Nearly 1,000 LA Marathon Runners Awarded Medals Without Finishing Full Route

Organizers allowed participants to opt for shorter 18-mile course due to hot weather conditions.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 3:37am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Close to 1,000 runners in the 2026 Los Angeles Marathon received finisher medals despite not completing the full 26.2-mile course. Organizers gave participants the option to end their race at the 18-mile mark due to hot weather conditions, with nearly 1,000 runners taking that shorter path and still being awarded medals.

Why it matters

The LA Marathon is one of the largest and most prestigious running events in the United States, so the decision to allow runners to take a shorter route and still receive medals is a significant departure from standard marathon protocols and raises questions about the integrity of the event's results.

The details

Of the 23,964 total runners in the 2026 LA Marathon, 985 opted for the 'Mile 18 Finish' and received medals despite not completing the full 26.2-mile course. This was an exception made by organizers due to hot weather conditions, with temperatures reaching 88°F on race day. Runners who took the shorter route were still awarded their finisher medals and had their official results updated to reflect their reduced mileage.

  • The 2026 LA Marathon took place on March 8.
  • Organizers announced the option for the 18-mile finish the day before the race.

The players

The McCourt Foundation

The organization that operates the LA Marathon and made the decision to allow the 18-mile finish option due to hot weather conditions.

Daniel Burns

The winner of the 18-mile race with a time of 2:17:26.

Noora Viljanmaa

The second-place finisher in the 18-mile race with a time of 2:24:06.

Wenyu Yang

The third-place finisher in the 18-mile race with a time of 2:28:41.

Nathan Martin

The winner of the men's professional 26.2-mile race with a time of 2:11:16.50.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The LA Marathon organizers will need to carefully review their protocols for future events to ensure the integrity of the race results, while also balancing runner safety and comfort.

The takeaway

The decision to allow nearly 1,000 runners to receive medals without completing the full LA Marathon course highlights the challenges race organizers face in balancing participant safety, satisfaction, and the competitive nature of the event. This exception raises questions about the meaning of a marathon 'finisher' medal and the overall legitimacy of the race results.