The Las Vegas Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Angelina L.
Redlands, CA

  (03-31-2010)

"If you can handle to cold, this is not a bad race.

I, however, am from Southern California, and do not do well, in the cold.

It was freezing at the start, and I could not feel my toes till about mile 3.

There was a wave start, and because of how cold it was, there was so many people jumping ahead in their waves, so they could start faster.

Once I finally started (after waiting for about 30 minutes, from the first wave start), I had to dodge so many walkers, to maintain my pace.

The course is relatively flat, and it is pretty amazing to be running down the strip.

It's a good course to set a PR on, if you do well with the cold weather."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Jill W.
Las Vegas, NV

  (06-23-2009)

"I participated in this race the last year before it will become a Rock 'n' Roll race. The race kicked off with fireworks and everyone got to run up the Las Vegas Strip together (full and half marathon). There was a run-through wedding chapel, complete with cake, and there were several running Elvis' (Elvi?).

There weren't any corrals at the start, so it was pretty crowded and unorganized in that regard. And although the route has space for spectators to get out and cheer, there weren't a lot of people cheering along the sides, especially after the point where the full and half split. The full got to run through some of the more rundown areas of Vegas and the half got to run down a street behind The Strip lined with skeezy strip joints.

But this review isn't that relevant anyway, since the whole event is changing. Hopefully it will be even more awesome, because Vegas is a great city!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Peggy S.
South Pasadena, CA

  (06-21-2009)

"I see that the Las Vegas Marathon will be tweaked this coming Fall, rechristened as the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/10/revitalized-mara thon-set-take-over-strip/

The Half Marathon course appears to be essentially the same as it was when I ran it in 2007, so I’ll tell you about that experience.

Since the starting line will still be at the Mandalay Bay casino, be aware that there is a free tram that runs from the Excalibur casino to Mandalay Bay.

I wasn’t in Vegas to party (this time!), so I stayed at an inexpensive motel, about two blocks from the Excalibur tram.

Marathon morning, in the dark and cold, I walked the few blocks to Las Vegas Blvd. to the Excalibur tram. My first hint at things to come was when I saw that out of the fourteen runners in the tram, four were dressed as Elvis Presley.

The Las Vegas Marathon started a few minutes after 6am; the sunrise was barely lighting the eastern sky. A nice touch to take advantage of the dark: There was a fireworks display. How cool! The thing is, though, I ran past them after the first couple of minutes, but I could hear them still going off behind me. They should’ve put them further down the course so runners could see it all.

It was an eyeful, to pass by all of the mega-casinos, and to see that yet another mega-casino or two is under construction – as usual. I’m starting to think that casinos aren’t constructed; they must spring up from spores.

I absolutely must mention an aspect which I think is now and forever integral to the Vegas Marathon: I have never seen so many running Elvises in my life! There was even a dad-and-daughter Elvis, running together. I saw about two dozen of them, minimum. There was also a stop on the way for people to get married on the route. And, all of the grooms I saw there were Elvises, marrying their Priscillas. I have since learned: There were 207 running Elvises (Elvii?) for the 2007 Las Vegas Marathon!

The 2007 Las Vegas Marathon route, starting near the south end of the Strip at Mandalay Bay, went up the entire Strip almost to Fremont, before the split between Half and Full marathoners occurred at Mile 6. The 2009 Las Vegas Marathon will have a similar split, near Mile 11.

When I ran in 2007, half of Las Vegas Blvd. was closed off for runners, and the course looped behind the Strip in residential areas for the return to Mandalay Bay. In 2009, Las Vegas Blvd. will be completely closed off for runners, and the Half Marathon will take place entirely on the Strip.

It was VERY much fun to hear Las Vegas residents, and cheerleading groups, and local bands, give us encouragement. Although the next Las Vegas Half Marathon will take place entirely on the Strip, I hope the local supporters will still be there – especially for the Full Marathoners, who break off to run part of the course in residential areas

Apart from the always entertaining sights and sounds of Vegas, the course itself is wonderfully flat and easy to run. And unlike the blistering oven-hot summer days in Nevada, the first week of December is marathon-perfect cool – even a bit chilly, at 6am.

2007 wasn’t my first Half, but I would especially recommend the Las Vegas Marathon to anyone running a Half Marathon for the very first time.


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Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007