I was very surprised by the fee; it was the most expensive marathon that I have run. The meal was way over-priced. Many of the runners I talked to were dismayed over that dollar amount for a meal, especially in this economy. They even said they would cut the number of marathons a year if the prices reflect those of the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas. The cold front hit that weekend, so I nearly froze and did a PW (personal worst)! Rather boring course after the Strip. 50 Staters should look for a different marathon to knock out Nevada.

I ran the full for the third year in a row, and this was definitely the best of the three, as far as organization and the course. The support was still pretty limited after the Strip. I really like the out-and-back portion of the course. I am planning on running this again. The one negative I do see is the price. It seems a little high.

The start line entertainment was the best part of the race. It was far better than any other marathon I've seen, and very Vegas, with skydivers, bands, white tigers, and showgirls.

The race organization was amazing. This is the only race I've seen with no potty lines at the start (because so many people were using the indoor casino bathrooms, I would guess). The weather was cold (about 30 at the start) but perfect for running.

The course was great for the first 10 miles on the Strip. The rest was quiet, but had nice mountain views, and the last 6 miles were all downhill running back to Mandalay Bay.

Overall, it was my favorite marathon so far; I look forward to doing it again.

Ugh... of my 5 marathons this was the worst. Boring course (except the run up the Strip for the first 10 miles), bad organization, and REALLY disappointing fans (you can tell when locals really love their city by how they come out for marathons - NYC, Boston, even New Orleans). If you want a flat course and want to just run a half marathon, it might work for you - especially if you want to play after. From surveys I get from the Rock 'n' Roll people, they're considering changes to the race, including starting it at night. How about better bands to reflect the local character and give the FULL marathoners something to look at past mile 10? This one's for the Halfers.

Organization:
I first heard about the Rock and Roll Marathons when I ran the CIM Sacramento Marathon. The runners I talked to were very positive about the marathon set-up. Maybe my expectations were too high, but it was a letdown when I ran the Las Vegas Marathon. The expo was above average, but they were out of the long-sleeved shirt I wanted to buy. Then, after the race, they had a booth with merchandise, and again they were out of another t-shirt I wanted to buy. I skipped the pasta dinner. Would have enjoyed the company but it was way overpriced.

People need to realize that the event is for half marathoners, not marathoners. There were 20-some corrals, but since most runners seemed to ignore the seeding, the number of corrals was perception over reality. They had bands about every one and a half miles, but that was a little overstated because it seemed like the bands were actually playing only at about two-thirds of the stages.

Course:
Flat course; no hills; slight, consistent uphill elevation from about mile 10 to mile 19; and a great runners' course. Except for the Strip, not a very scenic course. Basically, the last 16 miles are running down residential/business streets with no change of scenery. The crowds was sparse - the fewest people I have seen cheering during any marathon I have run. Since it was Las Vegas, there were a few Elvis and Santa Claus runners. Water stations were well organized and well stocked. The food and drink after the marathon was a above average and plenty full stocked.

Runners:
I spent the first 10 miles dodging slow runners/walkers and the lane reflectors. Made it difficult to get into a groove, but since had to concentrate on dodging runner/walkers, I didn't have much time to pay attention to how far I was into the marathon. I ran with the 3:45 pace group. I thought it might be a struggle when we were waiting for the marathon to start and the pace leader said she never uses a watch. She was more than a little off, since she was about 30 seconds behind the 3:40 group for much of the marathon.

Summary:
Rock 'n' Roll is overpriced and over-hyped. Vegas is a great city for post-marathon fun. The medal and tech shirt are outstanding.

I have run several other Rock 'n' Roll Marathons, including the inaugural run in San Antonio, so I'm not going to cut this one any slack.

The first 11 miles or so that we ran on the Strip were OK, but after that it was pretty miserable - plain BORING is more like it! The long stretches without turns and mere handful of spectators made for 15 miles going on 50. The few bands that were playing when I ran by were ok, but it just seemed like there weren't very many of them. Water stations were well stocked and volunteers were smiling and friendly. I finished at 3:40, which was a PR, but the 3:45 pace group finished so far ahead of me that I wasn't even able to see them. I still haven't figured that one out. I won't be running the full in Las Vegas again.

I ran the half and thought everything was great. Not everybody was in their assigned corral, but overall a great race.

I've run other Rock 'n' Roll races, but Vegas was so unique. Running the Strip is the highlight of the race. The fireworks at the start made up for the early start time, and the Elvises were a fun element.

It was a very cold day with temperatures close to freezing. It never really warmed up that morning, so the lack of spectators did not surprise me. The volunteers, though, were out in force. Course support was very good and greatly appreciated.

I was surprised by the lack of bands; after all, Vegas is the self-proclaimed Entertainment Capital of the World. I would guess there were probably half the number of bands promised.

Like other Rock 'n' Roll marathons, the marathon course seems to be an afterthought. After the course left the Strip, the route seemed to be cobbled together to make up the required distance.

I would recommend this race even though it is the most expensive Rock 'n' Roll marathon. In the future, I would run the half marathon and not the full.

The organizers need to realize that they don't actually want to hold anything more than a half marathon. The first 10 miles running on the Strip was fun and challenging (challenging because we were weaving in and out of half marathoners who started in the corrals 4 and 5, even though their bibs indicated they were to start in corral 24 - things like that). And there were some good bands. But as soon as we left the halfers, the course ran under the freeway, alongside Home Depot, and behind communities whose walls are so high that you can't even see the homes. Band quality seemed to drop off, too, and a lot of the bands were on break, smoking cigarettes off the side of their stage. If you're looking for a fun half, do it. If you want a fun and festive 26.2, this is not the best destination.

I ran the half-marathon and I will fully agree with previous comments about the walkers and slower runners way up front in the corrals - what wasn't to understand about corral assignments? The bands were sparse, I found running the Strip uninspiring. Lots of glitz but no heart. An awfully expensive half for what it was. I will not be doing any more R'n'R events. I did like the medal however.