Cyclists crash marathon course

It was 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning at Tangs Donuts, at the intersection of Sunset Blvd. and Fountain Ave. Cyclists were converging for the Los Angeles Wolfpack Hustle Marathon Crash Race, to compete in the annual cycling event themed “Los Angeles Redemption.” Two thousand cyclists braved the cold until 4 a.m. to take part in the most anticipated event in the Los Angeles bicycle community, with LA locals awarded the top starting spots in the front of the pack.

Some racers took "naps," while others fed off the adrenaline rush of knowing that they would have 26.2 miles of closed-off L.A.streets to pedal on.

A false start prompted the pack to take off at 3:50 a.m., and since everyone followed, the race officially commenced.

The racers followed the marathon route that took them past many of the top attractions in Los Angeles.

Last year, Arizona racers swept the men’s fixed-gear category, and brought the prized “Dog Tags” back to Arizona. If the Tour de France has jerseys, the Los Angeles Wolfpack Hustle has “Dog Tags.”

The marathon ended along a windswept, cold Santa Monica beach, at the corner of Ocean and Montana Avenues.