2026 Mt Charleston Half Marathon Race Recap - Las Vegas, NV

Official Time: 2:00:15
Placement: 442 out of 1333, 22 out of 44 in the 55 to 59 age group
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 60's, very light breeze from the north, 70s at the finish
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: First Year for Me

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:55	Off to a decent start
2	9:03	Taking in the slight downhill
3	8:55	Very consistent - this was faster than last weekend's 5K
4	8:52	Just cruising down the hill
5	8:44
6	8:46	Feeling a little tired in the legs but aerobically - I was fine.
7	8:42	Getting closer to the first turn
8	8:45	Finally back in the city limits
9	9:06	No more hills.  Pretty easy miles.
10	9:51	Slowed down from the quad smashing
11	10:30	On with the uphills.  It was suddenly very warm.
12	10:07	Just grinding away. The worst of the hills are over but not much left
13	9:44	Actually did better than I expected here. I was gassed though.
13.04	0:19	Glad to be done.
Total Miles: 13.04 2:00:23

Packet Pickup

Introduction

About a year ago I had a few friends who suggested I run the Mount Charleston Half Marathon, put on my Revel Races.  I had heard of the race before and had put it on my mental checklist of races I'd like to do.  The problem is, is that the race is in Las Vegas and comes on the heels of the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon.  At this stage of my running career, I am a little reluctant to pile on tons of half marathons.

Armed with a coupon code, I opted to jump into the race.  I figured that it'd be a fun trip or at the time I half figured I'd probably be living in Las Vegas, it'd be a local race.  As it turns out, this race is now a local race.  And my house and daily running routes are less than a mile away from the half marathon's first turn.  It is pretty much on my home court.

The holding pen at the start

Pre-Race

The Packet pickup for the race was held at the Rio Hotel, just off the Las Vegas strip.  I think it was held there to accommodate many of the out of towners who may have been staying on the Strip.  Fortunately, I had an invite to a Golden Knights game the day before, so I spent the night on the strip and headed over to the Rio after breakfast.

Golden Knights game

The Rio had ample and free parking.  While it was quite a walk from the parking lot to the expo, it was easy to navigate.  The Expo had a few exhibitors but it was a simple affair to grab my bib, shirt, and a swag bag.  I actually ran into a few people I knew at the expo as well.

I had a bit of apprehension about the race.  First off, in 2026, in Las Vegas, we've had some pretty warm afternoons.  The average day time temperatures have been in the mid 90s.  This would likely translate to a warm race.  While we were starting at somewhat higher elevations, where it would be cooler, we'd still be running at normal elevation for the latter half of the race, which would cause some heat related slowdown.  

In addition, after my Rock 'n Roll experience, I had a bit of buyer's remorse. I certainly didn't feel like racing a half marathon and I hadn't really put in any remarkable half marathon workouts into the mix between now and then (I did have a fairly successful 9.5 mile from the previous weekend, however).

My goal going into the race, was not to hate running and just finish without feeling terrible.  I told friends I was hoping for about a 2:05 to 2:10 race time.

Another advantage of this race, since I am now a local, is that I could sleep in my own bed (as fitful as it was) and eat my own food in the morning.

The Race

They had warned us that parking may be at a premium at the bus loading zone.  I got there about an hour early for my bus and I had no problems finding parking.  Coming in from the north, there was less traffic so I had a bit of an advantage.  The bus loading area was a large office building in a corporate center.

A nice touch by Revel is that they are rumored to be a top notch, well organized race organizer.  I noticed that they had bathrooms at the bus loading area -- nice touch. I don't think I've ever seen that before.  In fact, they had ample bathrooms throughout the experience.

I had arrived at the parking lot around 3:45 and was on a bus by 4:30 AM.  The ride was about 20 minutes long and I had about an hour to kill before the 6 AM start.  I ran into more people I knew at the race start and the time went by quickly.  The race's waiting zone was a dry, dirt parking lots of sort. There isn't much for shelter there but fortunately the weather was nice.  I had brought up a lot of warmer clothes, just in case, but wound up using none of it.

I was running in a t-shirt and short shorts and I was comfortable from start to finish.  I do wish I had brought a pair of sunglasses.  It would've meant carrying them for the first few miles, but they definitely would've been worth it in the latter stages of the race.

After the national anthem and some very informal introductions to the race, we were off at just past 6 AM.

I had had two days of tapering -- other than a few walks, but legs were about as fresh as they've been in quite some time.  

I just settled into a comfortable pace and figured the 2-hour pacer, who was kind of behind me, would soon overtake me.  The problem was, he never did -- at least until about mile 12.

The first 2 miles or so it was dark but the sun started to rise and it became more light.  There was a sense of urgency to push the pace a little to beat as much of the upcoming heat as possible, but I kept the pace in check.  I didn't want another crash and burn like the Vegas Rock 'n Roll race.

Typical stretch of running

The first 8.5 miles or so are entirely on Kyle Canyon road.  It is a gentle, but steady downhill, and runners are treated to some brown, dirt "mountains" to either side and desert vistas.  An occasional ranch or small cluster of home dotted the landscapes.  It was peaceful and the runners around me were cheery and casual.

I had started up in the front and I was quickly passed by many other runners (I think people were shy).  I didn't panic -- so long as the 2-hour pacer was behind me, I was happy.  But even if he passed me, to be honest, I wouldn't have cared too much.

