2025 Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Race Recap - Las Vegas, NV

About to head off!

Official Time: 2:04:02
Placement: 2486th overall, 1798th  male, 80th in my age group
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Upper 60s / low 70s.  Slight breeze from the south
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2024] [2023] [2022] [2019] [2018] [2017] [2016] [2015] [2014] [2013] [2012] [2011] [2010] [2009]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	9:25	Getting settled in. Hemmed in and feeling out how warm it is
2	9:22	Still trying to figure out if I am in the race or not
3	9:19	Very consistent
4	9:22	Back to the Strip, getting some cheers
5	9:16	Crowd spurring me on. Time to bump the pace up
6	9:05	Sailing along here.
7	9:10	Should I go now?
8	9:13	Holding steady
9	9:04	Time to go. We need to hit some faster paces. Can I do 10K pace?
10	9:23	A bit of a headwind. Trying to will myself forward
11	9:37	Felt like I was still holding a solid pace but I was definitely wilting
12	10:06	Yuck. Only a mile to go though.
13	10:12	Again, felt like I was running pretty quickly.
13.15	1:24	Finally all done.
Total Miles: 13.15 2:04:03

Checking out the expo in my 2009 shirt

Introduction

So first off, I'll state, I am a legacy runner with the Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas race series.  I've done it every year, so it isn't really a question "if" I am doing the race, it is a matter of how I am going to perform at the race.

The Las Vegas race was also the site of my very first full marathon and I continued to come back year after year to the race until I could no longer do the full marathon (and then eventually the full was no longer offered).

The race has gone through a number of changes over the years, sometimes with good things and sometimes with bad.  But I do keep coming back -- it is a vacation that also involves a race.  As a frequent racer and as someone who does like to gamble and eat at buffets, it is a perfect match for me.

At the expo for the 2024 edition, I did take advantage of the early bird savings and decided to jump into the 2025 version.  I had run reasonably well in 2023, fair in 2024 and so I was hoping I'd rebound, if the conditions were right, in 2025.

Party at the Expo!

Pre-Race

Early Saturday morning, I left Salt Lake City and headed south to Las Vegas.  Leaving early beats all the traffic and makes the trip feel a bit faster.  It is about a 5.5 hour drive.

The first order of business was to hit the Resorts World Hotel and Casino and do the packet pickup.  Last year I had made the mistake of walking from the New York hotel to Resorts World, and I think that had worn me down a bit for Sunday night's race.  I wound up going directly and parking at Resorts World.

    Resorts World Expo

Packet pickup is a bit of an ordeal but after finding the new spot and getting my bib, it didn't take long to navigate the area.  There were a number of exhibitors but nothing really caught my interest.  Compared to years past, the expo seemed smaller than usual.

Fortunately, the whole ordeal (and meeting a YouTuber) didn't take too long and I managed to dodge any parking fees.  

I wound up eating at a sports bar for Saturday night, eating a normal breakfast at a café and I had made the smart decision of packing my own food for Sunday night's pre-race meal: granola bars, Tailwind, pudding, a banana and some apples.  I've learned my lesson from races in the past that trying to make restaurant food work for a pre-race just doesn't work.

Gearing up for the start

The Race

The Las Vegas half marathon's best feature is that it is a night race -- starting just before dusk at 4:30 PM.  The runners own the iconic Las Vegas Strip and it is entirely closed to vehicular traffic. Running it is a very unique experience and one that keeps me coming back year after year.

Corral loading situation

I was in corral 2, which meant I had about a 10 minute wait for corral 1 to start the race. In all honesty it was too bad, but it did feel weird seeing others start running which I was helplessly watching.

As usual, the corral loading situation was a mess -- but on the plus side we did make it. It just took a solid 15 minutes (or more) of standing shoulder to shoulder with people as we somehow maneuvered our way into the gateway to the loading zone.  

Let's go! 15K runner friends waiting!

I had a very achy hip and standing for long periods of time aggravates it.  By the time I made it into the pen, I had to find a small place to sit and let it "reboot".  I was really worried about being able to run after the painful experience.  I had quite a bit of ibuprofen in me, but it was still an agonizing experience.

Up to the lead up to the race, I was hoping to run 1:55 or better.  Given the heat and the crowded I conditions, I decided I'd go for about 2 hours.  I still had hopes I'd be closer to the 1:55 side of things.

