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Submitted by Scott Devine
November 24, 2014
Review
RACE: Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon
DATE: November 16, 2014
LOCATION: Las Vegas, NV
DISTANCES: Marathon/Half Marathon/Half of Half Marathon/5K
START TIME: 4:30pm
WEATHER AT START: 51° and sunny… colder when the sun went down.
FINISHERS: 25,172 (Half Marathon)/ 3208 (Full Marathon)
“Viva Las Vegas” everyone! It was a busy night in “Sin City” as almost 30,000 runners shut down the famed Las Vegas strip, gambling that they could finish the latest running of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon/Half Marathon.
REGISTRATION/EXPO
Registration fees for Rock ‘n’ Roll races are definitely on the high side and Las Vegas is one of their most expensive ones (guess it costs a lot to shut down the strip). Waiting until the last minute you can expect to spend over $150 for the half marathon. Fortunately, Rock ‘n’ Roll offers numerous discounts online (including $13 off of races each 13th of the month).
And there is another option as you can sign up for the North American “TourPass” (unlimited Rock ‘n’ Roll races in the US for $449 in 2015). I registered for the Las Vegas race courtesy of the “TourPass 3-Pack” for $199. My 3-Pack also included the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon (in July) and Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon (in October). It’s a pretty good deal, basically giving you 3 races for the price of 2.
Unfortunately I can’t comment on the race expo as I didn’t arrive in Las Vegas until 2 hours before the race. From what I heard from other runners, the expo was fairly sizable and presented a good variety of vendors offering up their goods.
I chose to pay for same day bib/shirt pick-up, which was available for an additional $40. That’s a bit pricey for a basic service; clearly the high cost was designed to discourage everyone except for seriously “time crunched” runners. Since I had races on both Saturday and Sunday morning in CA, I had no option but to agree to pay the extra fee because runners had to pick up their own bibs (no sending friends/family in your stead).
MEDALS/SHIRT/SWAG
The Rock ‘n’ Roll series typically has decent bling and shirts (the 2014 Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon tech shirt was a miss) and they kept that “more good than bad” trend going in Vegas. Given that there is a “lil bit” of gambling going on in Las Vegas, it makes sense that the bling would celebrate our love of giving our hard earned money to the casinos.
This year’s medal featured an overlapping trio of playing cards: the 11 of clubs, 16 of hearts and 14 of spades, showing the date of the race (I’m waiting for some blackjack dealer to pull out the 14 of spades). The medal also featured a red ribbon and the various playing card suits (the full marathon had a black ribbon). And bonus, the medal also glows in the dark! The Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas race typically has black colored tech shirts and this year is no different. The shirt features the well-known “Welcome to Vegas” sign mashed-up with the race’s “We Run The Night” slogan.
TRANSPORTATION/PARKING
For those traveling to Vegas you’re visiting the land of taxis, so getting around shouldn’t be a problem. If you drove to Vegas, odds are you parked at one of the casinos/hotels where you’re staying. Parking should be free (don’t worry, they’ll get that back from you at the tables). Another option is to use the Vegas monorail (get yourself a day pass and you’ll be fine). Or of course you could just hoof it along the strip (think of it as a warm-up).
Be warned that the start line (Mandalay Bay) and the finish line (Mirage) are a bit of a ways apart, so be prepared to trek either before or after the race. I stayed at the Luxor, so I had quite the walk in the cold after the race.
COURSE (HALF MARATHON)
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon features a basically flat “modified out & back” course as runners make their way down the main strip. FYI, this is one of only two nights a year that the strip is closed to traffic (the other is New Year’s Eve). Runners are gathered into 42 different corrals (a big field of racers) and start near the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Initially, runners head south to the outskirts of the city, hanging a U-turn shortly after the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign (great photo op set up there). After that, runners basically head back up the strip past all of the popular casinos (MGM, Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, Treasure Island… just to name a few) as they make their way toward the older part of the town. I have to say that running down the main strip of Vegas is a pretty sweet experience (talk about sensory overload). And the throngs of cheering fans/”gamblers taking a break” make it even better.
