Honey McPherson-Sharrow 2018 REVEL Mt Charleston Half Marathon Published: Feb. 12, 2018, 2:23 p.m. 10 5

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1. Don Knox May 1, 2018, 11:35 a.m. Absolutely loved this race. Well organized and gave me something to do while in Vegas for a friend's wedding. The Bally's shuttle was excellent. Rest stops were plentiful and volunteers were great. Only able to run the half because of lateness of my registration but I will run the marathon next year as a BQ attempt. If the half is any measure it will not be a problem. Set a PR at the age of 58 and this was my 53rd half marathon.

2. Joanna, Peoria Arizona May 2, 2018, 2:35 p.m. This race good, however I wish they had accommodated for the weather. Knowing it was going to be unseasonably hot especially for a marathon having the water stations every mile. The other thing was the Altitude- It was stressed that most people don't or wont " feel" anything Totally not true Especially when you are running hard. Your body is running in a aerobic state which requires more oxygen. People were dropping like flies because of the lack of oxygen combined with the temperatures; causing major muscle cramps that most people cant recover from. In your training recommendations, I would include altitude training. Other than getting sick and very dehydrated I enjoyed the actual scenery and the race. I will be back for redemption at Revel Big Cottonwood, (I plan to do altitude Training) ;-)

3. Nick T May 21, 2018, 12:17 p.m. Great event with high class service. Tour buses to the top of the Mountain, plenty of porta potties , ability to stay warm in Lodge up top. Run was fast as advertised, BE AWARE! It is steep at the top and you will hurt during and afterwards if you don’t train appropriately . Coming from Ohio the elevation only bothered me for the first few miles. There is a false flat at the end that will make you work. 85 degrees at my finish this year. Didn’t take long to shed the gloves in only a T-shirt and shorts.

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Rian Jensen 2017 REVEL Mt Charleston Marathon Published: June 29, 2017, 4:53 p.m. 2 0

1. Overall Rating

   5/5 Stars

2. Describe your race day.

   This was a great course- super speedy! It was my 22nd marathon and I'm convinced it might be the fastest qualifier in the country. The downhill grade was perfect, not too steep, but enough it definitely helped you maintain speed with less effort. Weather was fabulous as well- it did feel hot until the end (and I always feel too hot). The race was a nice size- not too many, but you were definitely never alone.

3. Did you PR?

   Yes! I was totally surprised since I am getting older (almost 45) and haven't run a marathon this fast in 4-5 years. It was only a 20 second PR, but my largest Boston Qualifying buffer (17 minutes). I ran 13 minutes faster than my "A" goal time for this race. I met lots of out of towners who were there to BQ or PR.

4. How would you describe the course?

   Reminded me a lot of St. George, but no uphills. That is the only other desert marathon I have to compare with. The start was beautiful and cool. The downhill grade was perfect, not too steep, but enough it definitely helped you maintain speed with less effort. I started conservatively and passed many runners miles 12-19 and that was fastest race split. The last 6 miles were more difficult as it flattened out and came into the city, but I knew this and was mentally prepared. I also had planned on this section about a minute a mile slower than my canyon pace. Started to get hot and not much shade. I think many runners could have used and an extra aide station miles 23-26 or some ice. I came with 9 run friends and all of us clocked the course at 26.4ish. Not a big deal unless your barely qualified or something.

5. Tell us about your training.

   I trained more minimally for this race due to past injuries and getting older. I ran 3 days a week (both up and downhill) and downhill skied 3 mornings a week from Jan-April. I definitely think my quad strength from the skiing helped to run downhill and not have my legs too fatigued. I would definitely try to do some downhill running with flat or slight uphill for the last few miles. About half my long runs were like that.

6. What advice would you give future runners?

   Prepare for the downhill, smile lots and have fun!
   I normally take 5 gels/gus on a marathon. I did 6 this time and think it helped me a bit.

7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

   Eating and shopping with friends! I am from Salt Lake City area so we drove to and from the race.

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Sindi Concebida 2017 REVEL Mt Charleston Marathon Published: June 14, 2017, 1:51 p.m. 2 1

1. Overall Rating

   5/5 Stars

2. Describe your race day.

   The day of the race was fantastic. This was my first full marathon and I traveled to Vegas by myself. Day of the race operations were smooth. The aid stations were fabulous. The weather was cold in the beginning but warmed up really nice at the finish line. I also saw 2 beautiful California Condors around mile 14. It was amazing!

3. Did you PR?

   As my first full, this established my marathon time and can now work to always hit this mark or PR. But I did PR my half marathon time by 14 minutes which is fantastic!

4. How would you describe the course?

   Absolutely beautiful course. You start up at Mt. Charleston resort, run through the desert and end up at the beginning of the city. I felt safe, there were plenty of traffic control once you got into the city and the course is not confusing at all.

5. Tell us about your training.

   I trained from January to race day building up to 22 mile runs. I had 2 weeks where I ran about 48 and 50 miles those weeks. I was averaging about 30-35 miles/week during my training. I incorporated downhill, hills and strength training to my routine and it made a big difference.

