Nevada > Red Rock Canyon Marathon & Half Marathon Las Vegas, NV addthis
Date
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Event
Details
Seemingly every hue of red, orange and burnt earth colors
surround you as you run along the Scenic Canyon Road for the
Red Rock Canyon Marathon & Half Marathon, which takes place in
the national conservation area by the same name about a half-hour's
drive to the west of Las Vegas, Nev. Encompassing more than 179,000
acres, the Red Rock Canyon area is one of Nevada's (and the
Southwest's) true
geological treasures, with majestic red sandstone formations, sheer
1,800-ft. cliffs and several mountains, including Mount Wilson, Rainbow
Mountain and Indecision Peak.
The park, which sees more than a million visitors each year, is set up
perfectly for a half-marathon as its Scenic Canyon Road, which begins
at
the Red Rock Canyon visitor center, follows a 13-mile course through
many of the park's most scenic and memorable vistas. The course is
paved throughout the entire race, and features some fairly big
changes in elevation -- it starts at 3,880 feet above sea level and
reaches a peak of 4,771 feet around the half-way point in the race,
before descending again in the second half of the race toward the
finish.
The half marathon starts about 2 miles from the visitor center and
follows a gradual uphill in its first 6 miles toward the summit
overlook area, between White Rock Hills and Turtlehead Mountain. After
the half-way point, the race begins a steep downhill (what race
organizers say is a "screaming downhill") along the scenic road toward
the finish line.
Because no parking is available at the race start & finish line
areas, runners will be transported by bus from a pickup area in Las
Vegas (the Boca Park shopping village, across the street from the
event's host hotel, the Suncoast Hotel and Casino). The course will
remain open to car traffic during the race, and the lane for runners
will be marked by cones.
Race
Weather & Climate
Set in the sands of Nevada's Mojave Desert and surrounded by mountains,
Las
Vegas is well-known for its arid climate with plenty of summer heat and
little to no rain. The early weeks of spring, however, bring much
milder and cooler weather. In March, temperatures average between
73°F
and 39°F, while precipitation averages just over half an inch
for the month.
Fees
$60 if registered for the half-marathon by December 31, 2008
$70 from January 1 - February 21, 2009
$75 after Feb. 21