Around mile 7, runners leave the strip and weave through a bunch of nondescript Las Vegas side streets. This is definitely not the highlight of the race as the bright lights of the strip are temporarily gone and your only illumination comes from street lights and some temporary generators. The meandering backstreets eventually lead runners to Freemont Street, but unfortunately only the full marathon runners get to run down the famed boulevard. The half marathoners turn just shy of the street and instead make their way back to the strip. The final 3 miles retrace your route on the main Las Vegas strip, passing multiple casinos and hitting the finish line around the Mirage.
SERVICES
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon had solid services before and during the race. They had a nice pre-race area, complete with live music to help runners get in the mood to pound the pavement (and an elevated VIP area for those who wanted to pay extra). Multiple water/Gatorade stops were situated along the route as well as plenty of medical tents/areas. And MarathonFoto was out in force snapping photos all along the way (and thank you for placing multiple photographers at the “Welcome to Vegas” sign).
Mile markers were present on the course, although the only digital clocks were at the start and finish line (bring your GPS watch). And runner tracking was available for friends/family so they could leave the warm casinos (and slot machines) in time to cheer you on at the finish line.
FINISH/POST PARTY
The finish line area for the race was basically a cordoned-off chute along the Vegas strip. On the upside, runners were given a plethora of things upon completing the race… water, chocolate milk, Gatorade, Powerbar wafers, chips, fruit and the much needed mylar blankets given the dropping temperatures (I took two). Some plastic bags to carry the snacks might have helped, especially with runners sporting chilled fingers at this point.
On the downside, given the huge number of runners, the chute felt increasingly cramped. Rather than dawdle, I grabbed my snacks and quickly made my way out of the finish area. There was a post party with live music, but to be honest I was simply too tired and cold to hang around and party. Instead, I made a beeline for my hotel and a much needed warm shower.
RECOMMENDATION
I’ve run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon twice before, in 2010 when it was still a morning race and again in 2011, the first year it was run at night (and an unorganized disaster). It seems that Rock ‘n’ Roll has fixed many of the shortcoming of that original nighttime race. The current incarnation of the half marathon/marathon is rather enjoyable. This is definitely one of the larger (and pricier) races you’ll run with over 25,000 finishers in the half marathon alone. Nighttime races are not the norm and that novelty alone is enough reason to give the race a try. And if you’re a fan of Vegas, this gives you another reason to check it out.
Also, if you’re one of those hardcore racers who want to to run two races in a single weekend… or even attempt two races in a single day (which I did)… this is a great destination.
Viva Las Vegas… and Run on!
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Submitted by Davefromphilly
December 5, 2012
Review
After the horrific Rock N Roll Las Vegas Marathon in 2011, and after some peer pressure, I decided to give this marathon another try this year. Thankfully Zappos was smart and give a $50 discount coupon to people from last year’s marathon, and I was able to get this race for a little over $100. As for the Pre-Race festivities, they were good. It was held at the Sand’s Convention Center and it was well organized. The SWAG bag was good as well. We arrived there on Saturday, and later in the day than last year, and it was pretty crowded. So I would highly recommend getting there early, if you can. The course setup was a much better set up than in 2011. The marathon started at the Luxor and ran south of the strip, made a U-turn near the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign, and then north up the strip towards Fremont Street. The course does get a little lonely once you get out past Fremont Street and into North Las Vegas, especially with the late-afternoon/nite time start, and I expected that. After running through North Las Vegas, you make your way back through the Fremont Street Experience (which was an awesome experience in itself). Finally, you make your way back down the strip and finish in front of the Mirage. The finish line is in a much better place, in the middle of the strip, compared to last year, when it was in front of the Mandalay Bay. It allowed for a easier disbursement of the runners and fans to their hotels after the race. Overall, the course was much better than 2011, and it gets an A. During the post-race festivities, I pretty much got my medal, some water, and exited the course (needed some attention for a cramp in my hamstring). So I did not get to experience the post-race festivities as much as I had wanted to. But props to them for letting me out of the chute because I was a little sore. Overall, this race gets a B. It was much better than 2011, and Zappos identified the problems that they experienced in 2011, and corrected them in 2012. Personally, I am not sure if I will run the Vegas marathon again in the future (need a break from the destination, looking for something new), but I would recommend it to anyone who wants an experience like running down the strip at night (no pun intended).
