The Long Beach Marathon aims to give business and hospitality a boost • Long Beach Business Journal

The Long Beach Marathon, in its 38th year this weekend, takes runners a scenic 26.2 miles through downtown Long Beach, Shoreline Village, Belmont Shore and around the Cal State Long Beach campus.

“It really is one of the most beautiful 26.2-mile races in the country,” said race organizer Dan Cruz. “The Long Beach Marathon is Southern California’s premier fall marathon.”

That’s why thousands of runners from across LA County, the state and across the country are flocking to Long Beach this weekend – not only to compete in the full marathon, but also to compete in the half marathon, bike ride and Aquarium of the Pacific 5K. said Cruz.

It is an event that gives a significant boost to the local economy. According to the most recent 2018 economic report, the marathon weekend generated an estimated $4 million for the LA County area, a figure that Cruz expects to be relatively similar this year.

The marathon reached its all-time high in participation about a decade ago with over 20,000 participants. This year, about 15,000 runners are taking part in the weekend’s events — a significant increase from the 10,000 athletes who took part last year, Cruz said.

“It’s going to be one of the biggest long-distance events in the state of California since the pandemic,” Cruz said.

While about 90% of attendees are from Southern California, the remaining 10% are traveling from 44 states and 21 countries this year, Cruz said.

The main visiting states are Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Colorado and Washington, and while the majority of international participants hail from Mexico and Canada, the marathon has registered runners from countries as far afield as Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Peru, Cruz said.

“Running is a global sport,” Cruz said. “It’s really a sport that transcends culture and geography.”

The race is driving significant spending, particularly in restaurants, retail and hotels, Cruz said. Also, runners don’t typically attend the event alone — they bring family members or friends with them, giving Long Beach’s hospitality sector even more boost, he said.

According to Cruz, about 75 to 80 percent of runners participate each year for the first time.

“So if you’re doing something for the very first time, don’t skip any expenses that you want. You will remember this day for the rest of your life,” Cruz said. “It is a special occasion to cross this finish line. They are more inclined to order that dessert or book your massage.”

According to the report, the 2018 race brought over 11,300 visitors to the Long Beach area, of which 45% stayed at least one night in the Long Beach area.

“The tourism industry is an industry that has been decimated by the pandemic, much like the events industry,” Cruz said. “To see these two industries come together to support one another, with runners staying at hotels downtown and within easy walking distance of the start and finish line, is truly a recipe for an amazing visitor experience.”

In 2018, 35% of all visitors paid for overnight stays, donating $547,093 to local hotels, motels, and resorts, according to the report. About 4% of visitors stayed in vacation rentals and contributed $67,072.

Long Beach Airport also saw an uptick – 1,660 visitors arriving for runners flew into the airport.

Cruz estimates the numbers will be similar this year, although there’s still a degree of pandemic hesitancy that could discourage some out-of-town runners from participating, he said.

“You might still have that group of people who aren’t quite (ready) to hop on a plane or travel across the country. . . So from a tourist perspective, we may not be quite out of the pandemic yet,” Cruz said. “But there are certainly events like the marathon. . . That really gives people an excuse to get back out there to travel again.

While the 2021 marathon weekend was marred by uncertainty, the energy surrounding this year’s event is vastly different, Cruz said.

“The excitement in the community, the excitement from the running clubs and the charity partners to just kind of be back and celebrate what we’ve lost, it’s going to be a special weekend,” he said.

“They say Disneyland is one of the happiest places on earth,” Cruz said. “You’ve never been to the finish line of the Long Beach Marathon.”