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Las Vegas Half Marathon

by the Wizard2010-12-08 15:23

This journey begins about two months back, initiated by the same friend who had earlier dared me to compete in a Triathlon Sprint, this time encouraging me to partake in the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. Two months does not provide a long window for training when you're starting from very little. Luckily, I was already at a moderate level of fitness, regularly running distances of 3-4 miles. Hence, I embarked on an intensive training regimen to boost my stamina for the full 13.1 miles.

I adhered closely to my training plan and ultimately achieved my target. On Saturday, December 5, 2010, I burst out of my front door, energized and ready to take on the run. The conditions were ideal for running. Although it felt chilly while waiting for the race to begin, once we started, participants began shedding their outer layers, opting for shorts and t-shirts. The course was strewn with discarded clothes, and I often wondered about their fate. Occasionally, I noticed volunteers collecting these garments in large bags, but I was uncertain what they did with them afterward.

My adventure truly commenced with the task of reaching the starting line. Initially, I intended to take the Tropicana exit off the I-15 to find parking, but I was met with an overwhelming line of cars on the off-ramp. Hence, I switched to plan B and tried the Russell Road exit. Unfortunately, that exit was even more congested, so I resorted to plan C, opting for the 215 exit. This exit led to the Strip. I managed to find convenient parking at the executive airport, located just south of the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas sign and merely half a mile from the starting line at Mandalay Bay. At this juncture, I pulled my bike out of the back of my minivan and cycled the remaining distance, securely locking my bike to a tree at the starting area. This arrangement worked out splendidly. I'm tempted not to reveal this parking tip, as it was incredibly helpful, especially considering that around 30,000 participants were convening for the race while the Strip was closed, causing parking chaos elsewhere.

Another useful piece of advice is that you can collect your race number on the day of the event right by the start line. The official race website suggests that this isn’t an option, but in fact, it is. This saves you from having to make a trip to the runner's expo, which they misleadingly mark as compulsory. The queue to collect my number was pleasantly short, taking only a few minutes.

Those who have been following my journey may remember that I participated in the full marathon back in 2005. One notable complaint from that experience was the crowded conditions from Mandalay Bay to around Monte Carlo, where runners were densely packed, advancing at little more than a stroll up the Strip. Once caught in that sea of participants, it was impossible to maneuver around the congestion, leading to disappointment for anyone aiming for a fast time.

Fast forward five years, and it’s evident that lessons were learned. This time around, there were about 30 separate corrals set up with staggered starting times, and every runner was assigned a corral number based on their estimated completion time. However, other factors appeared to play a role as well. My friend and I both indicated we were aiming for two-hour finishes, but he was placed in corral 8 while I ended up in corral 12. The lower your corral number, the quicker your expected finish time.

Still haunted by the overcrowding of 2005, I decided to wait ten minutes after the last corral left before I started. For those unfamiliar with race logistics, each runner is given a timing chip to attach to their shoelace, which only activates once you cross the starting line. Yet, some volunteers were encouraging late starters from behind the final corral to proceed as well, which meant I began my race among the last few participants.

The corral system significantly reduced the number of runners at the start, which proved to be an excellent strategy. However, by opting to start at the back, I found myself faced with a multitude of walkers in front of me. For the entirety of the race, I had to zig-zag around these slow movers, which was particularly challenging at the outset. Much of the time, I found myself running on sidewalks or outside the designated cones simply to find space to overtake them. Admittedly, it was frustrating to navigate around groups of two or more women walking side by side. While they had the right to do so, it was evident that many runners were attempting to squeeze past them, resulting in bottlenecks along the route. This problem seemed to affect not just me, but many female runners as well.

I also take some responsibility for not starting in my assigned corral number 12. While this might not have solved the entire issue, as walkers were scattered throughout all corrals, conversations with fellow runners later revealed universal complaints about walkers. It's likely that many had submitted fast estimated times on their registration but hadn’t trained adequately, resulting in them walking the entire course.

Similar to my experience in 2005, the event was lively, featuring numerous bands playing along the route and thousands of enthusiastic spectators cheering us on. This year's half marathon route spanned from Mandalay Bay to downtown and back. To ensure a distance just shy of 13.1 miles, they added additional turns in the downtown part of the course. Between the Luxor and Mandalay Bay on the return, full marathon runners broke off to take a detour west of the Strip before heading back east toward the same finish line, albeit in their own designated lane separate from the half marathon participants.

My aim was to complete the race in under two hours. I had trained to maintain a pace of nine-minute miles, but between the tenth and twelfth miles, I found myself slipping behind that mark, and by the time I realized it, I was too far off track to recover. I ultimately finished with a time of 2:02:12. To put this into context, I placed 354th among 947 men aged 45 to 49, with the average time for that category being 2:10:28. The fastest time recorded was 1:18:12, while the slowest came in at 4:05:19.

One notable aspect that should be highlighted is the restroom situation. In 2005, it was chaotic, with lines sometimes stretching 20 deep for a limited number of porta-potties, leading many runners to decide to relieve themselves wherever they could. This year, however, there were significantly more porta-potties available, making the wait times only about five people long. Personally, I would still opt to duck into any casino along the route, as many men took advantage of nearby trees or vacant lots, despite being surrounded by countless runners.

Overall, the race organization has shown marked improvement since 2005. I particularly appreciated the later starting time of 7 AM, compared to the 6 AM start in previous years. A heartfelt thank you to the event organizers. I do have two suggestions: First, consider spacing out the corrals even further apart. Secondly, avoid restricting runners to just one side of the Strip or any specific street—explore alternate routes for the return journey. The density of runners was simply too high this time around. I'm eager to make this an annual tradition, so I hope to compete again in 2011.