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Submitted by keymaster
February 21, 2012
Review
This had been my 5th RnR race and prior to this, I had an excellent experience with the Competitor Group.
Expo – Parking was very difficult and wasn’t identified at all. The Sands convention center is connected to the Venetian casino, if you don’t know this you will drive right pass the parking entrance thinking you’re going to the hotel. The expo was seriously packed and there were lines weaving in and out of everything.
Start – I stayed at the Tropicana so getting to the start was very easy, however once there, there was no control over the corrals. I was in corral 6 and there were people in my corral that should have been back in corral 40. In prior races, RnR policed the corrals a lot better, they had no control at all.
Course – Besides the slow walkers and runners up front the course wasn’t to bad. Very flat, not fast because of over crowding. Very neat to run the strip and to see the hotels lit up, it was like taking a tour without the bus!
Finish – Very, very congested! The worse thing a marathoner or half marathoner can do after a race is completely stop. The photographers were blocking everyone so no one could move forward. Even the food after the race was bad. I grabbed a banana and didn’t even realize it wasn’t ripe. Once I couldn’t find my family so i walked back to my hotel by myself where I met them.
Bottom line, I will NOT do this race again, unless the cap the number of participants, 44,000 was way too many for them to handle.
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Submitted by laurpark
February 8, 2012
Review
Ran the full in Dec 2012. The course was awful because of the full merging with the half. The streets were too narrow for the size of the crowd, on course signs were bad, and the strip it’s self is actually really uneven and difficult to run on. The race was at night (“Strip at Night”) and parts of the course were poorly lighted. Spectators (with drinks in hard) were walking across the street in front of runners.
The finish line was a distater… iwas a “battle ground” with people getting sick, crowd pushing, no water, and freezing cold. Transportation and food after the event was also a nightmare. BUT, kuddos to competitor who sent me a $50 rebate check on the AZ Rock N Roll.
Bottom line – unless they majorly change the layout avoid this race. Definitely would recommend staying at a hotel very close to the finish line. Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur all connect. Plan to bring some granola bars for quick food after the race because the waits at any restaurant will be loooooong.
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Submitted by Amanda Daley
February 6, 2012
Review
Such a great idea with a pretty big FAIL. I loved running at night on the strip but the cap was WAY too large for the amount of space given. There was no way to look at the awesome scenery because you had to watch very carefully to the surroundings. The 3 miles I was going 30-40 seconds slower than I should have been for my target pace. There was just nowhere to go! People lied to get in the front corrals and I was passing walkers the first half mile! it was a complete cluster.
The expo was awful. Think about 60k people with the full and half combined plus their family and friends all in one location! I just wanted to get out of there asap. They ran out of shirts there were no souvenir items left to buy and if you did find anything the lines were at least an hour and a half long.
The finish line was atrocious. I don’t know who’s idea it was to set up a race photographer 100 yards from a finish line in such a large race but it caused major problems. I came to a complete halt two steps from the finish line! that is dangerous.
I honestly would love to run this race again but the cap needs to be lower and they have some issues to work out before I think about it again.
