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Las Vegas International Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Las Vegas International Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.7 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 2.1
Number of comments: 154 [displaying comments 81 to 91]
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Bob Yee from Tampa, Florida
(2/5/2003)
"Pretty (Desert Scenery) Ugly (Winds)" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Marathon #7 & my slowest one, but hey they always told you that you can't screw with Mother Nature. She provided the nice desert scenery free of charge but we really 'paid' for it by running into the wind. This is a very fast course but with sustained headwinds of 35 mph & gusting 50 mph+, it was really a challenge to get through it. I feel very proud that I was up to the task along with so many others. In fact, I & many others joked about the winds up until we turned away from them at around the end of mile 23. Many thanks to the race organizers & volunteers that stayed on the course & at the finish under such brutal conditions. I stayed on the Strip at the Alladin Resort & it was GREAT. Took some gambling lessons and didn't donate too much $$$ to the Las Vegas Building Fund. My advice: The wind was an anomaly--try this race in 2004! | |
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Bill Abendroth from Portland, Oregon, Ecotopia
(2/5/2003)
"Dusted in the Wind" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Now, now...Let's not be so harsh here. the Las Vegas Marathon has its place. Of course the scenery is not good. But it's Vegas, for god's sakes. It's not like the race organizers deliberately picked a route by passing the large river and breath-taking canyons. That's what the countryside looks like. If you don't like endless desert scrub (and very few people do), don't run this marathon. Vegas in 2003 was cursed. Everyone in Vegas told me that January was the best January ever. The days leading up to 2/2 were perfect--and so were the days after. No one could plan on a constant 25-30 mph wind in your face day, with gusts hitting 50 mph. The wind was hard, relentless, and unforgiving. I tell you, I saw at least a dozen portapotties that had blown over on their side. This was my 12th marathon, and the first time I ever seriously considered taking a DNF. The race was just simply no fun at all--but that wasn't the organizers' fault. What is the organizers' fault is the course map posted on the web site is the worst course map I have ever seen for a marathon. As far as I could tell, the finish was nothing like that detailed on the map (of course, I was half out of my mind at the finish, so who knows). The paper detailing the bus logistics was also confusing re what times the buses left to take everyone to Jean--26 miles out of town. Ordinarily, both of those conditions would have resulted in a two star mark down on 'organization.' But Vegas really earned a five star for organization this year. The buses from the MGM to the start ran smoothly, and there were ample buses. Most people got to the start over an hour early, but the buses stayed at the start. Waiting runners had a warm, comfortable place to stay prior to the start. The buses at the finish (returning the runners to the MGM) were numerous, and the lines moved well. Excellent work, Vegas! Where Vegas really shined, though, was coping with the disasterous weather. Volunteers hung in through the miserable wind & even more miserable runners. The cut off time was extended, allowing many border line people to finish. Even after the aid stations closed, large numbers of cups with water/ultima were left for stragglers. The post race food was also good. Were there any spectators? Of course not. You're in the middle of the desert. You want cheering crowds? Don't go to Vegas. Did I have a good time? No. The race was miserable from start to finish. But that's not the question. The question is was there anything the race organizers could have done to make the race less miserable? And the answer is no--Al & his troops rose to the occasion, and did a hell of a good job. That said, you only run Vegas for one reason: it's a fast, fast, fast marathon baby--at least when the wind's not blowing. If you're looking for anything else, maybe you better go to the Rock & Roll instead. In terms of past criticisms--the medal is good; one of the better medals I have. The shirt is cotton/poly, but a nice long sleeve with a good silkscreen logo. The expo was good--not the best expo ever, but an appropriate size expo for this size of marathon. Overall, I have to say that Al & his people took all the past criticisms of their marathon to heart, and resolved those problems--which is more than can be said about many races (not just the Rock & Roll, but that's another review). One last note--if you're ever in Las Vegas, for god sakes do not waste your money on the Blue Man Group show. It stinks. Go see Cirque du Soliel instead. | |
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l. r. from Ohio