The race is a large one and you are rarely running alone.  I couldn't tell who was in my age group and who wasn't but most of the runners were significantly younger than I was.  I knew an age group medal of any sort was off the table -- the race is very competitive and if I had finished in the top 10 of my age group, it would've been a miracle.

I felt good and I wish the entire race had been this gentle, downhill jog.  My heart rate was in a good zone. I was working but not redlining.  My legs were tired but not too tired.  And my splits -- for the goal of the day were absolutely perfect.

I knew the race began after we made our first turn and I also knew we'd have some hills to deal with at mile 10.  Given that my daily running routes involved hills, I kind of knew what I was in for.  

When the turn came, I was shocked at the pace I was holding.  And despite the lack of a gravity assist, I was still moving pretty good.  Perhaps this was my day.

I had taken a caffeinated Gu at mile 4 and consumed it over the course of the next mile.  The race also had great water stations.  Each offering water, endurance formula Gatorade, and sometimes fruit or a Gel.  Once again, course support was great.

The mile markers were pretty much spot on -- certainly within the realm of any rounding errors.  They did go off course around mile 10, however, and I think it was the course did lead us around an area where we could use the left hand side of the road for a bit.

The race began at mile 10 for me and I went up a tiny hill and I just ran out of gas.  I summoned up the strength to consume another caffeinated Gu but I wound up only eating half of it.  It was suddenly quite warm and instead of the gentle downhill, we  had to do some climbing.  And the mile 10 to 11 was all uphill.

The hill itself isn't a back breaker.  It is just long and it is a steady climb.  My Garmin says it is only 30 feet, but I'd have to say it was quite a bit more.  

My pace slowed.  I noticed others around me were also sputtering.  I wasn't alone and that sort of helped relieve any sort of panic about something wrong with me.

We were running in a residential area and while we were surrounded by HOA-approved shrubs and palm trees, gone was the loneliness and sprawling desert landscapes that served as our backdrop for the first 8.5 miles.

Finish line festivities

After the hill climb, I knew I was going to make it through the race.  It didn't feel like it, but my pace quickened -- just a bit.  I was rewarded with a bit of a downhill.  Unfortunately, I didn't have that much endurance to take advantage of it.  I really need to do more long runs.

I also saw a runner or two suffering in the heat.  The weather was no joke and if you weren't used to it, and hadn't hydrated, there was a chance your race would be ruined.  I saw one guy being helped in during the final mile.

As I got closer to the finish line, there were more people cheering you on.  I could feel the excitement building and despite my suffering, the quarter miles on my watch seemed come without feeling like an eternity.

Yeah, pretty much....

I never did look at my final mile split until just now and a sub 10 minute mile in those conditions; I'll take it.  The 2-hour pacer did slink by me, which was heartbreaking, but I didn't have much to give as I tried futilely to catch him.

Finally, the finish line came into view and I had lost track of time.  But I was pleasantly surprised to see I wasn't that far off from my A+ goal of 2:00 hours.  I know I looked like death warmed over, and I felt like it, but there was a bit of glimmer in my eyes in knowing I had done a LOT better than I anticipated I was going to.

Conclusion

Upon crossing the finish line, I grabbed some Gatorade and I was greeted with a wet, cold rag (and a medal).  The rag was an awesome touch.  It helped me cool down and was refreshing.

They had pre-bagged snacks, which again was a nice touch.  I had a chocolate milk when my stomach could handle it.

I spent a good 10 - 15 minutes recounting the race with fellow runners and watching other runners come in.

I think part of me was in shock that I had just run the time that I had.  And while the last 2 miles were a  challenge, they were nowhere near as bad as the Vegas race.  I never really felt like I was racing this one. Merely, I just did the pace I felt comfortable with and let intuition do its job.  I don't think I ever really put any pressure on myself whatsoever to nail a certain time.  And yet, I came away with my best half marathon time of the year.

I think the following things had worked in my favor:

• I had fueled with a Gu early and went through another one in the latter stages of the race.  I had also eaten some food 30 minutes before the race.
• I stayed hydrated
• I paced myself perfectly for the first 8.5 miles
• I had some heat training leading up to the race. I had done a lot of my easy runs in 90 - 95F weather.
• The course was very advantageous for a fast time. It just downhill enough to make the early miles easier and not smash my quads to the point where I couldn't run on the flats.

So this wasn't a flat course and I definitely would call it gravity assisted.  Could I run a 2-hour half on a flat course? I doubt it. But I'll take this "win" as a positive sign.

The race bag was filled with goodies and the shirt was a technical shirt that I'll definitely wear again.  The race also transported you back from the finish line to the parking area.  Like the ride to the start, it was in a nice coach bus.  From start to finish, the race was well organized and obviously run by experienced race vendors.

I understand the course's true beauty lies in the full marathon, where you start closer to the real Mt Charleston.  The half marathon is basically a teaser course.  I am not going to say the course was boring; if you like desert scenery (and generally I do), it is a nice race.  But is it the most beautiful half marathon ever, at least for me, no.

I had come into this race so of dreading it.  My last half marathon hadn't gone well and my last few races weren't quite up to par.  But once I was finished and let the dust settle, I began ask myself if I wanted to do this race again?  Was it a one and done?  And while I initially told myself yes, I am now leaning towards signing up for it again.  It was a fun day, a fast course, and I think I can do better.

See ya in 2027?  Probably.

Upcoming Races

04/06: 2026 Run Through the Decades 6K  - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

04/18: 2026 Signs of Hope 5K - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

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