Off we go!

Miles 1-4: 

With the race underway, I quickly found myself surrounded by people.  We were all roughly going the same pace, but it took some effort. My breathing came easy, and I felt pretty good. I was loosening up, the hip issues had disappeared and my body instinctively knew what to do.

Right away, I realized it was warm.  I was working up a sweat.  While I had hydrated a lot pre-race, I was worried about it not being enough.  Fortunately, the race organizers had a multitude of water stops.  Often, I'd grab something to drink and a cup of water to toss over my head.

Heading back into the heart of the strip - about mile 4

Disappointingly, my pace was consistently slower than 2 hour race pace (9:09).  I knew I was running pretty easily but usually the 2-hour pace comes a lot easier. I kept telling myself to be patient and that after the 2nd half or about with 8 KM to go, I'd kick it into high gear.  My training and history seemed like this was reasonable.

This part of the race isn't the most exciting. You head southwards, towards the airport, make a U-turn about 1.5 miles outside of town and head back.  The crowd is thinner and you can hear the din from the airport.  The sun is also starting to set at this point, so you know the fun is going to start soon.

Miles 5-8:

This part of the race gets exciting.  You are back in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, and you have the crowds.  Of all the races I do, the crowds are the best here.  Plenty of signage, people cheering you on, and the you have the lights of the casinos just starting to get going.

My pace, sped up.  Not a lot, but enough to make me feel better about negative splitting.  I also grabbed a Lemonade flavored Roctane gel and wound up nursing that for nearly 4 miles. 

I was pretty full feeling -- I think I had overeaten leading up to the race and it just wasn't clearing.  I felt bloated and heavy.  My legs weren't ticking over very well and I think I just felt tired: like I wanted to take a nap.  I also felt like I wasn't drinking enough: I'd grab a cup of Mortal and sip a little and it just wasn't enough.

As we continued north, the crowds got thinner and eventually the casinos gave way to pawn shops, small motels, and vacant lots.  It also got significantly quieter.  I was still passing people and my pace was still solid.  I kept delaying "go" time though.  I just didn't have the confidence.

Miles 9-11:

Finally, a break in the race, we make it to the downtown area.  Instead of incessantly plodding our way, we finally made a dedicated turn, did a jog around a few blocks, made another turn or two, before heading back south towards the finish line.

This is where I'd power and show everyone that I could negative split!

I kind of did pick up the pace.  I broke it down that I had put in many tempo runs and knew I could hold an 8:40 or so pace.  It'd hurt but I could do it.

The problem was, I couldn't do it -- at least not tonight.

I managed to move pretty quickly but by the time I was plowing through mile 10, I knew the chains were on.  I wasn't going anywhere very fast.

I was still passing a few people, but I was getting passed more. We were back to approaching the main part of the Strip and while I did get some crowd support, it seemed limited to a bit more of drunks.  It was also dark but lighting wasn't a problem.

The temperate had dropped off as well -- with the sun gone, but still it was warm.  I was still dumping water over my head.

My head was telling me to go, but my body wasn't responding.

Miles 12 - 13.15:

My pace was gone and as many times as I did the "math" I wasn't going to go sub 2 hours.  It was just a matter of how much over I was going to be.

I could see the Bellagio -- where the finish line would be -- but while it seemed so close, it was still miles away.  Everything in Vegas appears close, but in reality it is going to take some time to get there.

Finally, the crowd got louder and I did my best to put on a brave face.  There wasn't even really a final kick, but I did push on through, crossing under the fabled Rock 'n Roll arches in 2:04 -- nearly 9 minutes behind what I was hoping to do.

Finished!

Conclusion

So, I was happy to finish.  I had completed my "C" goal, but my "B" and "A" goals, not so much.  I wasn't too upset about it.  I had always bartered for a bit of leeway - if the weather was off or I just 

wasn't feeling it, I knew that the 1:55 wasn't going to happen.  So I had my "virtual" cry and got over it.

The Iconic Bellagio

I grabbed my medal, a bottle of water, and some Mortal sports drink.  On the plus side, they had prebagged goodies, so it made it so much easier to grab your snacks and not have to worry about carrying anything.  They also had some bananas.  The race also had had water stops at nearly every mile, so there were plenty of opportunities to hydrate and fuel along the way.

