OF THE WEEK.

THAT'S COMING UP IN JUST A BIT.

AMY:

L.A. MARATHON IS OFFICIALLY

UNDERWAY THIS MOMENT.

SERENE: IT

AGO.

THE ROUTE STARTED IN ELYSIAN

PARK, HEADS WEST THROUGH

HOLLYWOOD, BEVERLY HILLS,

BRENTWOOD AND PACIFIC PALISADES.

THE FINISH LINE IS IN SANTA

MONICA.

METRO WILL HAVE INCREASED

SERVICE, AND LAURIE PEREZ IS

LIVE AT DODGERS STADIUM TO SHOW

US WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, AND IT

LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE OFF AND

RUNNING, LAURIE.

REPORTER: THAT'S RIGHT, SERENE

AND AMY.

IT'S HARD TO EXPRESS JUST

EXACTLY HOW EXCITING AND

INSPIRATIONAL IT IS TO WATCH.

JUST WHAT A SPECIAL MOMENT A FEW

MOMENTS AGO AS THINGS GOT

STARTED HERE IN DODGERS STADIUM.

YOU CAN SEE THE MASS OF MORE

THAN 25,000 RUNNERS IS STILL

MAKING ITS WAY OUT.

ATHLETES IN WHEELCHAIRS STARTED

THINGS OFF FOLLOWED BY THE ELITE

RUNNERS, AND NOW THESE ARE YOUR

FRIENDS AND YOUR FAMILY, YOUR

NEIGHBORS AND COWORKERS SETTING

OFF ON THAT 26.2 MILE TRACK FROM

THE STADIUM TO THE SEA.

NOW, OF COURSE, IT TAKES A A LOT

OF DEDICATION TO TAKE THIS ON.

AMONG THE RUNNERS TODAY ARE MORE

THAN 3,000 STUDENTS FROM 182

SCHOOLS AROUND L.A. WHO ARE PART

OF STUDENTS RUN L.A.

THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT

BACKGROUNDS, DIFFERENT

ABILITIES.

WE SPOKE WITH TWO SOUTHGATE

STUDENTS WHO SAY THE TRAINING

HELPED THEM TO FIND THE BEST

PARTS OF THEMSELVES.

THEY GOT IN INCREDIBLE SHAPE

PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.

I'M THE TYPE OF PERSON TO

STAY COMMITTED TO SOMETHING I

WANT TO DO, SO I WANTED TO

FINISH THIS, YOU KNOW?

I ALWAYS TELL MYSELF I WANT TO

FINISH THIS AND RUN A MARATHON,

AND I JUST STAYED COMMITTED TO

THIS, YOU KNOW?

I WASN'T GOING TO STOP UNTIL I

WAS DONE WITH IT.

IT'S BENEFITED ME A LOT IN

BEING POSITIVE, THINKING

POSITIVE ABOUT MANY THINGS IN

SCHOOL, WORK HARDER, AND I'D

ALWAYS WANT TO TRY MY HARDEST

BECAUSE I'M TRYING HARDEST IN

RUNNING, AND I'M JUST GOING TO

TRY MY HARDEST IN EVERYTHING

OVERALL.

REPORTER: THIS IS A REALLY FUN

MOMENT, PEOPLE GETTING CHEERED

ON AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY OUT.

YOU SEE, SOME OF THE RUNNERS ARE

WEARING FLAGS OF THEIR NATIVE

HOMES, PEOPLE IN COSTUMES AND

PEOPLE WITH BIG SMILES AS THINGS

GET STARTED.

WE ARE TOLD THAT THE ELITE

RUNNERS WILL START TO FINISH UP

AT ABOUT TWO HOURS' MARK, IF NOT

BEFORE, AND THE REST OF THE PACK

STARTS TO TRICKLE AROUND THE

FOUR AND THE FIVE-HOUR MARK AND

BEYOND.

WE WILL, OF COURSE, BE THERE AT