After the race, Lucas expressed confidence that he would better his time in his next marathon. A big help would be start­ing in front of the pack instead of behind it, he said. In an agreement with Los Angeles race officials, Lucas and his entourage started at the back of the race so they would not interfere with other runners. It turned out that the heavy traffic of 15,000 other runners interfered with them! Trying to maneuver a pack of six people through slower runners was arduous, Lucas said.

 

As they worked through the pack, his helpers called out, "Move to the side, please. Joggler coming through." Most folks were accommodating, but toward the end of the race as runners got tired and tempers got short, there was some resentment expressed by those being overtaken. Race director O'Carroll, who helped clear the way for the second half of the race, said for the last two miles they simply asked people to move aside, without saying why.

 

"Marathoning is an individual sport," she said, "but we were running as a team. That angered a few people. I think it would be better in a future race if jogglers started up front with the racewalkers."

Lucas agreed, saying, "You don't want to be impeded as a joggler, but it's not bad if you're overtaken from behind."

 

Because of the perceived danger of runners being hurt if they stepped on a dropped ball, Lucas had thoroughly discussed his equipment with the race committee. He used a 5-1/2 ounce lightweight version of Exerballs, a vinyl ball designed to squash flat if stepped on. The 24-ounce and 16-ounce production models of the product were on sale in a booth at the runners exposition staffed by the product's originator, Scott Morris, games editor of Omni Magazine. The production models, manufactured by Brian Dube of New York, gained extra weight by mixing steel shot with the plastic.

 

To help market their product as an aerobic upper body exercise, Morris and Lucas traveled to the University of California ­San Diego two weeks before the race to conduct physiological tests with Dr. James White, professor of exercise physiology.

 

Treadmill results showed Lucas's pulse rate rising from 132 to 145 beats per minute when he used one-pound Exerballs as he ran, as opposed to running alone. When he used two-pound models, the rate increased to 154.

 

Foot-sore but happy after the race, Lucas said he will return to Los Angeles next year for the Third Los Angeles Marathon to beat his established time.

 

Lucas is now in Williamsburg, Va., serving as company manager and performer at a Willy Bitek Productions ice show, "America on Ice," at Busch Gardens Theme Park. He will be there through November.