Cyclists Plan to 'Crash' the L.A. Marathon
Bikes versus cars is a classic transportation battle in traffic-clogged Los Angeles. But bikes versus runners? Now there's a showdown we could get behind.
Wolfpack Hustle Make way for the bike mob.
Wolfpack Hustle, the uber-enthused cycling group most famous for racing an airplane across L.A. County during Carmageddon, has another sort-of surprise planned for the L.A. Marathon this weekend.
Beginning at 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, "a cyclists dream will become a reality" ...
... writes Wolfpack Hustle on the "Marathon Crash Race" event page. Over 1,000 cyclists plan to take advantage of 26 miles of Los Angeles street closures, racing in the dead of night before all those ninny runners get started at the old-persons' hour of 8 a.m.
The marathon crash is apparently in its sixth year. As one Midnight Ridazz cyclist wrote on the forum for the 2007 crash, "miles of road, no cars, no red lights... ultimate dork out."
Again, it's all very reminiscent of Carmageddon, which offered a rare view of the 405 in a state of desolation. Cyclists tried to crash that traffic event, too -- a brave attempt to get some alone time with the world's most-traveled freeway cement. Instead, they got some alone time with the LAPD.
The marathon crash, though it maintains that rogue appeal, is a lot more safe/planned/official. It even has T-shirts and registration numbers and stuff. Here are the deets:
At 3AM Sunday morning, racers will begin to gather at Tang's Donut located at Sunset Blvd. and Fountain Ave. in Silverlake. By 4am hundreds of cyclists will begin the rolling start East on Sunset Blvd. towards Elysian Park where the mass will enter the Marathon Course. Race marshals will be present at key turns to make sure riders stay on course.
The finish line is the crosswalk at Ocean and Montana in Santa Monica, where a bunch of unsuspecting old rich folks on their morning walks are totally about to get cycle-bombed.
View Wolfpack Hustle: 2012 Marathon Crash Race in a larger map
And what if it rains, you ask?? (Which it very well might.) The Wolfpack could give a damn:
"This is a RAIN OR SHINE. OR EARTHQUAKES, OR LOCUSTS, OR NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST Event."
Radical.
Here's a video of last year's race -- a gorgeous sea of blinking bike lights on a dark wet L.A. night. Annnd a video of the hardcore biker dude from Portlandia, for spirit.
[@simone_electra / swilson@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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