6. What advice would you give future runners?

   Bring warm clothes for the beginning! It was 22 degrees at the starting line this year!! But the race organization does give a Mylar blanket and gloves to keep you warm but you can also bring extra stuff to keep you warm until starting time. You can easily put them in a drop bag for easy pick up at the finish line.
   Lodge close to the Finish line!! I stayed in vegas-proper which means I had a 30 minute drive to the shuttles. I had to get up at 230am!! Staying closer to the race means I could have gotten an extra 30 min to an hour of sleep.
   Don't forget to pack a little sun block and chapstick. That sun is bright and it'll burn. That was the only thing I forgot to pack.

7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

   I came from Los Angeles, Ca. I relaxed the day before and the day after the race, I did a light 3 mile run to loosen things up and just lounged around the pool at the hotel all day.

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Nicole Stout 2017 REVEL Mt Charleston Marathon Published: May 17, 2017, 8:13 a.m. 3 0

1. Overall Rating

   5/5 Stars

2. Describe your race day.

   It was beautiful! The course was perfect, the weather was perfect and the tail wind was ideal. The aid stations were run very well.

3. Did you PR?

   YES! I PR'd by over a half hour! And I FINALLY got my BQ that I've been trying to get. Finished the course in 3:32.

4. How would you describe the course?

   Perfect downhill course, not too extreme downhill like a lot of them are. It flattens out near the end, but is still downhill. That helped me to continue fast to the finish. Mile 24 was hard, that uphill had me digging deep, but it was nice to go back to gradual downhill after that to get me to the finish.

5. Tell us about your training.

   I trained a lot for this race. I really wanted to get that BQ and I heard this course was where to do it. I ran over 100 miles a month. I did a lot of course specific training. I live by Zion and Kolob, and there is a canyon run down Kolob that is very downhill. I did all my long distance runs going down that hill (a 20, 18 and 13 miler). I did a lot of tempo runs, and I also did a lot of uphill training. I knew there are always unexpected hills, which this course had, and I wanted to be ready to make the switch of going downhill to uphill without loosing energy.

6. What advice would you give future runners?

   Besides race training, you have to eat right! I studied a lot about what to eat the week of because I didn't want any bathroom issues during the race, that just kills your time! I carb loaded for 3 days straight before the run and made sure to drink lots of water the whole week. The night before I had angel hair pasta with marinara sauce, simple with no extra fat to have to digest on the run. While I was running, I had a race band that was course specific which really helped, my friend made it for me. I just knew as I was running I needed to keep close to those times, which helped me not to go too fast.

7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

   There was a group of us friends running it together. We rented a condo through VRBO and ate at Olive Garden. After the run, we all got great times, so we rewarded ourselves with new pairs of LuLu Lemon running shorts and capris. We only live 2 hours away, so we went home. We're from the St. George Utah area.

Comments

1. Denny Pewsey June 17, 2017, 4:05 p.m. Great info, thanks! I will take your advice as I train for next years race. I qualified for Boston at St. George a few years ago, so I have high hopes for Mt. Charleston.

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Taniel Sullivan 2017 REVEL Mt Charleston Marathon Published: May 13, 2017, 7:03 a.m. 0 0

1. Overall Rating

   4/5 Stars

2. Describe your race day.

   Cold! And so windy.

3. Did you PR?

   Yes! By 35 minutes.

4. How would you describe the course?

   The first 13 miles are very steep. My knees were quite achy and I wanted some relief, a break from going down. But it just kept going down. The second 13 was a bit more gradual and I was able to pick up speed and get relief for my knees and muscles.

5. Tell us about your training.

   I ran a maximum 3 days a week and cross trained 2-3 days a week. Muscle building cross training is definitely beneficial in such a steep downhill race.

6. What advice would you give future runners?

   Train with as little Gü, shotbloks, caffeine helpers as possible. Use them if you need them for the race but don't be dependent on them. Stay off sugar, it causes too much inflammation and your joints will ache! Pay for good shoes. Good shoes can make or break a race.

7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

   We traveled from northern Nevada. We did some shopping, ate at great restaurants, and visited family.

Comments

1. Taniel Sullivan May 13, 2017, 7:05 a.m. The start line was incredibly disappointing. No music to pump you up. No national anthem. We didn't even know the starting gun went off. We just saw people leaving.

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Andrew Kim 2017 REVEL Mt Charleston Marathon Published: May 10, 2017, 10:14 a.m. 0 0

1. Overall Rating

   5/5 Stars

2. Did you PR?

   BQ

3. How would you describe the course?

   Easiest

4. Tell us about your training.

   Build caff and thigh muscle,
   Do speed training.
   

5. What advice would you give future runners?

   It was cold at start line.

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Carol Anderson 2017 REVEL Mt Charleston Half Marathon Published: May 9, 2017, 9:59 p.m. 1 0

1. Overall Rating

   5/5 Stars

2. Describe your race day.

   A year ago, Mt. Charleston was my first half marathon. I was very excited to see what I could do on (almost) the same course with a year of running under my belt. I was a bit worried because my training had fallen off a bit due to work obligations, but I built a race plan in my head and was excited to see how it would play out.