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Submitted by Billy Freeman
January 10, 2012
Review
The Pre Race Expo was held at the Las Vegas Sands Convention Center- The race just so happens to fall on the world biggest Rodeo weekend, so not only were there 40,000 runners and there families packing this convention center, thousands more Cowboys and families are attending there own expos in this same hall. Taxi service to this Convention Center is a nightmare and if you park in the parking garage, it takes about 20 minutes walking time just to get to the actual Convention center as you weave through the Venetian Casino and Hotel. With all that being said, when I arrived at the nightmarish scene of the expo, people were everywhere. The Space didn’t seem big enough to handle all the runners that were there. Usually Expos are packed (New York City/Disney) but there is actually a space to walk through the aisles and see what companies had to offer. This was not the case in Las Vegas. It was bumper to bumper in there like the Las vegas Strip on a Saturday Night. Little did I know looking back, this was a sign of things to come. I was lucky and able to pick up my T-shirt before they ran out (Which was super generic- I also was expecting a long sleeved shirt since it was only in the Mid 30’s in the desert in December)
Leading up to the Pre Race- The runners village was held in the Mandalay Bay Parking Lot- It was ample space for the 44K runners, but it lacked signage. Bag drop off was located way back in the Mandalay Bay which caused me to go into a dead sprint just to make the Full Marathon Start time since I had no idea where I was going. It also featured tents where people could pick up there packets last minute by paying a “fee” I heard it was in upwards of $45, I also heard they were registering more people there who never signed up for an already “Sold Out” Event. Maybe that explains why they ran out of Medals…Upon entering the corrals, there were no race organizers checking bibs, people were j everywhere jumping fences,this shouldn’t have been. There were 44,000 total runners, but only 3500 of us were running the Full Marathon-which started at 4:30 PM that size field could be managed with minimal staffing, but RNR Las Vegas failed miserably. There was no Pre race Concert for the Full Marathon Participants, I guess it something we missed out on since the majority of the participants were in the Half Marathon.
Once the Gun went off, there was a very small time window in between each wave- there were 11 waves, in the full Marathon. I was in wave 5 and I was running within 3 minutes of the opening gun. I knew this was a problem. As we took off the starting line was a lot of fun and filled with spectators since we were technically still on the strip. We mad one left hand turn and poof we were all alone- The full marathon 1st half of the course was literally the back roads of Las Vegas- we passed the “Hustler Club” and some other run down parts of Las Vegas, while passing maybe 3 bands total. The 1st half of the “Strip at Night” was a complete failure in terms of a course, there were also 3 hard U-Turns around a Cone, one would expect at a local neighborhood 5K. As we approached the Half Marathon Split at about 1hour 40 minutes, (5:40PM) we ran up on about 30,000 Half Marathon Participants just flowing from the 29 Open Corrals. Race organizers opened the floodgates and abandoned the wave start system after about Corral 7. RnR Las Vegas established 2 Left hand lanes for Full Marathon runners and the remaining 5 right hand lanes for the Half Participants. Only problem was these lanes were separated by a cone that was about 1 foot tall and spaced out 10 feet apart- Also I cant forget the laminated taped piece of paper with about 14 size font that read, “Half and Full with arrows pointing accordingly”. There were also volunteers on Bikes with a small light that would call for the crowds to stay on each side, but they too were just lost in the shuffle. Full Marathon Runners actually became running backs having to shift and dodge thousands of runners/walkers who sometimes decided to walk arm and arm allowing no other runners to get by.(My Garmin actually read 26.8 miles at the finish). Some of this I have seen before at other races but never to this extent. I think the allure of Las Vegas and people wanting to be apart of something without the proper training lead to many of these problems. I should also say that on Rock n Roll Las Vegas’s Website strictly said race times will be strictly enforced for a 4 hr- marathon and 2 hr -1/2 marathon times or they will be picked up by a sweeper vehicle. This was quickly thrown out the window once they eclipsed the 44k runner mark and the dollar signs added up. As we moved up the strip, it was really cool to run on it at night and run by some of the worlds most famous hotels. As we moved into Downtown and old Vegas, we cruised quickly by Fremont street and headed into a neighborhood that I was worried about losing my IPOD that I was wearing at the time, it was more of bad Vegas, but Im okay with it since you have to run 26.2 miles somewhere. One problem in Old Vegas and Downtown, is that the street has potholes and in many cases and in disrepair. I seen people going down and falling all over the place, there was portable lighting generators, but not enough and definitely not well lit enough to navigate the rough terrain.Moving toward the finish line, it actually felt like I made it back to a real race, the Finish Line was well lit up and there were a lot of people there cheering. I must also mention the water stations throughout the course and #1 lack of signage that they were coming up and 2 the lack of people out there getting the runners the water and or Cytomax. This became even more of a problem as thousands of runners had to drink Fire Hydrant water when many Stations ran out of Water and Cytomax. I even witnessed people going into convenience stores to buy fluids! Also what I thought was a problem was at least 5 timing stations were not operational, 2 of them were just laying on the ground. All in all a “C” for the Course is the best I can give the Full Marathon, and thats only because of the allure of the Las Vegas Strip,maybe if runners just wanted to try the Half it may be a better overall course and scenery.
