Just got back late last night from running the Zappo's Rock and Roll Marathon in Las Vegas. I ran the half, so my comments are specific to that, I'm not sure about the full as I didn't meet anyone who ran it. It seemed like a pretty small field for the full actually which really surprised me.

Quick details about the race:
It was supposed to start at 5:30pm at the Mandalay Bay. There is both a full and half marathon. Last year they had about 28k people, this year they had 44k. I'm not sure what the percentage of people doing the full versus half was. The course was flat and fast, you basically run from one of the strip to the other, take a few turns, then run back. They block off the road from 3pm until 11pm. They also said there would be shuttles to take spectators and runners back to certain hotels. I saw no shuttle, and trust me, we looked all over the lobby of the South Convention Center of the Mandalay Bay, where they were supposed to be. I was in corral 14, but the corrals didn't matter as you will see below. There were numerous bands along the route and the event was to be headlined by Cheap Trick.

Now for my review ....

I've done numerous races of various distances, from 5ks to half marathons. My wife has done a number of running events and triathlons. We both agreed, this was the most poorly organized race we've ever done. In early to mid October we both ran in the Army Ten Miler. Those guys know how to organize and execute an event. Compared to the Army Ten Miler which was efficient from start to finish, this thing looked like a group of high schoolers working for extracurricular credit.

We took the tram in a daisy chain from the Vdara (outstanding hotel, would highly recommend) to the Monte Carlo. We then got out and started walking toward the Mandalay Bay, it's about a mile or a little further away. By the time we got to the Mandalay Bay it was 4:45. The sun was starting to set and it was getting pretty cold, I'd guess in the low 50's at that point. We hung out with thousands of other runners in the Mandalay Bay, wandering around looking for bathrooms, space to stretch, etc.

Even inside the Mandalay bay there was no one from the hotel or race to help direct traffic. No one could find the gear check nor a way out to get to the start of the race. We were in corral 14 and finally found our way out by following random groups of runners as they asked around for directions. Once outside we still saw NO signs telling us where to go. After we made our way to the road we found they blocked it off with gates. So how did we get onto the road to get ready to run? We just crawled under the gate. Corral spacing was a total joke. There was 44k people running total. They had maybe 20 yards between each corral. We walked up to corral 10, crawled under the gate, and joined the crowd as they pushed toward the start. They tried running countdowns and releasing us in waves. It was a futile attempt at crowd control. As you got closer people just started running.

Once we got out onto the course it was fine, it wasn't too crowded because we had one side of Las Vegas blvd to run on. There was some nice crowd support around the big casino's where tourists and gamblers visit like the Bellagio and Paris. In between, well, I hope you've got a lot of internal motivation because at many points past the Stratosphere there was only one cop or homeless person watching. The lighting along the road was terrible because there was no additional lighting. When you're on the strip it's fine because the neon lights from casino's light the road fine. In the darker parts past the Stratosphere, otherwise known as about 6-7 miles of the race, it's very dark and difficult to see. You only have the headlight of the lone cop car every mile or so and the orange glow of overhead lights. I stepped in a big pothole and strained my MCL. it hurt so bad that from Mile 8 until the finish I had to walk / hop. I couldn't stop at a medica l tent because I only saw one at mile 4 and mile 9. At mile 9 there didn't appear to be anyone there except volunteers to hand out water. I honestly thought it was better to walk the last 4 miles than attempt to find medica l attention.

Another gripe I have is the mile markers didn't match up with the water stations. It's just a personal preference, but it's easier to pace and plan that way. The music groups were great, many thanks for their performance on a mid 40 degree temperature night. But you can't hear them unless you're right in front of them. 20 yards down the road and it was nothing but the coughing and sound of breathing from other runners. The people who brought their ipods were smart. (yes, I know running with an ipod is a safety issue because you can't hear people around you) If you have to hear music when you run, don't depend on the rock and roll nature of the event, bring your own. They don't enforce any sort of rules about it.

It's not just those things, it's the general lack of staff. There was no one to guide or direct runners before the race leading to a lot of confusion. After the race it was even worse. They had 5 people taking photos as you crossed the finish line and went back to the family reunion area which was hilariously tiny. Since they forced photos before you got past them it created a HUGE bottleneck of people. After the photo there were 8 people I saw handing out mylar sheets. Keep in mind, on a really cold night after you've done 13 miles, it'd be nice to get one. Well obviously 8 people can't help cover 44k, it's just not reasonable or possible.

Once inside we just wanted to get back, it took us nearly an hour because of the confusion and mass of people. We took trams from the Mandalay Bay to the Excalibur, then from the Monte Carlo back to the Vdara.

They apparently want to have 50% more runners next year, so 60k+ people. Unless they promise to literally quintuple their staff and volunteers I would never run this race. My hat off to the volunteers that were out there, but they are very undermanned for the size and scale of this event. I really don't know what Zappo's is doing sponsoring this hellish event. I wouldn't want my name synced with disorganization because that's what this is. They need to have a cut off. The Army Ten Miler has 30k runners all doing 10 miles and they are responsive to the needs of runners. There are signs and soldiers everywhere to direct runners. The Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon has none of that. You are left to your own devices. Staying in the Mandalay Bay just prior to your supposed start time to stretch? Don't bother, unless you start running immediately you will be standing around or pushing your way through a crowd for at least 15+ minutes, and in the cold air of night your muscles are going to tighten back up.

If you do run this race, these are my tips:

Do not plan on taking the post race shuttle, it doesn't exist. They say it will be at the South Convention Center Lobby. Unless they have literally 1 shuttle that ferries people back and forth, you'll be walking or taking trams.

Wear appropriate thermal gear. Because you'll be cold before, during, and after the race. Don't risk any torn ligaments / muscles. Yes, it's Las Vegas, but in December it is very cold.

We didn't get a map at the race expo because they didn't give us one. If they were on a table somewhere we definitely missed it. Getting your bib is easy, after that it's chaos. The expo is almost as poorly organized as the race.

If your friends and family come, tell them not to worry about finding space to cheer you on. It's Las Vegas, people are inside gambling. My parents and sister got prime cheering space right in front of the Bellagio fountains. There weren't that many people on the first leg of the race, but on the return leg it was substantially more crowded starting around Caesar's. So I'd tell people to take your picture on the way out, then go wait for you inside somewhere warm.

This is how laughable the organization is. They had small orange cones with a sign taped to it that said Full and an arrow pointing left and Half Marathon with an arrow pointing right. The full lane was kind of tiny, and no, no one obeyed that. They had a bike volunteer yelling the same directions, but they're not going to kick people out and everyone knew it. I feel bad for people doing the full because when the half started we were everywhere. Also, those damn cones are a SERIOUS safety hazard. Are you kidding me Rock and Roll organizers? These were the mini rubber cones, not big ones. If you aren't looking down you can easily trip over these. What a terribly stupid and negligent act, to put numerous cones down where thousands of people are running, trying to avoid each other. You can't honestly expect us to have to avoid each other and small road cones. It was the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

Provided they start and end the race at the Mandalay Bay again, stay there! Or at a casino very close like the Luxor or Excalibur. Staying at City Center makes it difficult to get there and back. If I was staying at the Venetian I'd shoot myself in the head. By staying at the hotel closest to the start and end you've got the advantage of your room where you can stretch, eat, use the restroom, etc at your leisure. A lot of hassle gets bypassed. They understand it and charge a higher rate than the other hotels, but it's worth the money.