Framework

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L.A. County Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell leads a group of runners he is training from the Midnight Mission on their 6 a.m. run through Los Angeles.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

The Midnight Mission Running Club crosses the 6th Street Bridge with the city skyline behind them.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Judge Craig Mitchell, center, motivates a group of residents from the Midnight Mission during a break in their morning run through Hollenbeck Park.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

The judge and his group start their run at 6 a.m. at the mission and wind their way down 6th Street, through Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights and back to the mission.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

The runners wrapped up their marathon training Thursday. In September, the group plans to compete in a marathon in Ghana.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Group members say the camaraderie can't be matched.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Mody Diop, left, David Askew, Ryan Navales and Ben Shirley high-five after their morning workout.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell in court.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

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Judge goes the distance for friends on skid row

  • Posted By: Marc Martin
  • Posted On: 10:38 p.m. | March 15, 2013

L.A. County Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell has certainly gone the distance for his friends on Los Angeles’ skid row.

On Sunday, he’ll go another 26.2 miles with them as he leads members of the Midnight Mission Running Club during the Los Angeles Marathon.

For much of the last year, Mitchell has spent parts of Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays conditioning mission residents to get them in shape for the competition, which starts at Dodger Stadium and winds through Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Civic Center, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Brentwood before ending at Santa Monica’s Palisades Park.

Nine members of the club have signed up to participate in the marathon, with Mitchell paying the $175 entry fee for each.

The runners wrapped up their marathon training Thursday as Mitchell led them on a 7-mile route that began at 6 a.m. at the mission at 6th and San Pedro streets and meandered through Boyle Heights and Little Tokyo before ending up back at the mission.

Mitchell, 56, began running about 20 years ago when he was working as a deputy district attorney.

Read Bob Pool’s article: Judge guides Midnight Mission runners to L.A. Marathon

1 Comment

  1. March 18, 2013, 11:44 am

    LINK

    I was part of the midnight mission run team, even though i am not eligible to be a resident of the midnight mission because i am female. However, this didn't stop Judge Mitchell from including me and paying for me to be in the marathon. i'm no where near as good as the other guys but i showed tenacity and that's all the Judge and the other guys looked at. I also became pregnant during the training, and subsequently did the marathon almost 3 months pregnant. None of these factors, my lack of experience, the pregnancy, my gender, my inability to keep up with them, mattered to them. i showed up to the trainings, and they supported me all the way. They never made me feel like i was less important, and they didn't cater to me either. They made me feel like i was one of them and i really appreciate that. i thank God for leading me to these men and thank you Judge Mitchell, Ryan, David, Modi, Bryan, Benjamin and Manny!
    Love, BaDonna J. and Baby J.

    By: BaDonna J.

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