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Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.3 
Organization 2.7 
Spectators 2.8
Number of comments: 736 [displaying comments 331 to 341]
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P. R. from Calgary, Canada
(12/15/2008)
"mediocre course, not learning from mistakes" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was our first time running Las Vegas. We had read the disparaging comments from previous years but still decided to come since we figured that after all the negative feedback from 2006 and 2007, most of the problems would have been fixed. Unfortunately that turned out NOT to be the case. A few specific comments: 1. "Organization" at the start was a joke. No attempt seemed to be made to seed/separate runners/walkers, resulting in the first few miles down the Strip being an absolute zoo. We were in the start area about 40 minutes before the start, but saw no evidence of pace signs or direction of where to go if running/walking at any particular pace. I had hoped to come in around 3:20, but that was quickly rendered impossible due to spending the first half-hour weaving through and around large groups of walkers four or five abreast in the middle of the course, at least two groups pushing baby buggies/carts, and large "plugs" of runners on a 10 minute/mile pace. At any other marathon I've done, the walkers are started at least a half-hour before the marathon, and often the half-marathoners are also started before/after the main race. My guess is in Las Vegas that would mean shutting down the Strip for a few minutes more, reducing the time available to separate visitors from their money, and thus would not be supported by local business owners. 2. There were separate lanes for full and half/walkers at the finish, but it needs to happen where the two routes converge, not for just the last few hundred meters; still, too much dodging of walkers coming down the homestretch. Race instructions (and signs along the route) need to be posted to tell walkers to STAY TO ONE SIDE SINGLE FILE!!! It's great that all types are getting involved, but something needs to be done to keep the road unclogged for the folks who trying to maintain a decent pace. 3. Miles markers are still problematic, both in accuracy and visibility, especially towards the end. 4. For an "international" marathon charging a significant entry fee, the cheap cotton T-shirt was a joke; nicer ones are for sale in most of the souvenir shops around town, for considerably less than what it costs to enter this race. 5. While the idea of introducing a pasta party was good, the actual event sucked. They charged $35.00 for a choice of two types of cold, congealing noodles, running out of sauce within 45 minutes of starting (it was advertised as a three-hour event), no sign of the promised entertainment from Cirque du Soleil, and some of the worst, ear splitting karaoke Elvises this side of, well... Las Vegas. Save your money and get a good meal anywhere else in town; this was a total waste of time and money. 6. Running (or more accurately dodging walkers) down the Strip was visually interesting, but the majority of the run was somewhat boring. Las Vegas has some nice areas, but the marathon course seems to go out of its way to avoid them. If you like gray industrial parks and run-down neighborhoods, complete with some of the worst potholes I've ever seen on a marathon coarse, you'll love this race. Entertainment en route was non-existent; spectator support outside of the core was marginal. 7. Volunteers were great; water stations were well staffed and efficiently run. Good police presence directing traffic. Expo/package pick-up seemed to run smoothly, so at least one thing seems to have improved from past years. Overall, I'd say that this is an over-priced, over-hyped event that has a LONG way to go to match the race experience offered in other large cities. If you want to visit Las Vegas and get a run in as a diversion, you might have fun; but if you are looking for a "serious" race experience, go elsewhere. | |
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S. W. from New Orleans
(12/14/2008)
"Surprised - it turned out to be fun" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I came into this race thinking it was going to be bad, due to the previous year's comments, but I needed Nevada as a state. After finishing the race, I was surprised it turned out better than I expected. This was my 31st overall and 21st state in my goal to run all 50 states, and I do 6 a year. I've run the BIG ones (NYC, Boston, Chicago) and numerous small ones, I classify this as above average. I don't run these for the T-shirt, medals or crowds; it's the challenge of doing them in the given conditions. Pros: - Water stations at every mile, even mile 26 - Mile markers every mile, and clocks started at mile 7 - Fireworks were awesome - New throw-away chip - Running the Las Vegas Strip for 6 miles - Gatorade at every other mile - Expo was good - The sites\casino\food\shows in Vegas were excellent - Police protection had both sides of the street blocked off!!! - Good route; slight 200' climb over 6 miles - Prime weather to run: 45-55 with overcast skies, slight wind out of the north Cons: - T shirt wasn't high tech; I could've gotten it from the Strip - Gels - I don't know... I carry what I need - Food was limited at the finish - There should be a runner's guide to the logistics of the start/finish - Walkers should start in the back It was a lot of fun, and a nice place to visit. I heard that the Rock 'n' Roll group was going to take it over for next year. I qualified for Boston again. | |
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S. D. from Nevada
(12/14/2008)
"Not much for your money" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Out of all of the races I've competed in, this was by far the most disappointing. It started with the very cheap quality "runner?" shirts, was followed by having to be very conscious to avoid injury while trying to pass the huge quantity of WALKERS and slow paced runners, and ended with a very anti-climactic finish line. Where was the celebration? Food? Drinks? Recognition? For the money, which compares to others, you get nothing. Overall, a disappointment. I did appreciate the fireworks at the start, as well as the presence of law enforcement for safety, but nothing else met my expectations of an organized marathon. I won't participate again. | |
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A. C. from Oakland, CA USA
(12/14/2008)
"Nice course; too expensive; skip the pasta party!" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 As noted by other runners, the course is flat and fast. I enjoyed the desert scenery. There was no entertainment after the finish line. The race is expensive, but well supported with frequent water/Gatorade stops. The pasta party was a terrible disappointment!!!!!! In Vegas, where $20 gets you a mile-long buffet, there was barely any food and the only entertainment was Elvis karaoke. As much as I enjoyed the run itself, I left feeling like the organizer's primary goal had been to separate me from as much of my money as possible. | |
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C. S. from Colorado
(12/13/2008)
"Will not run it again" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 This was by far the worst organized race I have yet to run. Like other racer, I was very disappointed with the t-shirt. It reminded me of one you get at a flea market. Secondly, the first 3 miles of the race were like trying to run in downtown Manhattan. It was not only difficult to pass the walkers, but at times it was dangerous, as someone would run a little and then stop all of a sudden in front of you. Finally, and this is the biggest complaint, there was no gel station at mile 19. I had planned for that and because it was not there I didn't have gel for half of the race, which I believe made me blow the time I was shooting for. I was told that it was actually at Mile 18, but there were no signs telling us that, and like a lot of other runners, I don't stop at every aid station. I remember the feeling of dread that came over me when after mile 20 I realized I was going to have to go the second half of the race without any energy gel (I had last GU'ed at mile 13). Well I didn't last and blew my time by a couple of minutes. Never again will I run this race, which is too bad because the locale is great and the course is actually very nice. But the event staff is lacking. Perhaps the folks at the Rock 'n' Roll series will look at taking this one over someday (which, if anyone has ever run one, is a first-class act). | |
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E. H. from Middle Coast, USA
(12/13/2008)
"Better as a fun run than a real race." (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I enjoyed the half and treated it as a fun run, but it seems that the organizers just don't know what it takes to put on a race for competitive runners. Why walkers and slow runners are allowed near the front is beyond me. It is just the strangest sight to behold. I pitied the poor runners trying to actually run at their race pace. Crazy! Further nuttiness is on display when the elite and competitive runners (5-7 minute pace) merge at mile 22 with the folks running over a 10-minute pace. Such unnecessary chaos. The course also gets quite narrow at the finish. Maybe it was my imagination, but there seemed to be fewer water stations on the Strip. Difficult to see mile markings in the first half of race, and I did not notice a clock until mile 8, but since I wasn't doing the run for time, it's possible I overlooked them. At least I didn't have to pour my own water at a stop, as in 2007. It's great as a fun run, but maddening as a competitive race. Rather overpriced, but a great flat course. Paltry food options at finish. Where did the money go? If Las Vegas could put some real runners in charge, they could have themselves a helluva race, but for right now, the marathon and half-marathon are pretty far down their list of priorities. | |
