My friend Dan Bleich (he likes to have his name mentioned!) and I drove up for the weekend event. The entire expo, etc., reminded me very much of the LA Marathon. Same type of atmosphere... frantic and crowded. We had both run the 'old' LV Marathon, and this is a definite upgrade. The beginning was strangely cool. With the fireworks streaming through the predawn sky.... Only in Vegas. The run was great going along the Strip and into downtown. After the Freemont however, it was like being on a movie studio lot and then leaving. The starkness of the desert jolted you back to the task at hand. The course was a bit dull (very dull according to Dan Bleich) but the spectators and volunteers seemed to make up for it. I loved being able to see the Mandalay Bay Hotel from about 3 or 4 miles out. It gave me that extra boost to finish strong. The finish area also reminded me of LA: No food other than oranges and trail mix. Not that I can eat immediately after a marathon, but I'm sure many runners (Dan Bleich) would have taken advantage if the refreshments had been ample. Otherwise, a very good start to will hopefully become a yearly tradition.

I ran my personal best. The course was great. Spectators were fun, and the police did a great job keeping the course closed for the runners. Fireworks, Elvis, weddings and losing in the casinos - great weekend.

I had a great time at the Vegas Marathon. The nice cool weather and flat course helped me get a PR. The expo wasn't as big as I thought it would be but that helped keep the crowds down.

Running down the closed Strip was fun and the fireworks were great. Running back in the developments got a little boring though so more entertainment in that area could be added. More bathrooms would be a plus, but my friend and I had no problem finding some bushes to help us out! :-)

The medal turned out to be cuter than I expected and the post-massages were great. Post-race food could be improved (we were just given water and a bag with an orange, banana and trail mix in it, which doesn't help much when you have to wait over an hour in the massage line).

Overall I would highly recommend it to anyone.

The new Las Vegas Marathon was probably the most fun of my 9 marathons to date. I enjoyed seeing the strip, Freemont St., the desert, and the people of Las Vegas cheering their hearts out for me. It was as if the whole town was into the marathon. I loved the course, the spectators, the Elvises, the couples getting married, the weather, the water stops every mile, and almost everything except for the shortage of porta-potties. There were not enough and nowhere to 'go' if you did not want to wait in long lines. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. (Actually the last 4 miles could be more interesting. Couldn't we go back down the strip or something?) Would definitely come back to run this race again.

Excellent run up the strip. Long & wide start. Back end was kind of long an boring (could use a few turns).

The only things that made it earn only 4 stars (IMHO) were: A) no pace placards at start and B) Start line porta-potties shaped in a 'U' made lining up for them difficult.

PRIMO spectators!

2 itty bitty negatives: Not enough porta-potties (they were supposed to be every mile) and no pace signs at the start.

But definitely put this one on your list. Great course, lots of aid stations, awesome volunteers and spectators. Thanks Las Vegas for making this event happen!

The hype surrounding this race was deafening, but like most things in Vegas, it was ALL hype. I don't understand the positive comments here. The run down the strip was great - six miles of fun. After that, nothing except a miserable headwind and some, but not many, enthusiastic spectators. The last six miles were probably the worst six miles I have ever experienced in a marathon - BORING!

Runner's World should be ashamed for rating this a 'Best Event' before its debut. These race directors know how to sell a race; maybe they will learn how to stage one before next year.

The only drawback would be the lack of fans out supporting the runners. The volunteers were wonderful.

Wow!! Amazing course and very friendly for first-timers. Well organized. Plenty of aid stations. I will be running Vegas again!!!

The start of the race was on the south end of the Strip at Mandalay Bay Resort. The race began at 6:00 a.m. with a beautiful fireworks show. This was the first-ever race to go up the strip in front of the famous hotels/casinos. There were running Elvises (everywhere), and 25 couples that were to be married on the course. There was entertainment throughout. Water stations at every mile, Gatorade every other mile, and a couple Gu stations. All in all, a very well organized event.