Upon completion and crossing the Finish line, runners endured a “Dead Stop” separated by a fence that lead to a narrow walk way that led to medals (if you were lucky enough to finish before they ran out) I helped myself to my own roll of heat sheets as volunteers (who are much appreciated) were very overwhelmed and understaffed. There were a few tents set up with Snickers Marathon Bars and Very Unripe Bananas, they were greener than green, which offered no refueling for people who just finished 26.2 or 13.1 miles of running. There was water bottles and Cytomax available at the Finish Line.
I finally walked all the way back to the Mandalay Bay where bags were originally stored (about a 10 minute walk to this area where people there found refuge from the cool temps that night. Picking my my bag back up was no problem,but as I tried to exit the back of the Mandalay Bay and head to the front for either a shuttle or a cab, there were 3 other events just getting over filling the hallways with thousands of people. It was bumper to bumper a sea of humanity. Half of them just finishing an exhausting run, which made people very frustrated and in some cases pass out and need medical attention in more than 10 cases that I witnessed. We walked like we were a herd of cattle what had seemed like an eternity. We finally made it to the casino floor where people can actually walk at a normal pace. As I made it to the front of the hotel there was already a line of about 300 runners in the taxi line. I stepped into line and thats is where I waited for 2 and half hours standing waiting for a cab. I finally got into a cab at 11:15pm (I crossed the finish line of the race before 8:30pm) after jumping in the cab, I proceeded to sit in the cab to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic underneath the Mandalay Bay Entrance- The meter on my Cab had made it to $18 before I even got from underneath the overhang of the Mandalay Bay Front Entrance (Approx. 500′). While sitting there, at least 7 ambulances pulled in while Paramedics seemed to be wheeling runners out on stretchers every 2 minutes. I finally was able to make it to my hotel (2 miles away opposite of the strip at 12:30am and $47 later) I tweeted to RnR that night from the back of that cab about the lack of foresight for this event, an disorganization. Of course it went without a response. I read many reviews and read hundred of runners feedback on this race after a couple days it became apparent that there were hundreds of runners who fell violently ill to something during this race. Many people pointed the finger at the Hydrant water, while many others chalked it up to lack of conditioning, I can’t say for certain what it is but when you get Hydrant water and dump it into trash cans while volunteers are dipping cups into them and not using gloves, this may have had something to do with it….
I have run 2 NYC Marathons, 3 Walt Disney Marathons and many other races around the country. I have never had a bad time or not enjoyed a race.This race by far was the most unorganized, ill-equipped, and down right dangerous race I have participated in. It was a fun novelty and thought to “Run the Strip at Night” ,but Race organizers were clearly more worried about making money than giving the same people who made them them this money a fun and safe product. After all we as runners pay for these things.
