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| - This was my first time running a Rock n Roll event, but not the first time running a half or full marathon. There's no doubt that running the strip at night is a once in a lifetime experience. As amazing as this race was supposed to be, I found that the energy and vibrancy was lacking that I found at Nike Women's and Big Sur, just falling face flat on my expectations.
First, I thought the course would be flat and fast and I could possibly even beat my PR from running the Big Sur Half 2 weeks prior with rolling hills. Nope, this race was so overcrowded the entire time. There was no thinning out like most races. It's not worth it to tear up my knees weaving in and out of runners and walkers for 13.1 miles. I'm not trying to set any world records here, but I did expect to run a faster time running a flat course. For those that preach that it's just about the experience, whatever, I'm here to race, not lollygag my way through the strip.
If you are considering running this race next year, here's what you can expect based on the 2011 number of runners:
- A huge cluster f-ck running with 44,000+ runners on the Vegas strip. I had no idea there would be this many people, and next year they want to be even more greedy and bump it up to 60,000!
- Not enough porta potties along the starting line when the corrals are 40+ deep. I ended up having to stop in the middle of the race, which I never do, because there wasn't one close to the start, slowing me down even more!
- Long porta potty lines everywhere
- Herded like cows at the finish line. You won't even get to take pictures because you get swept away in a sea of people getting pushed out
- Then again herded like cows exiting Mandalay Bay. Imagine 44,000+ runners, probably double that with all the spectators, all trying to exit Mandalay Bay at the same time. It was a massive sea of people that got so jam packed people couldn't even move. Not surprisingly, fights broke out, not to mention the safety hazard of thousands of people stuck in an exit way. My best friend got stuck in this mess, and it took them 3 hours to get home, couldn't get a taxi or shuttle and had to walk all the way back to their hotel in the middle of the strip (far!) after running her first marathon. Luckily, we snuck out and found an alternate exit by going downstairs through the back of the hotel and flagged down a taxi on the back roads.
- Luckily I always bring my own Gu/water, apparently they didn't provide as advertised
- Also with the water stops on both sides, people kept dashing out in front of me left and right, really annoying!
- Ran out of meddles. Luckily we got ours, but a lot of people complained that they did not.
- So many walkers were not on the far right side like they should have been. They should remind the walkers about the etiquette to move over to the right
- No pictures! There's only like one shot of me that I could make out at the finish line.
Even at 44,000 people, I would never do this race again unless it was something reasonable like 30k. At 60,000 people, I can't imagine what a worse nightmare that will be. Maybe there will even be a death next year from the mobs of people. I read about a man sitting in a pool of blood and fellow runners having to help him.
For the pricey registration, flying in and all the money I dropped for this destination race, I really expected a wayyyy better experience. Certainly, not for so many people's lives to be endangered when this is supposed to be about fun and running. The race organizers need to stop being so greedy, and run a safe, well organized race and lower the amount of registrants to 30k. Truly appalling that they would treat people like stupid cows and endanger the lives of so many.
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