By 6 p.m., when an estimated 95% of runners had crossed the finish line, about 2.05 inches of rain had fallen in Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles, and 2.30 inches of rain had fallen in Beverly Hills.


The city of Santa Monica parked 10 to 12 of its buses at the finish line for runners seeking warmth and shelter from the deluge, and about half a dozen small hotels along Ocean Avenue opened their ballrooms to runners, race officials said.


About 1 p.m. at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, hundreds of runners sat in the hallways wrapped in towels, shivering.


One woman waiting to use the bathroom said the marathon should be moved to April as she tugged at her bright yellow poncho. The women in front of her nodded as her teeth audibly chattered.


The MTA had four buses following the remaining runners in case anyone was unable to complete the race and needed refuge from the weather.