Influential race luminaries will be honored with a special ceremony and star decals along the course
LOS ANGELES, CA – February 16, 2024 – The 2024 Los Angeles Marathon presented by ASICS will pay tribute to the late Tom LaBonge, a former Los Angeles City Councilman and longtime Marathon supporter, and each of the active members of the Los Angeles Marathon Legacy Runners as the newest Golden Stars during the 39th running of the race on March 17. As a precursor to what will become the Los Angeles Marathon Hall of Fame, the individuals honored in 2024 will have golden stars placed along the course in their honor.
LaBonge, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 67, was known as Mr. Los Angeles for his boundless enthusiasm for the city. In addition to serving on the City Council from 2001-2015, he was also a longtime friend and supporter of the Marathon. In addition to presenting LaBonge’s family with a uniquely designed Golden Star to honor his legacy at the pre-race press conference at Dodger Stadium on March 16, the Marathon will honor LaBonge by renaming the Mile 7 of this year’s race as the Tom LaBonge Mile.
The Los Angeles Marathon Legacy Runners is a group of 95 runners (11 women, 84 men) who have run, walked or wheeled their way to the finish line of every single marathon since its inception in 1986. To date, these determined runners, who range in age from 54 to 87, have each tallied 995.6 miles in the Los Angeles Marathon, so this year they’ll be honored for their 1,000th mile when they reach Mile 4. The active Los Angeles Marathon Legacy Runners will also be acknowledged at the pre-race press conference.
Golden Stars honorees are key people who have made significant contributions to the race since its inception in 1986. As a precursor to what will become the Los Angeles Marathon Hall of Fame, the individuals honored in 2024 will have golden stars placed on the course in their honor.
The Golden Stars program began in 2022 with the inaugural class of 17 honorees. At the head of the initial class of Golden Stars honorees were Bill Burke and Marie Patrick, the team that founded the Los Angeles Marathon in 1986 and served as its top executives until 2004.
Other 2022 Golden Stars honorees with connections to the 1986 race included Ric Sayre (men’s champion), Nancy Ditz (women’s champion), Bob Molinatti (men’s wheelchair winner), Candace Cable (women’s wheelchair winner) and Rene Calvario, James Feld, Jacqueline Jacquet-Williams, Edgar Ninofranco and Larry Williams, who have served as water station captains for 37 consecutive years dating back to the first race. Also honored in the inaugural class were Harry Shabazian, Eric Spears and Paul Trapani, who were integral in starting Students Run LA in 1989, and Jake Stolmack, the top Team TMF fundraiser in 2021.
In 2023, Golden Stars honorees included Basil Honikman, the Marathon’s longtime referee with service dating back to 1993, and Julie Weiss, a longtime Marathon Ambassador who’s spread joy and enthusiasm throughout the Los Angeles running community for many years while also raising more than $1 million for the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
“We are proud to honor Tom LaBonge and the Legacy Runners as Golden Stars for their significant contributions to the Los Angeles Marathon,” says Murphy Reinschreiber, the Marathon’s Chief Operating Officer. “They have played big roles in helping establish and maintain the great event the Los Angeles Marathon is today. The race would not be what it is today without their efforts and passion for the event.”
The Los Angeles Marathon presented by ASICS is operated by The McCourt Foundation (TMF), a non-profit organization whose mission is to cure neurological diseases while empowering communities to build a healthier world. For more information about the 2024 Los Angeles Marathon presented by ASICS or to register for the event, visit www.LAmarathon.com.
About The McCourt Foundation
The McCourt Foundation (TMF) empowers communities to build a healthier world through research, education, and events. TMF’s mission is to cure neurological diseases while empowering communities to build a healthier world. TMF makes a difference by donating to neurology research, hosting educational forums, and using our events, such as the Los Angeles Marathon, Rose Bowl Half Marathon & 5K, Santa Monica Classic 5K & 10K, Boston Waterfront 5K, and Tour de South Shore, as platforms to raise funds for over 105 nonprofit charity partners. Since its inception, TMF has donated more than $6.3 million to neurology research and generated more than $68M for our over nonprofit charity partners. Established in 1992, TMF is a 501 (c)(3) with offices in Boston, MA and Los Angeles, CA.
