Strip at NIght-Nov 15, 2015


 
Ah, the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Strip at Night…..its been on my bucket list for a few years. I signed up more than a year in advance when they did their presale for only $99 (best deal you can get from RnR) and I was determined to make it work. Little did I know, I would win an all-inclusive trip to Las Vegas for two, just a couple of weeks later, with First Class air, hotel stay, show tickets and even a Richard Petty driving experience! I have to admit, it was a little tough to wait an entire year to go on this trip! But it all worked out and it ended up being my half way mark for completing the 50 states!!

The Strip at Night has both a marathon, half marathon, and 10k on Sunday with a 5k option on Saturday. The marathon and half marathon start together, the 10k further down the strip. All three races have a prerace concert, but Kid Rock was the major headliner at the marathon/half marathon start. This is the first time Ive done an RnR with the concert Before the race; usually they are after. It was a little weird, especially since they were selling beers, but I guess it IS a Vegas night race after all. Although Vegas is a city that never sleeps, so why not have it after the race to celebrate? And since the weather has been a little weird the past few races, why not put the concert indoors at one of the MANY clubs Vegas is known for?  

TRAVEL
We flew Delta from Jacksonville with a stop in Atlanta. It was our first 1st class experience and it was honestly hit or miss on the different planes we had and service. All in all, I would not pay for first class, but it was definitely an experience! This was our lunch on the plane with unlimited drinks!


It was a super early flight and our flight was delayed, so we were definitely exhausted by the time we landed. Thankfully the race provided a $20 promo code to use with LYFT to get us to our hotel SLS LUX for only a tip!

SLS has multiple towers, with the LUX tower having the more luxury rooms. Our room was quite expansive, but almost felt lacking on the décor and a little too empty with all the space. The hallways reminded us of walking through American Horror Story. They gave us a corner room, which is usually premium, but unfortunately this corner was right next to the pool, which is also an outdoor night club the day before the race. Luckily, we were exhausted enough to sleep right through it!

SLS, located on the far north end of the strip near Stratosphere has prime gaming, restaurants, and located right next to the Monorail which makes it very convenient to access the more popular part of the strip. It is also located just 2 stops away from the Convention center, where the Expo was held. RnR provided discounted Monorail tickets to the runners, which was handy for the entire stay.

EXPO
They extended the Expo to 3 days this year, which when we went around 2p on Saturday, it wasn’t nearly as crowded as Ive seen some RnR expos in the past. Overall, there was approximately 35,000 runners, so I think this was as good decision.

The week before the Expo, one of the sponsors, Toyota advised if you were an owner, you could have a separate packet pick up with a free gift. This was a fun idea, and we received a pair of flip flops.  

We were able to change our corrals at the Expo as well. I was expecting them to request some sort of proof of pace, but they did not. I had one friend doing her first half in corral 43 and another friend in corral 21 and I was in 29. We moved to corral 23 without a question.  

Unfortunately RnR used cheap clear plastic bags for the packet pick up this year. I get that it is basically for security purposes on race day, but with RnR being one of the most expensive half marathons out there, it would seem they would have made this up at least in another swag offering.

Geico, another race sponsor had a slot machine where you could attempt to win a massage after the race. After deciding this would probably be the only gambling I do while in Vegas, we decided to spin….and guess who won?! J Unfortunately, the weather was so bad after the race, I did not get my massage.

RnR also provided wristbands that gave you discounts and access to local shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, spas, amusements etc. Unfortunately the official dates were Thurs-Sun. Since the race was Sunday night, it would seem they would have included at least Monday as most ,if not all of us, stayed the night. The list of discounts was massive. I printed it out ahead of time and already had an idea of what we would use, but it would seem they would provide a pamphlet or even create an App that could tell you what discount was near you throughout the weekend.

Besides seeing Britney Spears at Planet Hollywood (not recommended as she lip syncs and cusses the entire time), we had an early night.

RACE MORNING
Flying from East Coast the day before the race, we were hit a little harder than expected with jet lag. We had gone to bed early and woken up a little earlier than anticipated, but we were still tired.  We were at the Cravings brunch buffet at Mirage by 830a. It was neat to experience one of the famous Vegas buffets, but our stomachs definitely couldn’t handle any of the seafood and Asian foods so early! We did partake in the unlimited mimosas and then headed back to the room for a little nap.