Many people conveyed there frustration through Facebook and to Rock and Roll Sponsors and Competitor Group of how mismanaged this event was. All in all, we were given a $15 off coupon to participate in the Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon a week later….yeah..think about that…Another slap in the face.
I encourage people to go on websites and read different stories, many people had fun and enjoyed it, I don’t doubt it, but this is my story and I know I speak for thousands. I probably will end up running another Rock N Roll Event (they have the monopoly) but not until they do right and own up to what they put people through that night. For them to come out and say “we know things did not go as planned and we know we have a lot of work to do to get things right for next year, clearly says it all, but thats where it ended. Im not looking for a handout, but if you go to a restaurant and order a steak medium rare and it comes out Burnt..would you send it back or at least tell the waiter? Think about it…
-Billy F
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Submitted by Scott Galiardo
January 9, 2012
Review
The race requires packet pickup the day before and at the convention center at the opposite end of the strip, which is a bit inconvenient. Aside from that, 40,000 people on the strip was a fantastic experience. Did the Half, set personal best. Only other downside is that limited photos from the event are available due to the poor nighttime lighting.
Corral system could be improved to mitigate some of the crowding during the run. But it’s a huge event, so to some extent runing in a pack is unavoidable.
Also remember to stay hydrated. Cool desert nights can take their toll on the body.
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Submitted by Phil McCracken
January 9, 2012
Review
This was my 16th marathon. It was a disaster. Too many people. Not enough organization. A lot of money. Water tasted awful and mad my stomach hurt. I did the full marathon and with the poor design and execution by the money-first organizers my race was a waste. I couldn’t hold my pace while weaving around slow half marathoners and walkers that were in the very narrow marathon lane. The post race food was almost non-existent. The bananas, a staple for runners, were days away from being ripe enough to eat and digest. The crowding in Mandalay Bay afterwards was criminal and RnR so lucky that people didn’t get killed or seriously injured. I am so sad that they killed my race. I had done the LV marathon on 4 previous years but unless I get a refund and am satisfied there will be improvements, then no way I would do this one or recommend it to anyone.
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Submitted by richrabbit0127
January 7, 2012
Review
Loved the strip at night. Some people may have had issues, but i wasnt one of them. Got to my correct coral in about 15 min. Race was crowded but what else would you expect from 44000 people. Finished in my expected time, and had no problems clearing the area. Will be back next year for sure.
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Submitted by jwhaley
January 5, 2012
Review
Accessing the Expo on the afternoon before the event was a traffic nightmare. Being forced by the organizer to pickk up the race packet at the expo is ridiculous for an event the sold out weeks ahead of time. Upon arrival at the expo to pick up my packet I was told that they “ran out of mens t shirts” and they would have to mail it to me. UNLESS I wanted to purchase another off the rack inside the EXPO!
As far I am concerned you were selling the t shirt I already paid for !
Pre race was as expected, bands were good fun, port a pottys were available. Corals were poorly organized, i saw no one trying to direct people or briefing on proper ettiquette etc.
The course is very cool although much less entertainmnet than expected. they claimed 44, 000 runners and want to be 60,000 plus next year. The course was not large enough for 44K, not even close.
Post race was absolutely ridicoulous. Way too small an area , poor placement of phot booths, tables, etc. Ran short of finisher medals by thousands. Major traffic jams trying to get back in the hotel for gear check etc.
Bottom line – Premium priced event- extremely poor organization, service, execution. This is a destination event for most- you should expect it to be highlight of the trip. Way too many people left disapointed by RnR, Competitor Group, et al.
Topped off by zero substantial offer to make things right from the organizer. It is a month since the event and I am still waiting to see my tshirt…
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Submitted by 3kidzmommy
December 27, 2011
Review
This was supposed to be my first half marathon. But since I registered nearly a year in advance, I was able to get a couple in prior to this race. I’m glad I did or I might not ever have run another one. The pre-race was fine. It was so crowded my husband was never able to find parking to come in with my daughter and I, but we made it through the expo and were fine.