(2/4/2003)
"Blown away!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Know first off that it was so windy this year that the portapotties were being blown down. Not a normal year. Putting that aside, the race was great. The course is virtually flat---beware the slight rise in the beginning, balanced by the slight downhill at the end. The desert is beautiful. It feels like a discovering-America-by-driving-across-the-West movie. Don't expect a lot of spectators, this race is just for the runners the first twenty miles. The organization was sharp: buses ran well to the start, you get to stay on the heated bus until the gun, facilities (though oddly no toilet paper) at the start along with water and purportedly coffee. Plenty of intrepid volunteers even in the wind. Pretty good expo. I'd do it again next year. Maybe I'd get a tailwind this time. | |
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Eric Schneider from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
(2/4/2003)
"tough day on the job" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 All the planning in the world can't overcome the elements. Gale force winds made the event a challenge, and it was disappointing to the runners that the clock doesn't do justice to our level of effort. Interestingly, I heard no complaints during the race about the weather. Everyone I saw just gutted it out. Deserts can be beautiful: the one parallelling I-215 isn't. | |
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Richard Ervais from San Francisco
(2/4/2003)
"Not a fast course this year" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Not too much you can do about the wind (45 mph headwinds this year). The course isn't terribly exciting, but if there had been a tailwind I'm sure I would have better appreciated the flatness. How much more exciting it would be if the course ran down The Strip and/or ended at a casino. I read that the marathon organizers get very little support from the city or local corporations, so kudos to them for all of the work they do especially with no money. They are very nice people. If they could afford it, some clocks on the course would be great. I didn't see any until the finish line. I was very surprised that the sponsor hotels wouldn't work with the runners -- my first night hotel, Gold Strike, at the start line, would not give us an extra hour to check out (noon instead of 11 a.m.) without charging us for an extra day and my second night hotel, Tropicana, would not let us check in before 3 p.m. Friends of mine missed the half-marathon shuttle because the front desk at Gold Strike told them the shuttle starts at 5:45 a.m. (that's actually the last one) and they came down just after it left. | |
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W. W. from Phoenix
(2/4/2003)
"A dispiriting experience. Will not return." (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This was my 6th marathon, and I consider myself a low-maintenance runner(I don't need bands, tons of spectators, or tons of freebies). I ran this expressly for the purpose of PR'ing and qualifying for Boston. Unfortunately, due to the cold 30-50 mph headwind we had for 23 miles straight (and a rather nasty tailwind during the steep last 3 miles downhill), I doubt anyone PR'd this year. My time was my worst ever. I realize the weather was not under the organizers' control, so I can't blame them for that. Still, some attention to the basics would have made this a much better race. The aid stations were not competently manned overall. I and another runner had to take off our own chips outside the chutes because no one was there to help us. The tables at the finish were sparse. I've seen more food after a 5K. I stood there for a few minutes waiting for someone to give me a banana until I finally went ahead and put my own food in my bag (other runners ended up doing this as well). The few volunteers were busy standing around talking to each other. Also, I realize that Vegas is a gambling town, but it would have been nice to have some community support. None of the drivers in the city acknowledged us as we were coming in, except to argue with policemen who wouldn't let them drive through us. I counted five locals on the sidelines the last 3 miles who made any noise at all. Again, I don't need a lot of crowd support, but we felt more like intruders and obstacles than heroes. And a word about the Lucky Strike in Jean: don't let the 'no two-night minimum' fool you. My family's room was booked in October for Saturday night only under the marathon code. When my mother, who was running the half, went to get our room, she was told she would not be able to use the shuttle because we didn't buy the marathon package. Even after she showed them our confirmation, they refused. She ended up paying for an extra day that we did not need. When we returned after the marathon for our luggage, the hotel had changed the key because they only had us booked for one night! After much hassle, we proved we had paid for the room an extra day, got our luggage, and checked out. Very shoddy treatment. The Neveda running club told us during the course bus ride that Vegas Tourism had rescinded its sponsorship of this marathon because it didn't think 8,000 runners and their support teams bring in any money to the local economy. I saw plenty of runners and their friends and family members gambling and going to shows. My family put down a lot of dough during this trip. Too bad Vegas only cares about its high rollers. | |
