We cover the race winners, key moves from the elite field, and why this year felt different — with records falling and American runners stepping into a new era on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Plus, with the London Marathon just days away, we shift gears and look ahead to what could be another unforgettable weekend in the world of marathoning.

If you love the sport, the stories, and the energy of race day — this one’s for you.

In this episode, I’m joined by Boston Marathon finisher Leah Ruiz to break down everything—from the moment you arrive in Boston to the final stretch down Boylston Street.

We cover:

• What to expect at the expo and how to navigate it
• The electric atmosphere around the finish line all weekend
• Pop-up shops and activations across Back Bay
• Race morning logistics: bag drop, buses, and getting to Hopkinton
• What Athlete’s Village is really like (and how to prepare)
• A full course breakdown—including strategy for the Newton Hills and Heartbreak Hill
• What the finish line experience actually feels like

Whether it’s your first Boston or your fifth, this episode will help you avoid common mistakes, stay calm on race day, and make the most of one of the most iconic races in the world.

You earned your spot—now let’s make sure you run it right.

What started as a perfect race morning quickly turned into one of the toughest days on the course — with rising temperatures, runners hitting the wall early, and a race that became more about survival than speed.

In this episode, I break down everything: what it felt like out there, how the heat changed the race, the controversy involving the elite field and a fan on the course, and the moment at Mile 18 that had everyone talking.

From the front of the pack to the middle of the grind, this is the full story of LA Marathon 2026 — what happened, what went wrong, and what this race taught all of us.

If you ran it, you’ll feel this one. If you didn’t, this is what it was like.

Tune in for the 2026 Dodger Stadium to the Stars in century City finish line.

Lezlee also gives us a sneak peak into working at The Real 92.3 radio station and all the artists and musicians she gets to interact with and meet.

Tune in to follow Lezlee's running journey and her DJ adventures all over the world.

The 5am crew continues to inspire hikers to start running with various running groups throughout the Los Angeles area.

The founder Omar Covarrubias, takes us on his journey to creating the 5am Crew and their plans to run the Los Angeles Marathon in 2026

Tune in to hear her incredible journey from Students Run LA, to marathon runner, to Ultra marathon runner to running coach, to Boston Qualifier.

Jess has a scientific approach to running and training and share some insights on running and the current state of the running community

Tune in for an amazing episode

There are currently 93 members remaining in this exclusive group and while most of them do walk the majority of the race these days, there are a few that still run the whole distance.

Lou Briones also known as Legacy Lou takes us on a 40 year journey of the history of The Los Angeles Marathon. Cliff Hausego, the voice of the Legacy Runners also tells stories of the past 40 years.

Tune in for an amazing episode.

The women talk about the final preparations and the challenges with training in Los Angeles after the fires that destroyed Pacific Palisades and the Eaoton Canyon fires in Altadena., affecting the air quality for almost a month.

Join me in honoring and following the story of these three incredible women:

Kim Alvarez

Estrella Delgadillo

Lauren Garcia

The episode introduces these three incredible women and their unique individual stories that have led them to tackle the challenge of 26.2 miles.

Each month, we will get together and check in on their progress and follow them all the way to race day as well as the episode after the race to see how their journey finished.

Join me in honoring and following the story of these three incredible women:

Kim Alvarez

Estrella Delgadillo

Lauren Garcia

We also discuss his content creation methods and how he uses his social media platforms to create his art with a purpose to inspire runners and individuals to live their best life through running.

Anthony Bailey gets really candid about his life upbringing and the challenges and difficulties he experienced growing up which ultimately led him down the wrong path. Running changed his life one day when a friend challenged him to run a marathon and once completed, he has never looked back. His life story is a beacon of hope for those experiencing the same challenges

Tune in for a story of inspiration and determination and how running can transform your life

We also broadcast the podcast from their one year anniversary where we interviewed several members of their running club as well as the mayor of Azusa. The episode took place at the end of the night of their one year anniversary run and party during the summer of 2024.

We also deep dive into the Los Angeles Marathon, his role as Los Angeles Marathon Ambassador and what the race and role means to him.