We were in coral 15 and thought we’d be in front of the walkers. We were wrong. It was so dangerous trying to navigate around walkers taking up the entire course. I didn’t want to lose my daughter so we were weaving around people and I was terrified that one of us was going to get tripped up. By mile 5 we were still unable to even hit a 10 minute mile! It was so congested! By mile 8-9, we’d run out of water and grabbed a drink. Yes we were two of the people who got sick right after the race!
Then we hit the finish line and came to a complete stand still. We were stuck and were cooling down quickly. Luckily once we got past the “blanket” area, we were able to get through the crowd. It still took us over 20 minutes just to get through. By then we were freezing and quickly getting sick. I loved the experience of racing with my 14 year old daughter on the strip at night. But I would never race another RnR event again. Especially reading about how they regularly use fire hydrant water.
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Submitted by Davefromphilly
December 26, 2011
Review
I ran the full marathon this year in Las Vegas. Since this was a destination race, you have the feel that you are an “athlete” because you are traveling out of state for an event. Since this event had one price for both the half and full marathon, I decided to run the full.
The Pre-Race festivities were good. It was held at the Convention Center and it was well organized. The SWAG bag was good as well. I would recommend to get there early because it was very crowded when my group of friends had left.
The course, in theory, was a decent choice. For the first half of the marathon, you run through the industrial district of Las Vegas, and the second half is run up the strip from Mandalay Bay to Fremont Street, and back to Mandalay Bay. Although the course itself was a decent choice, the problem, especially for marathoners was the merge of half marathoners and marathoners at Mile 13 (since the half marathon course is the second half of the marathon course). The full marathon started at 4:00 pm, and the last wave start of the half marathon was at approximately 5:50 pm. I ran my half marathon split at just over 2 hours. So that put me in back on the strip (and into the half marathon course) at around 6:05 pm. This was the point where the walkers were on the course. I am for everyone completing a half marathon and what not, but the walkers consumed the entire course, and the marathoners had dodge in between the walkers. This is poorly executed on the part of the Competitor group, who organizes this race.
On top of the course issues, it has been well documented (Search the Zappos.com Las Vegas Marathon on Marathonguide.com) that people were sickened by the water given out on the course. Apparently, the water stations ran out of water during the race and gave the runners water from the fire hydrants and put them into train cans! Obviously, the water carried a bug that sickened the runners. On top of that, many of the water stations were abandoned by the volunteers during the race, leaving the runners with no water options. In my case, there was no water at a station near Mile 19. Due to this, I nearly passed out at Mile 19 due to dehydration. Luckily, I was able to get water from a fellow runner, to make it to the next water station. This is unacceptable on Competitor’s part, and based just on this, I will not compete in this race in the future.
There were massive problems that the end of the race as well. After crossing the finish line, I received a medal (although many runners did not receive a medal at all!), and was funneled through the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. It was great to be back inside because it was cold outside. But the problem was that the runners were in a stand still line for almost an hour to get back into the casino and the hotel itself. Again, this is poor and unacceptable on the part of the Competitor Group. Imagine trying to funnel 44,000 runners through that part of the Convention Center. This is my review, but there reviews on MarathonGuide.com that are much more harsh than mine.
Overall, I would recommend against running this marathon. I personally, would never do it again.
If you want to follow my running experiences, follow me on Twitter, @DavefromPhilly.
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Submitted by me tri
December 26, 2011
Review
I ran the half marathon this past year. Wasn’t sure about running in Vegas with all the distractions. But I was able to stay somewhat focussed. The registration process and expo were very good. The course is the main reason most people run this event and it was worth it! You run right on the strip. The only downside was the weather. It was COLD! Not sure that will ever change with the event being in December. But worth a trip…you can even finish with a beer in hand if you’d like.
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