The Oscars made the announcement on Monday, March 17: Comic Conan O’Brien, who had earned prime marks for internet hosting the 2025 Oscars, could be returning as host of the 2026 Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Most of us centered on the host announcement, which was made far earlier within the yr than is typical, however Murphy Reinschreiber, COO of the McCourt Basis, which operates the L.A. Marathon, instantly zeroed within the date, which was the identical because the already-announced date of the 2026 L.A. Marathon, which is often held on the third Sunday in March.
The McCourt Basis had introduced its 2026 marathon date on March 15, in the future earlier than the 2025 marathon and two days earlier than the Oscars made their announcement.
Reinschreiber was driving house after ending work on this yr’s marathon when he realized of the double reserving.
“It was complicated and the opposite thought that went to my thoughts is there are simply no days off on this enterprise,” he told The Los Angeles Instances. “It’s one factor after the opposite.”
It might be just about not possible to have each megaevents on the identical date. The Oscars is held on the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Blvd., which is true alongside the marathon route. Each occasions require important street closures and regulation enforcement deployment.
After six weeks of uncertainty, an answer was lastly reached on Thursday (Could 1): The 98th Oscars shall be held as initially scheduled. The McCourt Basis will announce a brand new March date for the race within the coming days.
Each events additionally agreed that, to keep away from future date conflicts, the L.A. Marathon will happen on the third Sunday in March (on which it has usually however not at all times been held in recent times), and the Oscars will keep away from that date. (Although the Oscars are sometimes proper round this date, this was the primary time the Oscars landed on the third Sunday in March since 1999.)
Shifting a marathon isn’t any straightforward feat. The occasion spans a big chunk of the town and entails greater than 25,000 runners, 1000’s of volunteers, medical personnel, regulation enforcement and metropolis employees.
“The variety of folks, communities and companies which are all impacted by a change of date is mind-boggling,” Reinschreiber instructed the L.A. Instances. “We’re going to need to endure a big neighborhood consciousness program.”
Greater than 5,000 folks have registered for the 2026 Marathon, and they’ll should be provided the choice of a refund because of the change in date, he stated.
Who in metropolis authorities wasn’t up to the mark and allowed two megaevents to be scheduled for a similar date? Nobody is saying.
With this battle resolved, it’s official: The 2026 Oscars will air dwell on ABC on Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. It’s the third yr in a row that the telecast will begin at 4 p.m. on the West Coast — in an effort to make it in order that East Coast viewers can discover out who wins the largest awards earlier than they go to mattress. (This yr’s present ended at 10:50 p.m. ET, making that purpose a actuality for all however the earliest risers.)
The present will once more be held on the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Theater in Hollywood, its house base for yearly however one since 2002. (The very best-forgotten 2021 pandemic present was held on the Union Station in downtown L.A.)
Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will return because the present’s govt producers for the third consecutive yr. They first served in that capability in 2024, when Kimmel hosted. They every gained Primetime Emmys for excellent selection particular (dwell) for that present. Kapoor had beforehand gained for excellent selection particular (pre-recorded) for his work on Adele: One Evening Solely.
Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will return as producers for a second time. Sweeney may even function a author. Sweeney has gained three Primetime Emmys for earlier productions with O’Brien. Ross has gained one.