Due to the smoke and ash in the air generated by the two massive fires that have burning in Los Angeles and Orange Counties this weekend the Pasadena Marathon has been canceled. Yesterday the AQMD issued a smoke warning, and modified it to include Orange and Riverside county information once the Corona-Yorba Linda fire began to rage. The warning notes that, "surrounding areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties may reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive......

Photo by kristi.nicole via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr If baseball was not enough, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has bought the rights to the Los Angeles Marathon through a company called Going The Distance. While the race route will not be changed this year, the race date will be changed from March 1 (as it is currently listed on their website) to February 16 on President's Day. Current race owner Devine Racing hit a......

As of 8:30 this morning the last wave of starts for the 9th Annual Los Angeles Triathlon took off, completing the waves that began at 6:45 a.m. The participants will swim one mile starting at Venice Beach, do a 25 mile bike race through parts of Fairfax, Wilshire and Hollywood, and end with a 10 kilometer run that terminates at Staples Center. Street closure began over night, and some will not reopen until early this......

Two intrepid runner/writers. One race. Your inside peek at the lives and workouts of the LAist Nike+ Human Race Team. LAist Contributors Melissa Moore and Angel Magana talk all about it. Photo by Hamed Saber via Flickr Name: Melissa Most recent 5K (3.1 mile) time: 25.4 Years running: 18 Miles per week: 15-20 Age: 31 Fitness level: Intermediate Shoe: Adidas Normal terrain: Pavement with some trail work Even the best runners find themselves, at times,......

The marathon may be #27 on the list of Stuff White People Like, but it is by no means their exclusive domain. There are many specialized running groups out there that point out the growing diversity of running enthusiasts. One such group is the Los Angeles Frontrunners, which will be hosting its 27th annual Pride Run on Sunday, June 8 in West Hollywood as part of Pride Weekend. The Pride Run this year benefits......

One of the most difficult things about running--or any exercise regimen for that matter--is simply getting started. Joining a running group or club is a great way to ease into it, and so today and in future installments of Workout Wednesday, we will explore the many running groups in the area you can choose from. We'll start with Team in Training. I joined Team in Training, or TNT, as it's often referred to, because like......

Photo by ve®onica via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Thanks to our shutterbug readers, our LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr was gifted with some shots from yesterday's 23rd Annual LA Marathon. Pictured above is Tatiana Aryasova in the middle of the group, who won the "Banco Popular Challenge" (and $100k!) and the ladies' division. After the jump, more great pictures from the run, including men's elite winner Laba Moiben of Kenya.......

Photo By Lester Cohen/WireImage. Used with permission Did you catch these guys and gals in full Slash regalia making the 26.2 mile trek through the city today? Here's the official explanation of the eccentric marathon attire and attitude: Today's LA Marathon was invaded by rocker Slash look-a-likes, who competed in the race for Gibson Guitar as part of a worldwide launch for the Velvet Revolver guitarist's new signature model Gibson and Epiphone guitars which......

Russian Tatiana Aryasova won the LA Marathon, and the $100,000 "Banco Popular Challenge" with an unofficial time of 2:09:32*, beating out the top "elite" male runner, Laban Moiben of Kenya, who clocked in with an unofficial time of 2:13:50. The petite Aryasova is in peak shape; she recently gave birth and resumed her training rapidly. Both runners received the keys to their new Honda Accords thanks to the race's sponsor, Honda of America, whose headquarters......

A clear, crisp early spring morning greeted the participants in this year's LA Marathon, and the runners are filling our city's streets. Local NBC affiliate KNBC has full coverage of today's big event, which is comprised of two wheelchair divisions, a bike race, a 5k run, and the full 26 mile marathon. With an 8:15 start, the "elite" groups of men and women lead the way in small sets, and they are hoping to finish......

Tomorrow is the 23rd Annual LA Marathon, and the multiple races taking place in the city as a part of the day-long event are going to compromise a great many of our streets. Many street closures will begin in the overnight and early morning hours, and the LADOT is expected to enforce parking restrictions aggressively. According to the City of LA's official LA Marathon info: "Impounding of vehicles will begin no later than 2:00 am.......

More Pictures From the Surf City Marathon/Half Marathon...

Two fairly large, but non-deadly crashes in the Valley, first on the southbound 405 in Sherman Oaks, ">then on the westbound 101 in Tarzana, snarled morning commuters today. Needless to say, traffic backed up to the 101/405 interchange which is the busiest freeway interchange in the United States. This brings up the question: where are the alternative options to traverse the 8.5 mile Sepulveda Pass between the Valley and metropolitan Los Angeles? There are currently......

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. People want to lose weight this year, get in better shape, look good naked, blah, blah, blah, blah. Does it actually happen? Sure, some do. But most? We all know that reality. The problem for some is motivation. We've found one excellent way to walk the talk that is a little more than six months from right now. It's called The World Famous Mud Run, a 10K Adventure/Military race outside of......