We left the SLS a little after 1p, as the gates opened at 2p and Kid Rock was set to take the stage at 3p. We planned it perfectly as the Monorail was already starting to get packed the closer we got to the MGM/last stop. My other friends that met up with us left a little later and had several trains pass by before being able to squeeze onto one of them.

STARTING AREA
The Starting Area was located across from Mandalay Bay. It was a cool vantage point as you could see all the unique buildings on the Strip in the distance. There was security checking bags as you entered, but unfortunately you had to exit to use the porta potties, and go through another bag check to get back in. Bad idea. The sun was starting to go down and the winds were starting to pick up. A huge Michelob tent took flight and they had to take it down. Four guys were literally holding onto the huge Restrooms balloon as well before it took flight.

They were actually serving beer at the concert and I debated for a split minute, knowing this was just going to be a ‘fun’ race, but remembered I had brought an energy drink.

Porta potties seemed to be abundant, as we never stayed in line for too long.

They did pass out some waters which was nice since it was a long wait before race time.

They advised all bags had to be dropped off at the gear trucks by 4p, even though Kid Rock didn’t stop playing until well after 4p, and the first corral didn’t start until 430p.  


I thoroughly enjoyed Kid Rocks performance, but I know a lot of people really were disappointed it wasnt someone else.


LINE UP
Lining up into the corrals was a hot mess. They had them gated off, but there was no way to get in! I don’t know if we just happened to be on the wrong side, but there were a ton of us that either had to jump, slide through, or go into another corral to make our way in. There also was no one monitoring who went into what corral. What is the point of a corralling system if it is not going to be controlled?  

It got really windy and cold very quickly and next thing you know they are announcing rain in the forecast. WHAT?! It doesn’t rain in the desert!

THE COURSE
The completely flat course is pretty much an out and back, but there is about a 1 ½-2 mile difference between the Start and Finish. We started on the Strip at Mandalay Bay, headed away from the city towards the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, then turned around to run North on the Strip passed all the excitement, glitz, and glam of the famous hotels for about 5 miles. Once you pass the Stratosphere it is into Old Las Vegas with all the wedding chapels. You then turned off the Strip to do a loop in some dark (and quiet and poor lit) neighborhood, then towards Fremont Street where there is more glitz and glam and flashing lights. The course then takes you back down the strip to everything you already passed and finishes at the Mirage.  


RESULTS
The Rock n Roll Strip at Night is not a race to go into for a PR….or even maybe your average time. This is definitely just a 'party race.' I knew this from other RnRs that I have done, but I was also going to be running with my good friend completing her first half marathon.

Tracking the weather all week, it seemed like it was going to be perfect race weather. I wore capris and a tank. Somehow, I missed out on the wind and rain advisory. The wind came early as we were watching Kid Rock. I put on arm sleeves (or old compression leg socks I cut out the footing) and gloves and thankfully we had an old mylar blanket in my bag.

Waiting in the corral was almost miserable, even though it seemed they went by fast, for as many of them there were.

We finally started and got to warm up a bit, but then the sprinkles came. And then they came harder. And then the whirling wind came even harder. It was so much excitement going on, from the weather, to realizing we were actually running down the closed Las Vegas Strip, to pepping up my friend for having the courage to run her first half! I felt like I wasn’t even running! I was so excited, it seemed every minute we were like ‘look at that!’…’look at that!’

I was trying to take pictures of everything, even all the Elvis’ running. Even up to the very end, we were constantly weaving around and passing runners, which was weird because we had started in a faster than planned corral ourselves.

The rain and wind had messed with the bands, although we only saw about 3 of them the entire course. The KISS one was the most fun. Toyota had a large stretch of booming speakers, dj, and lights which was different. Most mile markers were blown over and even cups were flying to the ground.

The hydration stations were plentiful and because the weather was so cool, we didn’t need every station. GU was handed out on the 2nd half of the course.

Spectators were plentiful in the beginning and there were some great signs, but the 2nd half was scarce probably because the weather sent a lot of people indoors.

