I did not do this race last year, so I have nothing to compare it to. Apparently last year was much better from what I'm seeing from the recent reviews.
We came in on the day of the race so we did not get to experience the Expo. However for same day bib pick up it was an extra $40 on top of the $120 race fee. Ouch.
The goodie bag was not great. Some GU gels, a snickers bar and lotion. With the amount of money we paid, you'd expect more free stuff. I did like the shirts however.
I do agree that they did a poor job coordinating the marathoners with the half marathoners. If I had run the full marathon I would have been pissed about running into a bunch or slow runners and walkers. They had a separate lane for marathoners, but it was only separated by cones which were largely ignored.
The bands were OK. Some of them took breaks throughout the race, so all together I saw maybe three bands.
The post race was a disaster. There was a bottleneck at the camera booth which you had to go through to get out of the race area. All the activities were outside and it was 30 degree temps. There was a convention center at the Mandalay Bay and they could have easily fit everyone inside. Instead everyone made a mad dash back to the hotel lobby which was just a chaotic mess.
They did have plenty of snacks at the end; water, pretzels, bagels, etc available for the finishers. But this is Vegas. Where is the complimentary cocktail or beer? Nope, beers are $4 and you have to drink them in the frigid temperatures. Give me a break.
I do give it three stars because when do you ever have the opportunity to run up and down the strip? That in itself is priceless.