Course of the New Las
Vegas Marathon
December 10, 2006
Running Photographer's introduction - These are candid photos taken during my lst trek in Sin City's "new marathon" (now start at and along the Strip). This adventure offers a different perspective of the casinos, all lined up for miles. The first 5 miles is on the strip, then the course snakes into downtown and its casinos. It was here that I missed the junction for half and full marathons. I ended up going back to the Finish Line on "back" side of the Strip. The full course ends of this same segment but heads off in the suburbs after leaving Martin Luther King Boulevard. It was dark, chilly, and windy at the start but ended up blue skies and in the parking lot of Mandalay Bay hotel and casino. Enjoy the sights as only a marathoner could see it on this day in December.
We enter the festive downtown mall at about the 8 mile mark
By standers are always obliging to take a photo of a runner
who requests a "Kodak Moment."
The Fremont, with senses overwhelmed by the cheering, mall music, flashing casino lights....
The flashy 4 Queens
And its neighbor, the Golden Nugget
(Here's where I messed up and turned left instead of right,
the later for the full-marathoners. Left is for the half-marathoners and
backtracks to the Strip and Mandalabay at the Finish Line. The Golden
Nugget will always remind me of the moment when
I went BUST in this marathon effort)
Ah, the "real world" Vegas tourists don't see? This section of town becomes the course right after leaving the Golden Nugget and the downtown mall
Passing Commerce Strret. Yes, it's an Aid Station pit stop
More lovely scenic views on what turns out to be the last third of the marathon course. I missed the middle part going north by mistakenly following the half-marathon crowd, sealing the fate to my attempt to complete my 19th marathon in '06. Please, more markers next take! I read comments by other runners stating the middle portion of the course not documented here is "boring."
Here's a view of Circus Circus's "big top" few visitors ever see! Enjoy this rare Web surfing moment.
My favorite spot for this dreary length of the course. Defintely not boring!
Back to the usual back street type environment. This underpass isn't very inspiring for either reaching the 13th or the 26th mile of the race. I still don't realize I'm at the wrong part of the course for a full-marathon participant. I rationalize that I'm at 13th and will back track later along this same route to once again be here after reaching 26 miles. Not the best scenery to be coming in to a finish line, I think to myself.
The Mandalay Bay parking lot at the Finish Line. It was
sunny but with chilly winds during this late morning December day.
Note everyone is watching the runners come in to the finish line to the left.
Right after I complain about becoming "disqualified" for a Marathon medal, my wife hits 3 7's with a double payout in the Mandalay Bay Casino. My bad luck is her good luck! She tells me, "Let's do this again!"
Couldn't complain about our accomodations for this run.
Stayed at my parents-in--laws place which is on the marathon route, part of the middle segment I never reached!
Back home in Honolulu with the "Half Marathon Finisher" medal. I felt "abducted" into some .
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