We ran a 3x1 for about the first 5 miles, but then when I realized my friend had enough energy to sing as she ran, so I bumped it up to 3:30x45. She did really well until around M9 when her knee started really hurting. We maintained the run/walk times, but decreased in pace. Overall, we finished 18 minutes faster than her planned time! I am so proud of her and it was such a blast to run side by side down the Las Vegas Strip!


FINISH AREA
The Finish Area is massive….over half a mile long before you actually get out of the runners chute. We were handed mylar blankets (thank god!) And then we passed the typical race snacks …bars, chips, fruit, chocolate milk (love!), Gatorade, and finally our beer. Problem was, we had nothing to put any of this in. It was a real struggle to hold it all, plus our blanket, all while on a search for a porta potty (I did not let my friend stop despite her begging the entire course).

There was much confusion on which way to go, and no one knew where porta potties where. We asked a man directing the flow of traffic, but he said the 2 routes ended up in the same place…WRONG!

It was so windy, and we were freezing from being sweaty, all we wanted to do was get our bag and get inside somewhere warm! I never saw the massage tent for my free massage, we never even saw a porta potty! From what we did see, it was a very pathetic after party area which was disappointing.

It was a long walk back to the monorail and back to the hotel. Once we were back in our room in a hot shower and warm robes, we did not want to leave and go back into the cold!

SHIRT
The shirt was gender specific, and as they usually do with RnR, ran on the smaller side.

MEDAL
The medal is pretty cool, as it is a slot machine that actually spins!

 

OVERALL THOUGHTS
This race is one of my most favorites! ….Could it be managed better?….Absolutely! But this is the ONLY race that runs down the strip, so I will take it. Being on the road for that vantage point at night for someone’s first time to Vegas, was absolutely exhilarating!

My entire life I’ve always said I would not go to Vegas until I had money to gamble away. (which has yet to happen!) Little did I know exactly HOW MUCH there actually IS to do in Vegas!....besides gamble! We spent 4 nights and still did not even come close to hitting everything on the Vegas bucket list! Little did I also know how BIG Vegas actually is. Yes, this is a walking town, but it is also super spread out over 4+miles….add in the extra steps to get to/from the monorail….its a LOT of walking! Be prepared and bring those walking shoes! …and why not running shoes and Run the Strip at Night!?

LAS VEGAS SUGGESTIONS

Guy Fieri-must get the mac and cheese burger! This was the best burger ive ever had in my life. It can easily be split with someone, but once its gone, we both wanted to order another one! The fries are amazing as well!

NYNY Roller Coaster-I guess this should be a ‘must’ for a first time visitor, however, warning-it is rickety! We love roller coasters, but both of us were not excited once we got off!

Rides on the Stratosphere AT NIGHT-Buy the all you can ride pass…the price is worth it. There are 3 rides up top. The one that shoots you up the needle to the highest point in Vegas is the best. The

Freemont-Get away from the strip and visit Freemont Street downtown. This is very unique area with the light show, old casinos, zip line, street vendors, but also cool eclectic restaurants…make sure to venture down to the Container Park!

Rio-Zip line. We ran out of time to do this, but I would definitely do it if I went back

Richard Petty Driving Experience-drive a Nascar, or even do a drive along! This is one of the biggest adrenaline rushes Ive had in my life…and ive even jumped out of a plane before!

High Roller/Ferris Wheel-a unique vantage point to see the desert/mountainous horizon during the day.
Water Massages-if you don't have the money to splurge on a spa, hit up the water massage! You are given a remote, so you control where and how long the pressure goes!

Look for the hidden shops/bars/street vendor selling the beers, or do happy hour, and you will save big time!

Do not rent a car! Uber and Lyft operate from the airport if your hotel does not have a shuttle. Monorail is a great option during your stay or Uber/Lyft again. Taxis can only be picked up at hotels, which can have very long lines.

13.1-2:42
State #25
HM#56

 
 I am currently running a half marathon a month and also running a half marathon in each state all to show support and raise awareness for breast cancer via The Donna. Please consider showing your support by making a donation today! 
www.donate.breastcancermarathon.com/2016-marathon/melissajohnson