News that next year’s Los Angeles Marathon and Oscar were double booked on March 15 caused headaches for organizers of both events, but on Thursday they reached a solution and the marathon agreed to change the date.
The 98th Oscars will take place as originally planned, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles Marathon and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The McCourt Foundation, which hosts the marathon, will announce the new March dates for the race in the coming days.
In return, the academy said it would celebrate the marathon tradition of hosting a run on the third Sunday of March in future years. The two organizations have agreed to help support Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and work together to “become the Greater Los Angeles community.”
Murphy Reinschreiber, chief operating officer of the McCourt Foundation, told the Times that it would be logistically impossible to hold both events on the same day.
The Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard along the marathon route. It’s simply not feasible for thousands of runners and audiences to pass the theatre, clean the area and be ready to host a red carpet event a few hours later, he said. Both events require significant road closures and law enforcement deployment, and will be broadcast by KTLA.
Los Angeles marathons typically include 25,000 runners, thousands of volunteers, medical professionals, law enforcement and city workers.
(Ringo chiu / for the the the the alls
The McCourt Foundation announced its 2026 marathon date on March 15th this year. Two days later, the Academy issued a news release announcing that the 2026 Oscars are also scheduled for March 15th.
Reinschreiber was driving home after finishing cleaning this year’s marathon. When he learned of double booking, he was keen to rest after successfully running a huge sporting event.
“It’s confusing, and the other idea that comes to my mind is that this business doesn’t have a break,” he said. “That’s one thing after another.”
Moving through a marathon is not easy. The event spans most of the city and involves more than 25,000 runners, thousands of volunteers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement and city workers.
“There are two main facilities, Dodger Stadium and Century City. They are actually connected on a 26-mile stage, and the number of people, communities and businesses affected by the changes in dates seems daunting,” he said. “We need to undergo a critical community awareness program.”
He said more than 5,000 people have registered for the 2026 marathon and will need to offer refund options due to date changes.
Marathons usually take place on the third Sunday of March, with exceptions.
In 2009, it was moved to anniversary to reduce confusion for church people on Sundays. Based on community feedback, it returned the following March. It was held on Sunday, February 14th, in 2016, in line with the US Olympic Marathon trial. Then, in 2021, the event was postponed until November due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Oscar dates have traditionally been flexible.
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