2026 Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Race Recap - Las Vegas, NV

At the runner's expo at Resorts World

Official Time: 2:11:15
Placement: 3673th overall, 2475th  male, 122nd in my age group
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Low 60's / mid 50's.  Slight breeze from the north
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2025] [2024] [2023] [2022] [2019] [2018] [2017] [2016] [2015] [2014] [2013] [2012] [2011] [2010] [2009]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	9:08	Nicely paced. Exactly where I want to be.
2	9:14	Still feeling good. Pace feels a little "hot" but hanging in there.
3	9:07	Very consistent
4	9:17	Back to the crowds.  Just chugging along. I love my paces.
5	9:03
6	9:09	Heading out of town now.  Crowd gets light and it is getting darker.
7	9:17	Just about all the way downtown.
8	9:33	When is the turn around? I just want to get there.
9	9:37	When did this race get hard? It seemed like as soon as I saw mile 9, my pace plummeted
10	10:23	What happened?
11	11:04	Gosh, I hate running.
12	11:43	Please just let me finish. Debating on just walking.
13	12:30	I can see the finish line - yet so far away.
13.19	2:11	Horrible final mile.  So glad to be done.
Total Miles: 13.19 2:11:21

Introduction

So first off, I am a legacy runner.  That means I've run this race every year since its inception, which was 2009.  I started off doing the marathon until the marathon was a distance I wasn't capable of running anymore.  Now, I am doing the half marathon (and the marathon distance is now not offered).

This was not an optional race for me.  For as long as I am a legacy runner, I am going to try and show up.  It is my ego that plays a part and just a streak of being one of about 60 people who have done it every year.

I was coming off of a 2:01 half marathon for the Sun Half Marathon, and I had hopes to turn in a decent time at this one, with a goal of 2 hours, or probably 2:05.  I am definitely not as fast as I was in 2025 but I figured with better temperatures I had a shot of the low 2's.

The race is also a night race, starting at 4:30 PM.  The sun starts to set around 5:30 - 6 PM and for a good portion of the race, you are running at night. Fortunately, the race runs along Las Vegas Blvd and it is well lit by casino lights.  And that is what makes the race a unique and incredible experience: the organizers close down the Strip and you get to run down the middle of one of the most iconic roads in the United States and be the center of attention.

Pre-Race

With packet pickup going on from Thursday until Saturday evening, and now being a resident of the Las Vegas area, I opted to go on my lunch hour down to Resorts World, where the expo was being held, to get my bib.  Normally, I get it on Saturday when I arrive, but this saved me some time and hassle.

I was able to make it on my lunch hour, avoid a lot of the crowds at the expo, and make it back home in a respectable amount of time.  Being a Nevada resident also got me free parking.  

I was also able to do a little shopping and got a pair of Saucony Endorphin Speed 4's for $125. A little more than what I wanted to spend, but it is another pair of shoes I'll definitely use.

I also signed up for 2027, netting me another cotton t-shirt.

I will probably rethink my plans for next year as far as lodging goes (now that I am a resident) but I got two nights at the New York hotel.  This hotel is a gem for the race, since the starting line is right outside the entrance.  I basically stayed in my room until 3:35 PM before making my way down to the starting corrals, which allowed me to load at about 3:50 PM.

Either way, I did arrive in Vegas on late Saturday afternoon, had some fun on Saturday night and then on Sunday woke up, ate, did a little sports betting, and then pretty much hibernated in my room for the day.  My goal was to stay off my feet as much as possible. It is amazing how much leg fatigue you can rack up simply by wandering around a casino.  In this regard, I was VERY successful in arriving to the race start feeling good.

I also spent the morning / afternoon, hydrating, watching TV, eating simple carbs and just getting everything ready.  It really helped reduce my anxiety. Plus, I had a bathroom and shower at my disposal.

Having a room - at least for Sunday night -- also was beneficial.  I was exhausted when I finished, and I had a room to shower, rest a bit and some recovery snacks to eat. I also didn't stress out about fighting traffic or trying to navigate my way off the Strip.

All smiles at the start

The Race

We were blessed with half way decent weather for the race.  Low 60's, sunny, a slight breeze but otherwise very pleasant.  I had about a 30 minute wait after arriving in my starting corral, before the race started for the elites and first corral.  I was running in less than 10 minutes after that.

