What is the L.A. Marathon?

The Los Angeles Marathon inspires athletes and connects communities. A by-product of the success of the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, the LA Marathon is one of the largest organized and most anticipated road races in the country.

On Sunday, March 17th, 2013, the “Stadium to the Sea” course will take runners from Dodger Stadium to the Santa Monica coastline. Starting in Elysian Park, running through Downtown, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Center, and finishing in Santa Monica, race organizers have created what many believe will quickly become a classic route in the world of marathons.

With thousands of volunteers, tens of thousands of participants, and hundreds of thousands of spectators, there is more excitement than ever behind the LA Marathon and even greater emphasis on making these 26.2 miles meaningful!

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Who is Hostelling International?

Hostelling International USA (HI-USA) is the American affiliate of the Hostelling International network of more than 4,000 hostels in over 80 countries. As a nonprofit organization, we are celebrating over 75 years of experience in serving travelers.

HI-USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1934 to promote international understanding of the world and its people through hostelling. HI-USA operates a network of over 60 quality hostel accommodations throughout the United States that are inexpensive, safe, and clean. Our hostels range from urban high-rise buildings with hundreds of beds to small, remote hostels in rural settings.

The Los Angeles Council of HI-USA is responsible for the development of, and service to, HI-USA hostels in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, San Bernardino, and northern Orange counties. The Los Angeles Council also offers educational programming to local residents and children. Learn more about the Los Angeles Council of HI-USA on our About the Council page.

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Why should I run for Hostelling International USA?

At the Los Angeles Council of Hostelling International, we go a step further in promoting intercultural awareness by providing a variety of educational programs to the local community. Such programs include our Discover Your World Program, Cultural Kitchen Program, Girl Scouts Weekends, World Travel 101 Budget Travel Workshops, Spirit of Adventure Award, and the HI-Travel Grant. By joining Team Hostelling International and fundraising for us, you will play a crucial role in our sustained ability to provide these programs.

As a member of Team HI, you will be part of a diverse community with step-by-step help from our Official Training Program at Club26.2. You will have one-on-one support to help with your fundraising, including your own website, drafts of outreach to family and friends, and more.

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What if I'm not sure I can run a marathon?

Completing a marathon is a goal that nearly everyone can achieve, even those who have never run before. Running or walking 26.2 miles can be intimidating, but our training program is designed to get you through a marathon happy, healthy, and injury-free.

You also won’t be alone in this adventure; you will be part of Team Hostelling International! As we gather for weekly training sessions, you will receive the support and encouragement you need for us to accomplish our goals together.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced runner, Team Hostelling International can help you cross the finish line!

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How much do I need to fundraise?

We ask members of Team Hostelling International to commit to fundraising a minimum of $500 without the Club 26.2 Training Program or $750 with the Training Program. The funds raised help us to offer our educational and community outreach programs. Charity marathon teams have proved to be a great source of fundraising for charities around the world, and many have required minimums 2-3 times higher than what we are asking. We believe that $500-$750 is a reasonable fundraising goal that will not put too much pressure on our athletes.

If you are running the 2-Person Marathon Relay, fundraising minimums will be $250/athlete without training and $500/athlete with training.

We are also committed to providing all members of Team Hostelling International with all they need to reach their fundraising goals. This includes a personalized page on crowdrise.com for each athlete, to make fundraising easy; templates of emails to send to friends, family, and coworkers; an Opportunity Drawing to encourage donors; and continuous support from the staff at the LA Council of HI-USA.

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What is the Opportunity Drawing?

In addition to complete fundraising support, the Los Angeles Council of HI-USA conducts an Opportunity Drawing in conjunction with the LA Marathon.

In 2012, Opportunity Drawing Prizes included:

• Eurail Passes
• DIRECTV Programming Package
• HI-USA Lifetime Membership
• Spa and hotel packages
• Certificates to local restaurants, attractions, and more!

Tickets to the Opportunity Drawing are given to donors as an additional incentive to contribute to HI on our athletes’ behalf. Tickets are also given to athletes based on their fundraising. In this way, athletes automatically have a good chance at winning great prizes by reaching the fundraising minimum.

More details on the Opportunity Drawing can be found here.

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What are the benefits of joining Team Hostelling International?

The best part of running for Hostelling International is making a difference in your community. To thank you for doing so, we offer to you the following benefits:

1. Paid entry into the LA Marathon (a $145 value)


2. Complete marathon training program with Club26.2, including a virtual option for those out-of-towners and two different meeting spots in Pasadena or Marina del Rey for LA-area locals (training program optional)


3. Entries in our Opportunity Drawing with chances to win Eurail Passes and other great prizes. Details here.


4. Your own fundraising website through Crowdrise, step-by-step instructions, and support with fundraising efforts
   Crowdrise is an innovative, crowd-sourcing community of volunteers and fundraisers that are answering the call to service, online fundraising for charity, and having the most fun in the world while doing it.


5. A pre-race carbo-load dinner at the Santa Monica Hostel


6. HI-USA race jersey

If you do not want to run or walk the marathon but you still would like to support our mission, you are welcome to fundraise, make a one-time donation, run/walk the 5K, or inquire about other volunteer opportunities with HI!

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Download the 2013 Team Hostelling International Athlete Guide here.