For this evening, a selection of gentle acoustic guitars to assist in warming your bones by the fire. Acoustic instruments made of wood just fit the theme - the yule log, the Christmas tree, toy horses, and now, the wood stove where Sufjan Stevens' presents end up - oops! JOHN RENBOURN - I Saw Three Ships Renbourn, one half of the formidable guitar section for British psychedelic-folk pioneers Pentangle, gives his take on the......

CLASSICAL: There's other classical music about town tonight besides Chanticleer. The Calder Quartet is the Colburn Conservatory’s first quartet-in-residence, and these new faculty members will show their chops with a program that includes Philip Glass, Quartet No. 2 “Company” by Philip Glass; Quartet in A minor “Rosamunde” by Franz Schubert and Terry Riley's “Cadenza on the Night Plain.” 7:30 pm // The Colburn School: Zipper Hall // 200 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles //......

Part II of ten surprisingly lovely days with a 19-Year-Old Swedish Sex Kitten who turned out to have quite more than Nordic good looks....

As a send off to photographer, Ann Summa's Los Angelesshow, bands/performers from the bad old days of early L.A. punk played in the gallery. Dude, it was both awesome and bitchin. ...

A sad week for LAist as they lose their trusted and amazing editor Tony Pierce to the LA Times, but what a blast his last week was. He shared his 25 Favorite CDs of 2007 and wrote a great review of just a good movie, No Country For Old Men. At UCLA, thousands of students celebrated the end of their quarter by running around campus in their undies (lots of photos in a two-part......

Starting Sunday, Metro is changing up the Gold Line schedule a little. No, unfortunately, there will not be trains running later at night. No, no earlier trains in the morning either. This change affects those who travel during peak hours giving those commuters 7-8 minute headways instead of 10 minute ones. But there is a trade for this few minute increase in waiting time between trains and that comes in form of the discontinuation......

An “acid bomb” is capable of a 300-foot blast radius. So why did a 12-year-old bring one to school today in the OC? Cal State Northridge (CSUN) is building a 1,700-seat, performing arts center and just received their largest donation of one million from Attorney and civic leader David Fleming and his wife, Jean. Oh noes! Charlize Theron's home got robbed last week! Save up those quarters, DASH will not be accepting Metro passes......

It seems every where you look in local food blogging or restaurant reviewing, the buzz word of the moment is Terroni, a Canadian import that just opened up an outpost in West Hollywood serving up affordable Southern Italian fare. Natalie Houghton of the Daily News (via LA.com) sums it up on both sides of the scale: "At its best: Prices are reasonable, sharing is not a problem here, and sampling a variety of Italian......

The white smoke flowed from the chimney, doves were released, and virgins scattered to deliver the Good News that the newest Editor of LAist is Zach Behrens. Valley boy Zach has been a contributer to this fine blog since 2005, he's an outdoorsman, he sits on the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, he's a vegetarian, he volunteers selflessly, and yes ladies, he's single. Softspoken, strong-willed, and determined to get you to ride public transportation, Zach......

On two different days, in two different articles the LA Times profiles two mass bicycle rides. On one side, the large and boisterous Midnight Ridazz who mostly stick to Los Angeles city streets. On the other is the Santa Monica Critical Mass. The outcome? Los Angeles is chill when it comes to dealing with the group rides. As for Santa Monica, as usual, everything from the height of your front yard hedges to a......

How's this for a lede? "If you get in a car crash in the San Fernando Valley, there's about a 50-50 chance you'll flee the scene - and get away with it." Ha! That's almost instructional. In a comprehensive report on hit-and-runs by the Daily News, it is found there is a lot of hitting, running and general douchebaggery in Los Angeles. Yes, we all knew that after day one, but here are some......

It’s been a whirlwind of a day here at LAist. Early this morning our Editor told the staff via email that he would soon be accepting a new job at the LA Times running all of their blogs (of which there are about 25, currently) and that he would be starting in just a few weeks. We all knew this day would come, but so soon? Since the moment Tony Pierce began at LAist back......

What with all the Big Game festivities going on this weekend, a girl can't help but think back fondly upon her alma mater. But you know what? It's only been a few years since I left UCLA, and I gotta say -- I almost don't recognize the place anymore. Has it really been so long since I graduated? Five years? Maybe more? So much has changed -- I came of age in the Steve......

Stuffed, A Plush Food Show, features over 30 artists creating culinary feasts made of felts and fabrics....

Diana & Alice Bag circa '78 I almost didn’t go to see Ann Summa’s Los Angeles punk photo exhibition at Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica. No offense to the once, raw obscure photographers who happened to be at the right place at the right time 30 years ago, snapping amazing images of once, raw obscure bands. Your recognition is well past due. It’s just that there’s been a plethora of punk picture/art/flyer/book exhibitions......

Just read that one of Sid Caesar's writers, Mel Tolkin, just passed away at age 94, godlove'im. Instead of running vintage Leno re-runs they should be running some of this classic comedy that actually had great writing from way back in the day. The kids might learn something. 8:00pm A Charlie Brown Christmas ABC - If only this didn't have commercials, hmm, but if it didn't have commercials the show would be about 11 minutes......