Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half Feb 27, 2022

You know you're in Las Vegas when you get spanked twice on the walk to the start line.  This is not a new race feature, just some lovely ladies looking for photo op earnings.  It rather made my day.

After the 5k chafing extravaganza I decided capris were a good idea for the Half, plus I had a suspicion I might be out there for quite some time.  Once again this race has a new start point since I last ran it in 2017.  The start village is behind Planet Hollywood/Paris and from there the runners are funneled onto the Strip based on colour coded bibs.  Colours relate to the finish time you entered at registration....in 2019.  Whatever that was.

The start village is essentially a big parking lot.  I like this picture better than the FinisherPix one which features massive amounts of portable shitters.

The best part of the weekend is seeing so many friends for the first time in a couple of years.  Briana is running her 100th Half!  Seems like a good time to catch up to me.

There is no separation between colour waves when actually on the Strip so the lot behind us just shove through everyone ahead of them.  Rude.  We have 13000 runners in the Half and another 5000 in the 10k, no Marathon.  With the adjusted start line (outside Planet Hollywood instead of the Mandalay) we now have pretty much the entire race on the Strip which is awesome.  It's the best way to see it.

The race starts at 4:30 pm which is an hour before sunset in late February so the first portion is in full light.  It's a perfect running temperature.  Runners are let loose via a traffic light system, think merging traffic lanes on the M4. 

I find some of the LVFD, bless you all for what you do.  And your patience at being featured in a sweaty runner selfie.  The tradition continues!

Once the sun sets the lights really look impressive.  There's nowhere quite like the Las Vegas Strip.  I also enjoy the dark as you can't properly see the state I'm in.  

I had been doing a run/walk system until around the Stratosphere then it kind of fell apart into a walk/shamble effort.  Between here and Fremont it's a bit darker, a bit colder and the miles feel really stretched out.

Sometimes at low points in races cool things happen.  I am so happy to see this incredible lady - and she has beer!  Yoka, you give me life.

The finish line is at The Palazzo where I'm staying and I honestly thought I'd never see the damn thing. The Wynn and Encore must be 20 miles long.  I have entirely forgotten how to do running.  

The end is well fucking nigh.

Thus concludes my 5th RnR Las Vegas.  Walking back to the hotel after finally exiting the finish chute is sheer hell, my feet oh my god my feet.  Don't underestimate all the walking to/from this one.  Pokemon said 30k on the day, my fancy Garmin is at home in the kitchen helping me in no way at all.

Kev wins the post race photo contest tonight.

My precioussssssses.  Stellar medals this year.  I can't wait to (lose weight, get fit, train properly) do another one!