It was crowded but I don't think I ever really felt I was hemmed in.  Given the size of the race (over 10K runners) you are never running alone.  But I will break down the race in mile segments below:

And we are off!

Miles 0 to 3

I felt really good at the race and I had a fair amount of confidence in actually running a 2 hour half marathon.  

The race starts in front of the New York hotel and begins a straightaway south on the Strip towards the airport.  There are some crowds to cheer you on. You pass by the Excalibur, Luxor and finally the Mandalay Bay.  It feels a bit surreal and the time flies by in an instant.

The pace felt strong but not out of control.  I was hitting my splits and while I had some concern about crashing and burning, especially with it being a little warmer than I wanted it to be, I knew the race would get cooler.

About a half mile past the Las Vegas welcome sign (and a little over 2 miles into the race), we made the first turn of the race -- a 180 turn. 

At about Mile 2.5

We were still on the iconic Las Vegas Blvd but now we were heading north. I was greeted by a little breeze but after a while I forget I even had it.  At least at the end of the race, I should have a tailwind.

I hit the mile 3 marker in 27:30 -- exactly where I wanted to be.

Cruising by the Wynn / Encore

Miles 3 to 6

Finally, I passed by the starting line. Runners were who in placed in the latter corrals were just getting started but I want to say most runners had already begun the race.  

The crowds grew strong and the next few miles are the best of the race.  People were on the pedestrian bridges or on the sidewalks cheering us on with signs.  It buoyed my confidence and I kept knocking down the miles.  I was debating if it was "go" time but it was still way too early in the race to bump up the pace. I was doing okay and while the sun was setting, resulting in cooler temperatures, it wasn't time yet.

This part of the race is also the most exciting. This was the heart of the Strip and the most iconic casinos were on display.  I loved this section.

For a brief moment when I passed by the 10K exit lane, I thought briefly about going into it.  My pace for the half was still good, but I could save myself a lot of tiredness and effort and just do the 10K.  While my pace was for the half marathon, it would've been a halfway decent 10K.  It was just a thought, I didn't take up on it.

My paces were still spot on and I was still feeling decent.  This might be my day!

Still feeling good! Getting darker

Miles 6 - 9

As we headed north, the crowds thinned out and it got darker.  The fans that did line the side watched in silence, or just continued on their way.  There were a few rowdy folks but the energy from the crowd had dwindled.

The DJs along the route kept things lively though and the music put a bit of pep in my step.

I had been toying with taking a gel at this point -- and I knew I should have.  But my stomach had been just slightly off and a gel just didn't sound good.  In the past, I've managed to get through a half marathon without an energy source but as I've gotten older and slower, I've found the need. I was hoping the sports drink along the course would suffice.

My legs were getting heavier and I knew things were going to get dicey.  When I hit mile 7, I had run a 9:37 -- the first sign of problems.  I knew I had slowed down a little but I was still okay.  

I grabbed a gel that the race was handing out. To be honest, I don't remember the brand and I am not sure what flavor it was supposed to be.  I know better than to try anything new but I was hoping it would perk me up.  It was more fluid than a Gu and the taste was okay. I ate about a third of it.  Enough to give me a little sugar, but hopefully not enough to upset my system.  Fortunately, it didn't do any damage.

The trek northward was a bit monotonous.  The big casinos were gone and now we had more small motels, dark alleys, and small shops.  It wasn't the worst running experience, but I definitely wanted some sort of change.  I kept trying to figure out when we made a turn. I knew it was coming up and to me, it means we are in the final home stretch despite it still being over 4 miles away.

At about mile 8.5 the turn came up.  We had a slightly new pattern to run this year.  Normally we run around the block and head back, but this year, we did an out and back section. I do believe this made the race a bit longer than usual (last year it came in at 13.14 -- this year just about everyone clocked 13.19 and above).

Mile 8 and finally mile 9 had come up at 9:33.  It looked like there wasn't going to be a final kick to close it out.  And my 2 hour race was looking to be around 2:05, assuming I could hold what I was running. While mentally I felt strong, I knew I was starting to struggle.

Just Over the finish line.

Miles 9 - 13.1

So things didn't get any prettier.  Now that we were heading back, I briefly rebounded with the knowledge I was in the home stretch.  However, it was very short lived.  

