After the Los Angeles Marathon: Pasadena

The Route: Downtown LA (Union Station) → Pasadena → Downtown LA Logistics: Metro L Line direct from Union Station to Pasadena, no transfers, no car required at either end. Marathon Month: March Duration: 1 night

Union Station, Downtown LA ──(Metro L Line, direct)──> Pasadena
                                                              │
                                       Downtown LA ◄──(Metro L Line, return)────┘

The ASICS Los Angeles Marathon runs through some of the city's densest, most tourist-facing neighbourhoods, Hollywood and Beverly Hills among them; Pasadena, reached directly from Union Station on the Metro L Line, is the version of Los Angeles built on a human scale instead, a city in its own right rather than a stop on the marathon's own route.

March in Pasadena runs mild and generally sunny, ahead of the point in the year when inland Los Angeles heat becomes a genuine concern, which makes it a comfortable choice for a runner not wanting to repeat the heat exposure the marathon itself may have delivered.

Night One: Pasadena

Old Pasadena, the historic core of the city, is built around Colorado Boulevard, a walkable grid of restored 1890s-to-1930s brick buildings now filled with restaurants, shops and bars; nothing about it demands any real walking distance or gradient, which suits a body still recovering from 26.2 miles the day before.

The Rose Bowl and its surrounding loop path offer a flat, roughly 3.3-mile perimeter walk for anyone wanting gentle movement rather than complete rest, well away from the stadium's own event schedule on non-game days. The Norton Simon Museum, a short walk from Old Pasadena, holds a compact but serious collection of European and Asian art in a single-level layout that asks little of tired legs.

Where to stay: The Residence Inn Los Angeles Pasadena/Old Town sits within Old Pasadena itself, walking distance to the Metro L Line station and the neighbourhood's restaurants, with suite-style rooms that suit a traveller wanting a kitchen and more space than a standard hotel room after a demanding week. The Courtyard Los Angeles Pasadena/Old Town, a short walk away, offers a similar central position in a recently renovated building.

Where to eat: Old Pasadena's Colorado Boulevard strip runs from casual to upscale within a few blocks, and a straightforward dinner within walking distance of wherever you're staying is the practical choice on the first night after the marathon, rather than anywhere requiring a taxi.

Getting Home

Return to Union Station in Downtown LA on the same direct Metro L Line service, with no transfers required. Trains run frequently through the day, so there is no need to time the return around a specific departure.