I grabbed a seat, took some photos and made sure I was okay before walking about half a mile to the exit (near the Cosmopolitan casino).  I had a brief scare -- when I did get up from my seated position, I did find myself a bit woozy.  And also, I started to feel a little sick at times. When I got back to my hotel room, I realized after a potty break that I was very dehydrated.

I did have a friend meet me near the finish line and he came with a root beer for me, which saved me.  Carbonation and sugary drinks definitely will revive me. Together, the two of us, trekked from the Cosmo to the MGM.

Overall, I was happy with the shirt.  Definitely a different design and it just wears nice.  The medal, seemed a bit of a let down. It didn't stand out like they usually do.

I really enjoy this race -- despite some let downs, it is a one-of-a-kind experience.  The course is the same as previous years, and every time I run it, I have memories of all the times I've done it in the past.  It is also a reminder that I am not as young as I once way.  I remember running the race at the tender age of 39 and running the half marathon during a marathon much faster than I do now.  It can be a humbling experience.

My performance -- well it was what it was.  Not the greatest but I've certainly felt worse during a race.  There have been times when things get tough where I just want to stop and walk and quit running forever.  While my confidence wasn't the greatest going in on Sunday, I never reached that point where I felt hopeless.  I just knew what it would take to get the job done and I didn't beat myself up over it.

Shirt and medal

Mistakes I felt like I made:

1) I didn't swallow enough of the water / hydration.  I basically rinsed my mouth out with it.  A sip or two isn't going to cut it.

2) I over fueled.

3) I should've put in more longer runs to build up my endurance.

All in all, there is always next year.  I am not too worked up about it. I got it done and there is always another race around the corner where I can try again.

Upcoming Races

03/01: 2025 March Madness 10K - Woods Cross, UT (Confirmed)

03/15  2025 Lucky 13 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)
04/26: 2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

05/10: 2025 Run Farmington 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)

02/22: 2026 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

2025 South Davis Recreation Center Sweethearts 5K Race Recap - Bountiful, UT

Official Time: 25:53
Placement: 1st in the 55 - 59 age group, 25th overall
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 29F no wind.
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2024] [2023] [2022] [2021] [2020] [2019] [2018] [2016] [2015] [2014] [2013]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	7:44	Solid start! Enjoying the mild downhill
2	8:33	Felt like I was running faster here.
3	8:51	The last mile is the worst mile -- steady grind up hill.
3.09	0:45	Trying to find some not-slushy ground to run on. Difficult
	Total Miles: 3.09- 25.55

Introduction

One of my February Valentine's Day tradition, is to run the South Davis Recreation Center's Sweethearts 5K race.  It is held at the Davis County recreation center and has been in existence for quite some time.  I discovered it soon after I moved to the Salt Lake area and have been a regular at it since 2013.

The race is a good kickstart to see where your fitness is at.  The recreation center holds 3 races at the site each year, on the same course, so you can track your fitness.

Packet Pickup Area

The Race 

The race starts at 9 AM and I got to the race site about an hour early.  I managed to get my bib in short order, use the indoor restrooms (a major perk) and get warmed up.  

The weather for the day forecasted it be damp with a chance of rainy / snow.  The morning was living up to its expectations.  The freeway was slick but not blizzard conditions.  The morning of the race saw the roads were fairly clear in Bountiful, but it was damp and puddles of water.

It was cold out, but I was taking on the race wearing a pair of shorts, a long-sleeved shirt, a ball cap and my brand spanking new Saucony Endorphin Elite 4.  I was ready to race!

I did about a mile warm-up with some drills and strides.  It was pretty abbreviated in all honesty, but I felt ready to race.  The race started a little after 9 AM.

As soon as the race started, it started to snow.  It was almost blinding for a bit -- it was coming down hard.  Had I underdressed?  I was suddenly a little worried.

I had lined up in the front and was off to a decent start.  I found myself in about 15th place overall.  After about a quarter mile, the fact that it was snowing sort of became irrelevant, in fact, I think it stopped.  The road conditions, as we ran down the main artery of Bountiful, was ideal for running.  I wasn't worried about slipping at all.  And the first mile is a gentle downhill, so I honestly felt like I was running a PR pace -- and I felt good too.

Visions of PRs and glowing posts on Strava rang through my head.  Perhaps, the magic of the highly touted Endorphin Elites were holding true.

