2016 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon

2016 Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Race Report

In early August, I signed up for the 50th Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Las Vegas. With the 'Running the Strip' tagline, and 'at night' - it sounded cool. My first marathon was RnR San Diego in 2001, and I did the first RnR Half that year in Virginia Beach. I had taken off most of the first half of the year from running with a cold Minnesota winter, some knee issues, and I honestly don't remember (8 years later as I write this, and have no weekday notes for months, so I wonder if it was just working alot after our move up here the year before?).

Anyway - once I started ramping up my runs, I decided to do it.

It may sound like an easy decision, but there's a catch. My brother was running the 24 hour World's Toughest Mudder that same weekend (just outside Vegas) for the 3rd straight year, and I was going to crew him yet again. This has involved being awake for most, if not all of the 25.5 hr event, with it ending at 1:30pm, and then going to the race that started at 4:30pm.

So - to recap the WTM event - I crewed my brother Pat, with some support from his oldest son overnight, and he completed 60 miles, which is incredible! 20 obstacles on a 5mi loop, 817' elevation gain per lap (and 2miles of penalty loops if you failed certain obstacles), plus jumping from a 35' cliff into the lake numerous times. He did 12 laps over exactly 24 hours and finished 4/100 in his age group, 125/1235 overall. 

Finisher pic!

I did not sleep overnight as I crewed him, took photos, and kept him updated on times, obstacles and made sure I had everything ready for his time in the pit every lap. I know I put in about 17 miles over that 24 hour period. I had him practically packed up and ready to leave as he finished. Got checked in the hotel on the strip - he crashed, and I headed to my race!

Pre-race concert - Snoop Dogg!

Snoop Dogg on stage

With the race starting at 4:30pm (November 13, 2016) , I had been awake for 36 hours straight already. It was 72° and my feet were already sore from the desert course. I made my way through the Snoop Dogg concert and waited in the throngs on the concrete for the race start.

I wore my gray Harbison 50k shirt under my blue WTM Crew bib, standard black hat and gray shorts, with my one handheld water bottle (and my basic Timex digital watch I always wear).

Other than sore feet, I felt decent and ran comfortably - by the airport, by the "Welcome to Las Vegas' sign (didn't stop for a photo), and by Planet Hollywood near the 5k mark in 30:48. Pat's family was there and saw me although I didn't see them. 

Kept up the 9:20-9:30/mi pace and hit 10k by the wedding chapels in 59:23.

We finally turned off the 'Strip' around mile 7, ran through Fremont Street for a few blocks and back down the strip - going through 10mi in 1:36:16. I hit the halfway in 2:06:25 and wound around near the World Market Center. (There were numerous times we would wind around larger parking lots, or in between buildings - not a very interesting course at times)

I was able to (mostly) keep my pace under 10min/mi through mile 15 (after 2:24:39), and pushed some to do that. Fatigue set in pretty quickly then, and hunger (didn't have my Gu like I thought), and was just Tired, while my feet got more sore.

I ran 10's for 4 miles, had the only real hill as we went under I15, and settled into almost 12 minute miles from 21-23 (I hit 20 in 3:18:04) as we wound around the Festival Grounds near Circus Circus. 

The last bit was on the strip, except for one part where we took a sharp right for an out and back, which was awful, away from the lights and crowds. I recall getting one callout in the last straightaway for the WTM bib.

I hit the finishing chute and ended at 4:32:49! Not nearly my slowest (El Paso), but a very memorable one! (I finally got to sleep after being awake for about 42 hours)

Finisher!

 Recovered well and was back to my normal training after a week!