Valley of Fire Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Saturday, October 27, 2018 • Overton, NV • Course Map

It’s “the hardest race you’ll ever love,” organizers say, and the route lives up to the description at this race, a difficult and challenging one filled with hills and dramatic scenery near Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, which usually sees between 100 and 200 runners cross the finish line in all three races combined each year.

Like the other race distances, the half marathon follows an out-and-back course through Valley of Fire State Park here in southeastern Nevada, along the northeast side of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the huge Nevada reservoir lake created by the Hoover Dam.

Its course takes runners along a mostly north-south route through the park, along rolling hills and past the area’s indigenous red rock formations on either side of the road.

The race, which starts at 7:00 AM for the half marathon and 7:30 AM for those running the 10K and 5K races, is uphill most of the way out to the turnaround points, and downhill through the entire way back (with the exception of an uphill in the last two miles).

Expect an overall elevation gain of about 1,500 feet over the course of the race, organizers say, and the first three hours of the race will feature a closed course — after that, the course will be open to traffic.

Stunning and dramatic, the route’s scenery makes it a particularly beautiful run, which can take your mind off the (very) challenging task at hand — running your 13.1 miles in four hours.

All photos courtesy RunPlanetUltra

Race Weather & Climate

Located just north of Valley of Fire State Park in southeastern Nevada, about 65 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Overton typically sees October temperatures that average between 58°F and 82°F, while rainfall totals average just under half an inch for the month.

On the day of the race (Oct. 27), the average low is 53°F and the average high is 77°F.

Course Map

See the race route map for the Valley of Fire Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

• 6:30 AM – full marathon
• 7:00 AM – half marathon
• 7:30 AM – 10K, 5K

Course Time Limit

4 hours

Fees

• $90 – $100 for the half marathon
• $95 – $115 for the full marathon
• $50 – $60 for the 10K
• $45 – $55 for the 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2018 running of Overton’s Valley of Fire Half Marathon, 10K or 5K race, register online at RunSignUp.com here.

Official Race Website

runplanetultra.com

Comments

Ever run in the Valley of Fire Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

See more races in: Nevada