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S. C. from Portland, Oregon
(2/4/2003)
"Las Vegas Wind Tunnel Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 All I can say is this was a brutal race this year. I went into this race hoping for a PR and came out of it simply having finished it. Consistent 35 MPH headwinds with gusts near 60 MPH. It was the hardest phsical challenge I have ever faced and I for one am proud to have finished. The wind was not typical for this race and can only be described as 'an act of God'. I feel sorry for all the people who tried to qualify for Boston at this race as it was nearly impossible. From my perspective the race was well organized and went as smoothly as possible given the horrific winds. However I would still recommend this race to someone trying to qualify for Boston as it would indeed be a very fast course without the wind we had this year. Congratulations to all who finished the Las Vegas Wind Tunnel Marathon 2003! | |
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A RUNNER from North Carolina
(2/4/2003)
"Well operated race under bad conditions" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The winds (sometimes gusting over 40mph) made it miserable on the race course this year but I still gave the course a rating of 4 because it is flat and with hills, the wind would have felt even worse. Organization was 5 stars thanks in part to the volunteers who braved the winds and cranky runners for over 6 hours. The buses to the start line allowed us to stay on and stay out of the wind until the start of the race. The finish line personel were great and the crowd support was great (what little there was). I honestly don't know that I could have stood out there and cheered for as long as some of those persons did given the windy conditions. Don't let the wind discourage you from the race as a local assured me that it was unseasonal and had even surprised him. | |
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Ralph Firehouse Grill Marathon Team from Whittier, CA
(2/4/2003)
"Visit whosnyc.com!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I did the half marathon, and it was a great time! You start just to the right of I-15 by the RV park just before dawn. You are able to stay in the buses right up to 5 minutes before the start and away you go, down the road straight ahead is the Vegas stip, beautiful mountains on your left, sun coming up over the desert on your right. If you need people clapping and shouting your name, put it on a tape recorder and play it on your walkman! If you're out to run and see sights straight from 'Forrest Gump' run this marathon or at least do the half. You'll still have legs left afterwards to hit the 79 cent beer!! Great time! | |
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Matt Winberry from Seattle, WA, USA
(2/4/2003)
"Organizers deserved a better fate" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon ever, and I was, quite literally, blown away. If you're going to run a marathon (or do anything outside) in Las Vegas, you have know that windy conditions are a possibility. Wind was an unfortunate reality race day, as we faced 40 mile per hour sustained headwinds from about mile 9 through mile 22. As a result, I was quite disappointed with my own performance, and I'll be back next year to try and right this wrong. Many folks that wanted to get personal bests or qualifying times on this (usually) easy course were pretty disappointed. So if the race was such a downer to me, why did I state that I plan on coming back? Well, despite Mother Nature's curveball, I have to say that the organizers of this race did a fantastic job. The weather wasn't their fault. There was MORE than enough water (every mile at the end.) Every water station was identical to every other water station, and they were very well staffed. The busses were organized very well, and the pre-race expo was a lot of fun. One criticism--avoid the pasta party. It wasn't worth $20, but I'm picking nits here. I only gave the course 4 stars because I would really love it if the route ran down the Strip, but I understand that this would cause a logistical nightmare for the city. Hey, I can dream, right? As it is, you're out in the middle of nowhere for a while, so if you run for scenery, look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for 'runner friendly', then this one is primo. The fan support is pretty lousy, so if this is important to you then you'll be disappointed. Hmm... seems like altering the course to run down the strip might solve THIS problem as well... |
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