morning rush hour?

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(clip, end of journey)

I am hauling. Despite the buses, I finally reach Ocean Boulevard. Less than a mile from the end, I almost make the disastrous decision to turn right, but correct myself and go left. I gun it, get caught behind another bus, gun it and see the finish line — Santa Monica Boulevard!

And that's when the light turns red. Sitting there, I'm not certain of my time; my navigator has gone quiet.

The light turns, I gun it again and I finish.

I look at Dave.

"Two hours … two minutes 19 seconds."

Yes, the good news is that I did the 26.2-mile course in 2:02:19, a good six minutes faster than the probable winner Sunday (though probably half an hour or so slower than the wheelchair winner).

The bad news is that it took two hours and two minutes to go 26 miles in L.A.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lowery-marathon-20100319,0,5969541.story?page=1

[goclark]

1. K