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| - I've been meaning to write a review for this marathon for awhile, but now as i'm ready to taper for the chicago marathon in October, it reminds me of my experience with this race last year.
I ran the half, and was pretty nervous as my flight was delayed so i didn't get into vegas until waaaaay late friday night...also i started to doubt my training and wondered if i had done enough (normal pre-race jitters i think). Then, once i landed in vegas and got to my parents' house, i started to relax and realized i'd be fine.
The race was actually nice and cold (40's at the start, just perfect). There was a fireworks display to start as well as a bunch of running elvis impersonators ...i caught up with the karaoke machine and got to singalong with them, how many races can you say you did that? Blue man group was around mile 3.5, so that was cool. Also, since the race starts at 6am you get a strange mix of fans watching and people just getting out of the clubs. I must say, running past Pure and Jet I was very distracted...so many nice looking ladies =) Then once you pass the strip into the older parts of vegas you get to some strip clubs, where drunken frat packs stumble out of the clubs and happen onto the race and cheer you on ("Run Forrest Run! i must've heard 5 times, quite clever).
The race was pretty boring after passing downtown vegas, as we run Frank Sinatra Dr. past all the hotel parking garages for the last part...i think the crowd support is needed the most back here, so if you come out to watch...head to the back of the hotels. I saw my parents at harrah's holding up signs cheering me on around mile 3, so once i saw them i knew i'd be ok =).
Overall the race was fine, and i'm planning on doing the half again this year. There is also an after party at Tao where all the runners can get together and talk about their blackened toenails and sore muscles. I think the best part, though, is after the race you are ready to eat a house and there are so many buffets to choose from...i chose the paris buffet brunch and then in-n-out last year (best decision i made, i ate two double-double meals). I think this race will get bigger as it ages.
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