It’s 4 a.m. and there are over 30,000 people milling around Dodger Stadium, including SMCHS senior Gabby Robles. It’s L.A. Marathon time.

Starting at Dodger Stadium and making their way all the way to Palisades Park near the Santa Monica Pier, the runners and their supporters began their journey at 6:55 a.m. — an hour before the scheduled start time, due to the extreme heat that afternoon.

Before the runners crossed the finish line and even before they lined up at the starting line, months of dedication and training prepared them for the 26.2 mile feat, which took place on March 15.

“It took four months of training and I lost Friday nights because I had to run early on Saturday mornings,” Robles said.

Dedication to continuous early morning jogs and a healthy diet are required for athletes to prepare their bodies for the long haul. There’s a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into running a full marathon.

A calendar full of different miles on different days was a marathon training bible for Robles ever since she began training in November.

Robles, who ran a half marathon on Feb. 1, decided to run alongside her aunt and her grandpa in the L.A.  Marathon. Robles’ grandpa is a Legacy Runner, which means he has participated in every single L.A. Marathon since its start in 1986.

“He really inspired me because he has shown me that at any age and in any condition you can make it happen,” Robles said.

During the marathon, Robles held a pace of 11 minutes 33 seconds, but admitted that it began to get hard around mile 19.

“I knew that at that point, it was my heart and mind that was going to get me to finish,” she said.

So what is the appeal of running over 26 miles, dealing with the rigid training schedule and having sore feet for days after?

“It feels good that people can see me as a strong person,” Robles said.

The stamina and strength required to run for that extended amount of time can take a toll on a person’s body, but the soreness of her feet seemed of little consequence compared to the triumph of crossing the finish line.

Robles recommends looking into running a marathon, “It’s a really great experience that everyone should do at least once in their life.”

So cheers to the early risers, to the people who train for months on end to accomplish a dream, and to those who dedicate their lives to the rhythm of a run.