I ran the half-marathon, and it was great! The stars were the course, the weather, and the hot breakfast at the finish line. It should be apparent that this is a hilly course and there are essentially no spectators. But if that suits you then everything else is perfect.

Beautiful, red-rock canyons! Only about 300 meters of flat running, though - the rest is either up or down!

Every step is beautiful... and every step is difficult. Organization and volunteer support are superb. HammerNutrition provided great products. A glorious, difficult run with friendly, supportive organizers and runners. And the t-shirt was beautifully, thoughtfully designed.

My only suggestion would be to host the Friday packet pickup in a larger room, somewhere more accessible. And add more potties at the start and along with way.

Okay, even a quick look at the course profile will tell you not to look for a PR at Red Rock. But the course is awesome, the organization was first rate and the small field of runners was a fun departure from the events I usually run. If you show up to Red Rock not ready to run hills, you are in for a very long day - and the downhills can beat you up as well. I had a great time and Red Rock will be on my list for 2011.

One of the most beautiful courses that I have ever run on. Breath-taking. It was also a treat to see Anheuser-Busch's running team - I think they set the course record in both the marathon and the half. It was fun watching these guys battle; on the out-and-back, you can see them as they return. I was on the bus that carried these guys back.

This marathon was simply breathtaking in both senses of the word!

A: The red mountains looked like they were painted onto the blue sky. It was just surreal. Also, the orange cones helped us feel secure on the one-way road shared with all the cyclists, rock climbers, and tourists. Those attending the aid stops were attentive. I also liked getting "high fives" from the 1/2-ers coming the other way, because I sure needed that support then!

B: Hill training would be helpful. Altitude adjusting would've been a good idea for me, especially since I was coming off several weeks of a respiratory illness and I had little training during that time. I wanted to quit after Mile 2 because I was gulping in all that cold north wind and I got a big headache. I planned on giving up about 10 more times after that!
What kept me going was the aforementioned 1/2-ers, the grandpa volunteer at the turn-around, my husband who'd parked just ahead and come down to walk/jog with me, and the volunteer at the top of the hill who told me "just finishing this is amazing." In other words, all the usual characters that make marathoning worth every step!

Hilly route (almost 5% inclination). Up for 5.5 miles, then rolling down for 7.5. Almost 1,000 feet to climb. Great organization. Only 500 runners. I'm considering being there again in 2010.

I really enjoyed this race. It was scenic on a nice (windy) day. We stayed at the Red Rock Casino and had an easy shuttle ride to the start. It was COLD at the start of the marathon since it was still dark when we arrived. My wife came with me because the organizers made it a point that we not bring our car. We should have brought our car. My wife was bused over the the halfway point with all of the 1/2 marathoners for their start; and then while she was waiting for the marathoners to arrive, the organizers were leaving to go back to finish line. When my wife asked if there would be transportation back to the finish line, they said no and gave her the option of coming with them and her not seeing me at the halfway point or staying and walking the 2 miles to the finish line after greeting me. She decided to stay and then walked along the road to the finish line. I was happy to see her, but sad when I found out that they left her. So, spectators beware. Runners: you will enjoy the race and I liked how it turned around from the previous year.

If you are looking for something different to do in Vegas, this race is for you! Red Rock is a scenic gem. The small marathon and half is a fun event that should be on your list! The organization was incredible: a 7-page, detailed e-mail prior to the race; prompt buses to and from the start; water, gels and sports drink every mile and a half; finisher's medal, tech shirt and food at the end! This is definitely the way to indulge in a buffet after and not feel guilty! My parents were able to ride the free spectator bus and bang on the windows when they saw me! Warning: do not do this for a PR; do it for a beautiful challenge!

This race is brutal and beautiful. The arctic winds just added to the challenge. I really enjoyed the low-key camaraderie at the race start. I felt like I was doing a normal Saturday long run; it just happened to be with 150 strangers. I highly recommend this race. Although, I think my finish time might have been faster if the race had been run the opposite way as in 2008. But hey, you don't run this race for its fast finish time; you run it for the challenge!