Five days before the 21st Los Angeles Marathon was run through the multi-cultural heart of Los Angeles, more than a dozen local religious leaders stood on the sidewalk in front of Transfiguration Church, asserting that the popular event keeps thousands of Angelenos from worshipping and calling on organizers to no longer hold the marathon on the Sabbath.

"We are working to reconnect the oftentimes segregation communities of our city, and believe that whether African-American, Latino, Asian or white; Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or Jewish; in South Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, West Los Angeles or the San Fernando Valley, we all have a right to worship," the Rev. Clyde Oden, Jr., senior pastor of Bryant Temple AME Church, read from a prepared joint statement March 14.

"Every year in March for the past 20 years the Los Angeles Marathon virtually shuts down large sections of the central and south part of the city, impacting hundreds of congregations and thousands of churchgoers."

The minister pointed out that on marathon Sunday congregations on or near the marathon route experience as much as a 75 percent drop in attendance along with a significant decline in the weekly collection. He said those people who do manage to make it to church must navigate roadblocks, street closures plus marathon runners, cyclists and wheelchair participants.

He proposed that the Los Angeles Marathon, which goes through Koreatown, Exposition Park, the Crenshaw District, Hancock Park, Leimart Park and downtown, like the Boston Marathon be run on a holiday Monday, such as President's Day.

"We love the marathon," declared Father Dick Martini, pastor of Transfiguration, who participated in the early-morning bicycle portion of the marathon March 19. "We just don't love it on a Sabbath."

The outdoor, late morning press conference was organized by ONE LA-IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation), a broad-based organization of congregations, schools, unions and nonprofits in Los Angeles County working to improve communities.

Students from Transfiguration School held up colorful banners as cars sped by on Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard, while Anglo, African American and Korean clergymen spoke.

The Rev. Charles Robertson, Jr., pastor of Wilshire Presbyterian Church and president of the Wilshire Center Interfaith Council, stressed that ONE LA was protesting having the marathon on the Sabbath, not just Sunday. He said members of the Interfaith Council include Islamic and Buddhists centers as well as synagogues, which have different holy days but are still adversely impacted.

"The marathon affects many more churches than just those adjacent to the marathon route," he reported. "My congregation has members who come from as far away as Glendora, Long Beach and Torrance. Guess who plans not to come to church this coming Sunday because of the L.A. Marathon? So we are all affected, all over L.A. County."

Representing the Black Ecumenical Congress was the Rev. Henry Masters, pastor of Holman United Methodist Church in South Los Angeles. Even though his church isn't directly on the marathon's route, he said members had a hard time getting to Sunday services, which dramatically influenced the collection.

"That's the one day during the week we have to receive our contributions," Rev. Masters noted. "Unlike the business community, who, if they have a bad day, can make it up on another day. But we only have Sunday."

If the marathon were held on a non-Sabbath day, said Father Martini, "when it goes past our churches, we can have our people out on the sidewalk. But on the Sabbath, we want them inside the building. We want the L.A. Marathon to have the opportunity to make sure that it can be something for all the citizens of Los Angeles."

Seventh-grader Cody Holley, who held a placard saying "Protection of Sabbath," told The Tidings his family had missed Mass a couple of times because of the annual March race.

"I think the marathon should be moved to a federal holiday like they said, 'cause we have people going in and out of church when it's on, and they have problems getting in and out," he observed.