Around mile 9.5 or so, another runner pulled up to me and asked if I was okay.  I was taken aback by that.  Was it that obvious?  I explained that I was okay and he sped off.  But it sort of put a bug in the back of my mind. Maybe I wasn't.

Every now and then I'd get a little sputter of energy but it wasn't there. I kept thinking to myself that the paces I was currently running were still an easy pace that I'd normally do on an average day. My 9:30's suddenly turned into 10:30's and beyond.  Each mile was 30 seconds slower than the previous.

In the far distance, I could see the Bellagio, where the finish line should be.  It seemed so close, but looking at my watch, I knew it was miles away.

As we approached the finish line, the crowds grew a little stronger.  I was being passed by people left and right now. The only folks I was passing were those walking or the stragglers doing the 10KM race.

Self-defeating thoughts crossed my mind: what happened? It was going so well...  Maybe I am just done with running half marathons. This sucks.  I am so embarrassed.  What will people say / think when they see my time?  I hate running. If you've had a difficult time with a race and you care about your time, you probably have been there too.

I don't remember that much about the final 5K other than I wanted to finish, walk and just end.

Fortunately, every race has an end and while I hoped to rebound, I tried to put on a brave smile at the finish and cross the finish like I had just PR'd.  Behind the scenes though, I was exhausted and angry.  Not with anyone or any organization -- just myself.  

I am better than this.

Okay I finished

Conclusion

After crossing the finish line, I grabbed a bottle of water (or two) and made sure I wasn't going to be sick or pass out.  There really wasn't much of an area to sit down and the organizers wanted you to clear the finish line as soon as possible, as more runners were behind me and they wanted people to be able to cross the line.  I honestly didn't get a chance to sit down until I was on the tram from the Bellagio to the Park MGM.

So this race didn't go to plan; at all. I knew it was going to be very iffy to hit 2 hours but I figured I had 2:05, at worst case 2:07 in the bag.  The fact that I came in at 2:11 and was hating the last 3 miles, just made this a miserable experience.  And it wasn't the race organizers, I had to own this one.

I did the following things wrong:

• I knew 2:00 hours was going to be a stretch. I should've at least tried to start off at 2:03 - 2:05 pace and picked it up if I felt good.
• I should've gotten in a gel at mile 5. I didn't want to chance it as my stomach was a smidge "off" but I should've at least nursed one down. The partial one I got in at mile 7.5 wasn't enough and it was too late.

Things I did right:

• I nailed the taper. I was well rested coming in.
• I stayed off my feet all day Sunday. I wasn't coming in dead-legged or feeling tired.
• I was well hydrated and had enough to eat before hand, but not too much that I was bloated.
• Assuming I had the fitness to hold a 2 hour pace, I did in fact run a 2 hour pace for the first 8 miles or so.

The organization was much better this year.  I was able to get in my starting corral in less than 10 minutes, the bathrooms appeared to be okay in the starting corral.  There were plenty of aid stations with water, Mortal Sports Drink, and gels.  I didn't need to use a toilet on the course, but there were bathrooms.  There was also plenty of music and DJs.

The finish line exit, as usual, was congested and once again they did NOT have bathrooms immediately after you finished. Fortunately, I didn't have to go.  But this was a major issue one year. In fact, if you needed to go, you had at least a 15 to 20 minute walk to one.

The expo was well done and easy to navigate.  I got my bib in under 2 minutes by a friendly volunteer.  The shirt was solid -- a nice long-sleeved one, with a hoodie.  It will probably go down as the year's best.  I was shocked at how good it was.

The medal seemed a little small and not very heavy.  I am not a medal freak, but it seemed a little on the after thought side.

Post race refreshments included sports drink, water, bananas, and a bag of goodies.  They had some chips they were handing out and if you were so inclined, a caffeinated beverage and adult drinks (wine and beer).

The finish line was definitely decked out to celebrate your run.  There were a ton of people and you were in the middle of Strip with the Bellagio fountains going off.  It is always a surreal experience.

Other than my race performance, I really thought this year went well.  This race is a one-of-a-kind experience and even though my race was difficult, you'd be mistaken if I wasn't grateful for finishing and putting another notch on my legacy runner belt.

Upcoming Races

03/07: 2026 Skye Canyon Events Fit Fest - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

03/28: 2026 Mount Charleston Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

02/21: 2027 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)