We are also joined by guest Co-Host, Miguel Peralta, who is also an LA Marathon Ambassador and LA Running community figure. Besides being a member of the Los Angeles Road Runners, Miguel is also an exceptional athlete and a sub 3 hour marathon runner.

We also deep dive into the LA Marathon and their thoughts on the race and how the race plays a prominent part of their running club.

The Running Mamis are sponsored by Nike and we look forward to everything they set out to accomplish not only in the running world but in the community.

The Azusa Pacers recently celebrated their 3 year anniversary and we talk about how the community came out to celebrate them

We also deep dive into the LA Marathon and their thoughts on the race and how the race plays a prominent part of their running club.

Late last year, Eastside Traffic had an incredible collaboration with a running club from Mexico City, Cartuchos Quemados, and continue their affiliation with Cartuchos Quedamos, a true story of community and breaking barriers beyond borders.

We also deep dive into the LA Marathon and our own strategies with navigating the course and how to conquer a personal best if this is what you are attempting. Mostly, we celebrate Los Angeles in this amazing episode.

Erica is joined by Malibu Moves race ambassador Francis Robles from the Whittier Pacers in Whittier, CA. Malibu Moves has an ambassador program in place to represent the community and Francis is one of many representing this event. Tune in to hear Francis' stunning journey and what led her to represent Malibu Moves.

Gracee started the club to create a safe space for women and Mom's to unite with commonalities while focusing on movement as the most important aspect.

Gracee is gearing up for her 21st consecutive LA Marathon this March 2025. She is a community leader and beloved member that everyone in Los Angeles adores.

Check out her story and get inspired by the power of community.

Valley Runners Los Angeles has a unique set up as they rotate on a monthly basis through various cities in the San Fernando Valley. With this rotation, they are able to reach various runners throughout the whole valley.

VRLA also has a partnership with LA Marathon and every year has pinatas hanging in the course at mile 20 and provides a supportive and vibrant environment for the runners of the Los Angeles Marathon.

Tune in and learn howVRLA continues to thrive in the Los Angeles Running scene.

Jocelyn talks about her recent run at Western States 100. She also discusses her partnership with the San Francisco Marathon and affiliations with HOKA, Maurten and numerous more running sponsors.

She also discusses holding the current world record for youngest woman to run 100 marathons and the journey to that accomplishment.

Jocelyn was born with some medical issues and was told she would never walk. Her life and her story is an inspiration to woman and girls across the world and runners who need inspiration to just take one step and go after your dreams.

The Boyle Heights Bridge Runners have been featured on the Anthony Bourdain Show, The Roy Choi show, The Today show and are constantly being featured on major news stories such as CNN and The LA Times to name a few.

Rolando discusses his love for Boyle Heights, gentrification in Boyle Heights and Los Angeles and the running culture in Los Angeles.

Guest, Alan Figueroa is the founder of the LADWPacers, the running club at the Department of Water and Power in Downtown Los Angeles. Alan is also a Los Angeles Lululemon ambassador and is a community leader in the LA Running community.

Both guests continue to collaborate each weekend in the Los Angeles running community with numerous running events and community runs. Learn how they navigate through their busy schedules to create safe running spaces to insure and motivate their communities here in Los Angeles.

Julie gives her insights how she was able to run a marathon every weekend for a year, what truly inspired her and how her mental toughness leads the way to inspire and create amazing stories in the Los Angeles running community and the nation and world.

Listen in for a tremendous story of motivation and inspiration

At the 2024 LA Marathon, Miguel led the 2:55 Pace group and ran the course to perfection at 2:54. Listen to his insights how to properly run the LA Marathon course. His practices can be used for any marathon course

We also discuss the structure of the Los Angeles Road Runner program, the official training program for the LA Marathon which meets on Saturday's in Santa Monica, Griffith Park and our new location on Sunday's, Balboa Park in Encino, California.

Tune in for a great conversation about LA Marathon, the various course changes over the years, Frank McCourt and the city of Los Angeles.

Follow me on Instagram at Rizzo.runs for all running adventures