Thousands of people from cities all over Southern California and even across the nation gathered at the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. Excitement buzzed as participants prepared for the beginning of the 2024 Los Angeles Marathon. Hundreds of thousands of spectators found spots along the expansive marathon route to watch the runners as they embarked on the trek they had long been training for. The 26.2-mile course started at Dodger Stadium and ended at Century City. The race began at 7 a.m. on Sunday, March 17, with an official duration of 6.5 hours.

Trinidad Robles’ heart was beating in anticipation for the words, “Ready, set, go!” which signified the kickoff of a steady drum of footsteps and a long journey through a scenic array of L.A. neighborhoods and landmarks, including L.A.’s Chinatown, City Hall, the Disney Concert Hall, Sunset Boulevard, and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, among others. One of Trinidad’s favorite parts of participating in the marathon is getting to “…see all different parts of the city. It used to start near USC to downtown L.A. but it has changed in the past seven years.” The L.A. Marathon attracted over 25,000 runners who ran in honor of a loved one or to fulfill a personal goal. To put the marathon’s length in perspective, imagine running from Yorba Linda High School to Seal Beach in 3 to 5 hours.

Trinidad, a past school bus driver for Yorba Linda High School and a present PYLUSD employee, ran in his 39th LA Marathon on March 17, 2024. His marathon journey began when he was just ten years old when his brother would let his bike roll down a hill. After chasing after the bike several times, Trinidad realized that he enjoyed the sensation of running. As the years passed, his coaches in junior high invited and encouraged him to join the track team. While attending Valencia High School, he continued with track and was very busy with other sports, including cross country, wrestling, and football. 

Following his high school graduation, Trinidad participated in his first L.A. Marathon in 1986, which happened to be the inaugural marathon of the current L.A. marathon series. It began two years after the success of the 1984 Summer Olympics Games and has been a famed race in the U.S. ever since. Thus began Trinidad’s status as a Legacy Runner; for the next 38 years, he would run in every annual L.A. Marathon. 

This year marked the runner’s 1000th mile after accumulating 996 miles over the past 38 years. As an annual competitor, Trinidad affirms, “[y]ou must be ready to deal with any situation. Different things come up; I’ve had back pains for about 9 of the marathons, and I was even participating in the Boston Marathon when the explosions occurred in 2013.” Luckily, Trinidad had already left the area, but his experiences reveal that marathon runners should be prepared for anything.

He diligently trains for one year leading up to each competition. About three months away from each race, Trinidad starts to run lengthy distances from 13 to 22 miles. During the months when the sun sets early, he runs in the morning almost every day. As the much-anticipated date approaches, Trinidad states that he “…gets butterflies, but [that] it is always exciting to run in the marathon. It always starts early, so I make sure I arrive on time.”

Although entering marathons is not your run-of-the-mill activity, it is an event that builds physical and mental strength. Trinidad’s dedication and hard work in preparing for the 39th annual L.A. Marathon culminated in an impressive 5th-place finish out of the numerous participating runners in his age division. The Legacy Runners represent the glory in achieving a sought-after ambition, and as Trinidad expresses, “Running signifies freedom. Just like being in school or business, what you get out of it is determined by the work you put into it.”