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J. G. from Newport, RI
(12/13/2008)
"Mediocre With A Little Pizazz" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Pros: Flat, fast course Decent medals Running the Strip Fireworks at the beginning of the race Attentive medical crew at the end Well-organized expo Perfect race weather Great Vegas Santa Race 5K the day prior was a wonderful and fun warm-up Cons: No gels or refreshments at any of the stops (miles 9 and 19) where they were supposed to be No separation of the runners at the beginning as advertised on the pre-race information Crappy t-shirts (good ones for sale, though; I guess it's Vegas, so that's expected) Where was the food at the end? Poor spectator turnout I didn't even see a mile marker until mile 5 Overall: Organization could be a lot better. From the past reviews, it looks like they clarified the half and marathon split around mile 7. There was a lot of slowdown due to walkers in the first miles but the Strip provides a wide enough berth if you really want to surge ahead. | |
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R. F. from San Diego, California
(12/12/2008)
"Difficult to get past the walkers" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I ran the HALF marathon in 2008. PRO: The fireworks and entertainment at the beginning were fantastic. Running the Strip in the dark was incredible - lots to look at and a lot of positive energy from spectators. Spectators (although a lot fewer) even laced the streets beyond the Strip. The firemen and police were very supportive, and were out in force to cheer us on. A group of metro police recruits even ran the half marathon course. CON: Walkers started in front with the runners, which caused a HUGE jam. There were also people with baby strollers (against the rules?), which created problems. I had to literally weave for the first 2-3 miles to get through all the walkers and run/walkers. Also, the t-shirt was lame; it didn't even have the date on it. SUMMARY: This race could have been perfect if there had been corrals dividing runners by pace, if the rule against baby strollers had been enforced, and if the shirt were made of technical fabric and had a date on it. More spectators for the last half would have been nice... but I understand that is a "dangerous" part of town, so I guess I don't blame them for not wanting to hang out down there. | |
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C. K. from Diamond Bar, Ca
(12/12/2008)
"Ideal running experience" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The organization at the start left a lot to be desired but once I cleared the crush at the beginning the running was fine. The fireworks at the start were amazing! Overall, the weather was great, the spectators enthusiastic. The T-shirt was a big disappointment. A plain cotton T without even a date on it? What's up with that? The food at the finish was also a big letdown... for a 5-hour marathon finisher, there was nothing left but cookies, Gatorade, milk, and water. | |
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Bill Folk from Racine, WI
(12/12/2008)
"They are still learning but a good race overall" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran the 2008 Las Vegas Marathon, which happened to be my 5th marathon of the year, and overall I would say that it was a good marathon. Negatives: - The shirt was just bad; at a minimum the date of the race needs to be there. - Water stops were not set up efficiently (too bunched up; put some space between the tables) and caused bottlenecks - MUST HAVE CORRALS - I'm by no means a fast runner but when I spend 3 miles passing walkers, something is wrong! - Entry fee was high for what you got - Smaller turnout of spectators than I thought there would be - Gel stop - was there one or not? I did not see one on the course. - Food at the end??? I finished in 4:45, and there was no food - only water and Gatorade. I went back for a friend at 6:00 and found food out. What's that about? - Finishers medal was better last year - this year's could have used some color or something Positives: - It's Vegas in December! - Running down the strip at 6 a.m. - The fireworks at the beginning - Running with Elvis, brides, Elvis, grooms, and did I mention Elvis!? - Expo was fantastic - Water stops ever mile after mile 2 - Gatorade every other water stop - Volunteers were amazingly helpful - FLAT, fast course - I got a PR! - Lots of photos - Weather was perfect I liked this race and I still think that they have room to grow. I would recommend this to friends! |
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