In the middle of 2018, my husband and I decided to set a goal of running a race in every state in the U.S. You can read more about the why behind the goal and see what states we’ve crossed off the list so far in the full post HERE. While our efforts to run an average of 5 new states per year were somewhat stymied in 2020, we are still trucking along on this goal and reached state #15 in late February of 2022. Nevada had the honor of being this state and was a race experience we were really looking forward to. Read my review of the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon race, course, and if I’d recommend it below!
What race did we choose in Nevada?
We chose the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon. This was the fifth Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon that we’ve completed and we keep coming back for a reason. Although these races are pricey, they have a few specific pros: they are desirable destination races, they are typically very well organized, and they draw big crowds of people who are looking for fun, which usually makes for a laid-back race experience. While we’ve also run our fair share of smaller, locally-organized races and love those as well, every now and then it’s nice to know exactly what to expect when you roll up to a start line, and Rock ‘n’ Roll races are consistently well done.
Las Vegas was going to be the starting point for our first campervan road trip, so it made perfect sense to add on a few days prior to the trip to enjoy the Strip experience and to run this race. Bonus: the race was in the evening, which made for a super unique race experience – watching the sun set over the Strip and the shining lights come to life was a really neat experience and one of my favorites in a half marathon setting.
How would I review the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon race experience?
As mentioned above, Rock ‘n’ Roll races are usually very well run, so I had high expectations going in. While we had visited Vegas before and weren’t strangers to the Strip, I was still very excited to experience running it at night, and was pumped about this course. On our highly technical rating system, we gave this race an A-. Like other Rock ‘n’ Roll races, this wasn’t the best course I’ve ever run, nor the worst. This race definitely rests hard on the fact that there are lots of things to look at on the Strip, and so the course is very simplistic and utilitarian – while you’ll of course see the famous sites, you’ll also see a bunch of not-very-aesthetic office buildings and isolated desert in order to get the full mileage in.
HIGH:
Honestly, 75% of this race was super scenic – running past the famous hotels, casinos, and other attractions on the strip made for a fun time, not to mention the usual characters that are out and about enjoying the night life. Most people seemed confused about all the runners, which makes sense, since most people are in Vegas for casinos, alcohol, and shows, and not so much for exercise.
The absolute high point for me though was the finish line – we managed to time our sprint across the finish line (virtually the only time we ran during the entire race) to the eruption of the Volcano outside the Mirage hotel. I actually love that darn Volcano, so watching fire explosions over my head as I finished what was quite the slog on course was pretty great. Also, the finish line was well equipped with tiny bottles of Champagne (because Vegas), so sipping on my free champagne while we watched the Bellagio fountain show on our walk back to our hotel was another nice activity that you just can’t get at most races.
LOW:
I’d like to blame my broken body on any poor experience, as having to walk the entire course wasn’t exactly the thrill of a lifetime. My own issues aside however, I have very few complaints about this race. The timing of the race being at night, the setting, the bands and entertainment on course – everything was great. If there is a small downside, it would be the small sections that take place outside of the main Strip. After looking at nonstop glamour and bright lights, the less populated parts of the course seem a bit isolated and boring, but luckily they don’t last for more than a few short miles.
Would I recommend the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half?
Absolutely! Especially if you are already planning a trip to Las Vegas and want to tack on a little physical activity, this is a great race for the casual runner. While we walked the entire course due to injuries, we were far from the last finishers. This may have been the most walkers we’ve ever seen in a half marathon, which makes perfect sense; it’s an excellent course to walk as there is no shortage of fun things to look at. You can check out more information on the races available and register for the next Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon here.
Where to next?
We had no time to recover from our long walk, as we headed out on a campervan road trip the very next morning. We were bound for three national parks, one state park, and another half marathon less than a week later, this one right outside Zion National Park in Utah. Read about that experience HERE.
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