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A Runner from Wisconsin
(2/7/2002)
"Would not have missed it" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Perfect weather for 26.2... A little up hill at the begining and a long... downhill... to the finish. Not a lot of things going on during the race but for a Wisconsin runner being out in the desert it was kinda neat. Much critisism on lack of fan support... all I can say is get over it... run your race and be done with it. If you need constant cheering along the way go to Chicago, New York or San Diego. The Volunteers along the course and at the finish were fantastic... the fan support that was there was very enthusiastic and gave you that extra little boost when you needed it. The finishers area was OK.. an ample bag of goodies with plenty of water..They did stop giving massages a little early, my friend and I finished in the 4 hour range and massages were getting shut down. Ending up on the strip would have been cool... but then, probably someone would complain about that too. All in all... if you are a low maintenance runner, looking for a fast mostly down hill race with just enough goodies... Vegas is a great run. | |
A Runner from Puyallup, WA
(2/7/2002)
"Marathon Bliss" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The climate was perfect for a marathon. The bright sun, dry air, and coolness made for an almost magical run. Surpisingly, I enjoyed the 1-way straight path. The bus rides were very well planned and administered. One note of improvement for the evening party: introduce the key organizers (e.g., Al Boka) and award plaques to the winners. This would lend more of a purpose to the evening event than just pretzels, drinks, and canned music. | |
Delirium from Edmonton, Canada
(2/7/2002)
"Great Experience" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon, and it was a great experience. Relatively easy course (mostly flat) in the desert, with the Strip skyline in front of you, and the finish line in a public park. The water stations were always well stocked, the bus loading was efficient, and they provided coffee, water and portapotties at the start. No spectators until the last 1/3, but who would want to stand around in the desert anyway? Loved the medal, was a combination of a roulette wheel and stop watch. | |
A Runner from Monrovia, CA
(2/7/2002)
"Great PR course with desert beauty." (about: 1995)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The course is FAST. There's a noticeable uphill between miles 4 and 8 but the downhill from 8 to 18 more than makes up for it. I thought the desert scenery was going to be mind numbingly boring but was pleasantly surprised by the beauty I found in the first 18 miles. After mile 18, it's urban ugly and the last 3 miles totally SUCKED! We ran on an open road with just one lane dedicated to runners, the airport on one side, and industrial parks on the other. It was a tough finish to an otherwise fantastic course. There's almost no fan support so be ready for solitude! The casinos and the rest of Vegas seem absolutely oblivious to the fact the marathon was being run. Even the hotel staff at the packet pick-up were clueless! I stayed at the Gold Strike in Jean on Saturday night and avoided the early bus ride to the start. Talk about convenient. Roll out of the hotel five minutes before start time, warm up jog to the start line, drop the sweats at the sweat truck, and begin the race. A great race for your PR. I bettered my time by 12 minutes over my time in LA last March. | |
A Runner from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
(2/7/2002)
"Awesome!!!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A fast course!! Anyone who whines hasn't run too many marathons!! Great organization!! Good Post-party!! Beautiful MEDAL and a nice Race shirt!! What do you expect for $100? Nice Pavillion!! Had everything I needed. Want a PR; this is the race to do it, you just have to slow yourself down for the first 8 miles and then you are on your way HOME!! I'll be coming back for this one!! | |
A Runner from Utah
(2/6/2002)
"Fun for a first-timer" (General Comments)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really liked most of the marathon. My only desire is that they find a way to keep the route perfectly straight all the way to the end. It was discouraging for me to be unable to see the finish line (and BOY did I need to see the finish line on my first marathon!), but everything else was really nice. There may not have been many supporters, but the ones who were there were great! The aid stations were adequate and the volunteers were great. I liked the medal and the shirt and felt like a real winner even though my time was not one. I think that other than being unable to see the end, the hills were the only other killer for me. They lasted for the first 9 miles of the course and even though they were gradual, they were nearly enough to break my spirit. Overall it was a good experience though. | |
A Runner from Los Angeles
(2/6/2002)
"Enjoyable Run" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Nice run in the desert with the Las Vegas Strip skyline visible for about the last half of marathon; like a carrot at the end of the stick. This event was well organized and fun. Who needs screeching maniacs along an entire course...you'll just end up with a headache afterwards. The crowd support was certainly adequate as were after race refreshments. And who cares if the rest of Las Vegas is uninvolved or unaware of the event, the city has other diversions. Not everyone's world of entertainment centers around runnning, but for those of us in which it does, this is one to put on your running list. | |
A Runner from California
(2/5/2002)
"Don't listen to the childish whiners..." (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Why do people whine about this race so much? This race offers two things; a FAST course (I mean PR-by-a-ton kinda fast) and great logistics. There aren't a lot of spectators until the last few miles, which I don't really mind. You can get a room in Vegas for very little dough. What the hell else do people expect in a smallish marathon that's run on a rural course? If you want to run a PR in beautiful, crisp weather, and have fun in Vegas when you're done, then this is a quality race. If you want thousands of spectators, an urban course, or other BS things, than this race isn't for you.... | |
A Runner from Chicago, IL
(2/5/2002)
"I loved this marathon" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was only my second marathon and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The weather was perfect and the course was fast. It would have been nice to have more fans along the course and perhaps some music. I thought there was plenty of water and sports drink available. The expo could have been organized a little better. I did not like the long line for the chip and it should have moved off to the side instead of blocking the main entrance. It would be nice to get sponsorship from one of the bigger casinos. Overall, I would run the course again and hope to do so next year. | |
A Runner from Lake Forest, CA
(2/5/2002)
"The Course That Keeps Giving, Again!" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I've run this marathon 2 years in a row, 3:17:08 & 3:16:10. It's a great course, with great weather and adequate Aid stations. I don't understand the guy who's disappointed. You don't come to Vegas for the Carb Load Dinner, or the party afterwards, you come for the PR (fast) course...PERIOD. It's not about the scenery, the crowd support, the medal, or the T-shirt. It's about exploiting your abilities to run fast. If want that other stuff, run L.A. or Chicago. And there were organizers patrolling the course on bike, as several passed me and asked how I was feeling. I hope they never change a thing about this marathon! |
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