Scenes from the LA Marathon

People huddle for warmth near the starting line... lines at the portable toilets are 20 deep a half-hour before the starting time... a tree's branches become decorated with discarded clothing as runners file by... the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame streak by in a blur... a barefoot runner with black soles... a man walking under a bridge holds up a sign to runners that says, "Have you found Jesus yet?" ... one man yells to another, who is wearing a T-shirt honoring a comrade killed in Iraq, "Lt. so-and-so, Hooyah!" ... two burly biker types perched on a flatbed truck blast Guns N' Roses from giant speakers ... people sit in folding chairs on their front lawns... the sun beats down on the runners... people line the streets holding signs with their friends' or relatives' names... handsome police officers guard an intersection... a Korean kid raps atop one of the entertainment stages... a runner is stricken with a leg cramp and others try to help, one of them lightly kicking the bottom of his heel... the ground is strewn with flattened cups and banana peels... the welcome cold spray of someone's front-yard hose... little kids hold out cups of water or their hands for high-fives... bystanders read your bib and cheer you on by name... another mile marker passes overhead... someone consoles a teenager who has stopped running and is crying... the crowd has thinned out... some runners stop to stretch their legs on the side of the road... the welcome faces of friends, looking so fresh and encouraging, not at all how you feel... a cheering station volunteer forces a packet of Gu into your hand, and it turns out you really did need it... some cloud cover provides relief from the heat... a perfect view of downtown stretches out ahead... the crowds begin to thicken in the final miles of the race...a news photographer kneels on a street corner, waiting for a good shot... a homeless man yells encouraging words... "You're almost there!" someone else shouts... the Mile 26 banner is straight ahead... the finish is a yellow blurry line too far off in the distance... runners try to smile as they force their legs across the 26.2 mark... volunteers yelling "Congratulations" practically tackle runners to remove computer chips from sneakers... medals are draped around people's necks and plastic blankets are handed out... runners grab at the hundreds of bottles of water set up on tables... paramedics cart away a wiry, ashen-faced runner... people spread blankets out and fall to the ground... some scarf down fruit, bagels, nuts... others make their way on wobbly legs to reunite with their families