LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The entertainment capital of the world has turned into paradise for runners. More than 27,000 people ran across downtown and the Las Vegas Strip for the Rock 'n' Roll Running Series.
For some, this is something they mark on their calendar every year. But for others, this is their very first time.
The weekend consisted of a 5K, 10K and Half Marathon, which equates to a three-mile run, a six-mile run, and a whopping 13-mile run.
Some runners use this as a chance to train for bigger events, but others see it as a fun family event.
"It's us doing this together," participant Troy Helton said. "It's a journey that we enjoy doing together, so we get to go out and take runs on the weekend at home and do workouts together. It gives us something to do and travel to Las Vegas and do this."
People from all over the world made their way to Vegas this weekend. The organizers say people runners represented all 50 states and more than 60 countries.
Runners, like Susan Maloney, came from the UK to get in on what they said was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of race.
"It's a really special place," Maloney said. "It's not very often you get to run down the middle of the road when it's closed and see all the sights, so it's a big wow factor."
The 10K and Half Marathon across the Strip kicked off Sunday. The weekend started with a 5K across downtown on Saturday at 5 p.m.
From the start of the race, till runner crossed the finish line, people were pumped up to run across the Las Vegas Strip.
“It’s a big deal, you have to come to Vegas, it’s a big stage and it’s really cool to be here," said professional runner Andy Wacker who won the men's half marathon.
Wacker and Alice Wright are both professional runners. They both popped bottles of champagne Sunday night as they finished with the fastest half marathon times for men and women. Both of them say the Las Vegas race is one of their favorites.
“It’s just really fun to be out here and Vegas is a perfect place for a race like this," said Wright.
This is the 14th year the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon event has been in las Vegas. The organization has races in Spain, the Philippines, Washington D.C. and more, but the organizers say the Las Vegas race is the crown jewel.
The race celebration included a dance floor and several runners had Elvis, Wizard of Oz, Finding Nemo and other creative costumes on.
“It’s very impressive some of the costumes people can run around in honestly," said Wright.
The race also brought in some who were running for a cause.
“We run with special athletes and we do triathlons and we run with them in marathons," said Eric Larson who raced while pushing a person with disabilities who is unable to run.
Larson ran alongside an organization called 2Gether We Live, giving people with disabilities the chance to feel the joy of running a race.
“It’s great to be able to give that to someone," said Larson.
Even though the 2024 event is already over, preparations for the 2025 event are underway. The event will take over the Las Vegas Strip February 22 & 23. For more information, click here.