Mile rang up at 7:44.  At first, I was a bit sad. I hadn't really glanced at my Garmin at all and was just running by effort / feel.  I felt like I was running a LOT faster.  My breathing was good and I was still feeling solid, but I knew the latter half of the race was uphill.

As we reached the bottom of the hill, I was begging to reach the first turn of the race.  I knew that is when things would get tough.  The section from about mile 1.25 to 2 is uphill but it isn't super steep.  I just know that usually it costs me an extra 30 seconds to get through it.

I had snuffed out the people that looked to be in my age group and there were some that appeared to be in my age group, but from what I could tell, they weren't anywhere near me.  I was working with a bunch of 20-somethings and the occasional teenager.  

My pace petered out a bit as I rounded the corner and was greeted with the first mini-hill.  It didn't seem as formidable, but I say that every year and every year it gets me.  My pace slowed down a bit.

While I could feel my pace drop, I still felt like I was running strong.  I wasn't looking at my watch at all. I just kept willing myself forward -- and again, I felt fast despite the uphill.

After the short run eastward, I hung a right and passed the first (and only) aid station.  The site of the bigger hill at the end of horizon always stings.  The last 1.5 miles is pretty much uphill.

Finally, at the traffic signal, I hit mile 2.  Like a familiar friend, my Garmin chirped that I had just run an 8:33. I cursed under my breath.  This was not going well.  I knew I had slowed down, but I expected more of an 8:15.

I wasn't holding much hope that my final mile was going to be my fastest.  At best, I figured I could match the current pace, but every year it usually winds up being about a 30-40 second slowdown for each mile, just given the nature of the course.

I doubled down my effort.  

There was a lot of whizzing traffic going by and I was a little more out into the main flow of traffic than I would have liked.  It was either that, or running in the slush along the side of the road -- no thank you!

I kept focused and worked to maintain my position.  A few people had passed me but none of them were in my age group from what I could tell.  

My breathing and form was solid but I knew my pace was slow as the hill climbed upward.  I was well familiar with Bountiful's version of Heartbreak Hill.  Finally I reached the summit and even crossed over the "false" summit.

At this point, I knew if I was going to salvage this race, I needed to push the last quarter mile to the max.  It is also at this point where runners are encouraged to jump onto the sidewalk to avoid even more traffic that might be trying to get by. 

The problem was, though, is that the sidewalks were a mess.  As soon as I jumped onto it and started to speed up, I realized that there was no way I could run fast on it.  It was smeared with patches of slushy snow and puddles of water.  My shoes weren't having it.  I tried to jump onto the grass, but my shoes lost all of their responsiveness and I felt like my pace dropped even more off of a cliff.  I even jumped back onto the street, but I realized I'd have to run even further and endanger myself.

I sort of gave up at that point.  I didn't really try to smash the final chunk of race.  There wasn't anyone behind me and no one in front to chase down.  Once I did enter in the parking lot, it became clearer to run but still, it was so short of a distance I couldn't make up any time.

Conclusion

My time was on par with what I did on this course on Thanksgiving Day.  But suffice to say, I had had much higher aspirations for this course.

I wound up finishing first in my age group, so I netted a teddy bear that I could add to my collection.  I love the awards that this race organization gives away and I was so grateful that I placed.

Post race refreshments included hot chocolate, bananas, oranges, muffins, fruit gummies, and bread with honey.  They also had either water or sports drink (it was so chilly I didn't need any).

Overall, this is a very budget friendly race.  There are a lot of ways to save money on it and I want to say I paid about $30 for a fully supported 5K race.  They always do a great job with their medals and the t-shirt is a nice long-sleeved shirt made of technical material -- one I'll definitely wear.

In short, though, I wasn't happy with my race performance. I was hoping to hit about 25:15, maybe even under 25 minutes.  I had trained hard all winter and mentally I was in the game from the time the race went off.  I expected to make an improvement over my recent times.

Assuming I am still in the Salt Lake area, I plan to be in attendance next year.  The race is affordable, fits into my schedule and offers a rare bargain in the racing community.

Upcoming Races

02/23: 2025 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)
03/01: 2025 March Madness 10K - Woods Cross, UT (Confirmed)
03/15  2025 Lucky 13 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)
04/26: 2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

05/10: 2025 Run Farmington 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)