2011 Rock ‘N’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon – A Run in the Dark

Las Vegas has become the center of speed this week.  More than 44,000 pair of sneaker clad feet beat out a rhythm against the same pavement that only a couple of days earlier was shredding the tires of a dozen lead footed NASCAR drivers screaming down the strip.  In both cases this was the best of the best and racers all.

For the first time in the history of the Las Vegas marathon, runners were speeding along in the dark instead of sweating in the magnified sunlight of Vegas.  I picked a spot close to downtown Las Vegas where the contestants would make the turn for the final kick back down the strip to the finish line at Mandalay Bay.

The large turn-out ensured an ample number of Elvis look-alikes, jiggly show girls and just plain weirdness would be included among the elite, world class professionals.  Although the weather was really cool, damn cold by Vegas standards, most of the competitors wore sparse clothing as they romped past the crowd of thousands shivering on the sidewalks.

The first winner to cross the finish line was Sean Houseworth of Colorado Springs, CO taking the half-marathon event in 1 hour 3 minutes 12 seconds.  Benita Willis of Australia was the women’s half-marathon champion with a time of 1 hour 10 minutes 40 seconds.

Kenya’s Peter Omae clocked a winning time in the marathon of 2 hours 29 minutes 13 seconds.  Zsofia Erdelyi of Hungary was the first women across the marathon finish line with a time of 2 hours 48 minutes 58 seconds.

We congratulate and thank all 44,000 plus people that made the effort and declare everyone that took that first step a winner.  What I’ll always remember from this event, despite the whomping helicopters overhead, was the mighty sound and feel of all those pounding feet that announced the arrival of the racers long before they turned the corner and you could see.