3. Did you PR?

   Yes! PR by 16 minutes (but prior PR was the Red Rock Canyon half, which has some crazy uphill sections). Also, my time was 22 minutes faster than last year at Mt. Charleston.

4. How would you describe the course?

   Beautiful scenery over the first 8 miles (downhill), then nice residential into the finish. Much better route over the last few miles than the 2016 course. (2016 course had an unfriendly uphill overpass and a slightly sketchy intersection.)

5. Tell us about your training.

   Sporadic leading up to the race, but I had been following a basic half marathon plan for my late February half marathon. Not a lot of downhill training though.

6. What advice would you give future runners?

   Bring layers while you wait for the start, but be ready to shed them before the race or pretty quickly into it. I took my long sleeve layer and beanie off by mile 3-4, and I am typically cold. Some friends didn't have enough layers at the start (and they were on one of the first buses), so they were not happy campers. Don't be tempted to go out too fast at the start, although pushing it a little bit due to the downhill assist isn't bad.

7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

   I am a Las Vegas local, so we all went out for a big brunch at Echo and Rig (Tivoli Village in Summerlin).

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Rene De la fuente 2017 REVEL Mt Charleston Marathon Published: May 7, 2017, 7:09 p.m. 0 0

1. Overall Rating

   5/5 Stars

2. Describe your race day.

   very exciting

3. Did you PR?

   no I was hurt maybe next year

4. How would you describe the course?

   the grade wsnt that bad

5. Tell us about your training.

   training was good till I got hurt

6. What advice would you give future runners?

   take care of injuries before u do any marathon

7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

   went to casinos and shoping after

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1. Rene De La Fuente May 7, 2017, 7:09 p.m. very organize I will do this again

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Joe Franco 2017 REVEL Mt Charleston Half Marathon Published: May 7, 2017, 6:49 p.m. 1 0

1. Overall Rating

   5/5 Stars

2. Describe your race day.

   HALF MARATHON Beautiful start into the sunrise. REVEL thought ahead and provided blankets and gloves for corral. Plenty of porta potties. First class busing. Early start good to keep from heating up the day. Felt great, ran by feel, not by my watch or phone. I was able to maintain pace throughout the race. My fastest mile was mile 13. A little competition near finish line pushed me to the end. Nice finish area, with enough massage folks and support.

3. Did you PR?

   (HALF) Set a PR at age 54 on this fast course. PR by 4 plus minutes. My previous PR was 1:44, but that was when I was 4 yrs younger. Prior to this race, my times had been slowing. I may have qualified for Boston had I completed the Full.

4. How would you describe the course?

   (HALF) Course is beautiful. Into the sunrise, with the snow on Mt Charleston shining in the sun. Interesting fauna along the course. Straight course, only a few turns that force some breaking. Cones in middle of lane were a hazard, but necessary for traffic. Downhill was NOT so steep that it caused breaking, jarring impacts. Slight rise mile 11 of the course separated some of the runners, which I liked.

5. Tell us about your training.

   I trained for a full marathon, in the event a slot opened up. Used a course that was mostly downhill, with a 2 mile uphill in the from mile 2 to 4 for a few long runs. I believe this was a difference maker. I would try to more speed training, I didn't think I had it in me. I would recommend longer (16-20 mile) training runs for seasoned runners, to build stamina for late push.

6. What advice would you give future runners?

   I would have tried to stay at the Mt Charleston Resort, or closer to the pickup area, had I not been staying with friends. Bring a disposable blanket to keep warm at start. I wore shorts, a no sleeve shirt and a technical hooded shirt, and was warming up near the end. For shoes, have your foot analyzed before buying, and buy local, they will normally exchange them if they do not work for you first week. Pray for the weather to be the same as this day!! It was absolutely perfect!!!

7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

   We spent time short hike at Red Rock Canyon, don't wear your running shoes hiking! Following the race we did some sight seeing. In the days following the race, I went out early and ran the Strip 8 mile round trip, ran the Hoover Dam Rail Trail, 8 mile round trip. Hiked to Mary jane Falls Mt Charleston (Snow on the trail, deer in the woods, and trail that can be done with effort. Hiked red Rock Red Spring. Geat rock formations, grippy rock surfaces for trail shoes.TAKE WATER WHEREVER you go, if you think you need 2, take 3 of 4. I kept a case in my rental car.Or use camelback. Travelled from Altoona PA

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Reggie Butt 2017 REVEL Mt Charleston Half Marathon Published: May 6, 2017, 2:21 p.m. 2 1

1. Overall Rating

   5/5 Stars

2. Describe your race day.

   The race organizers did a great job at expo, start and finish. It was like an event for runners by runners who knew what was important to make it memorable. I had to get up very early (middle of the night?) to take time to eat, prepare and drive to bus area. It was cold during the hour before the start, but it warmed up nicely after sunrise. Great food and immediate results at the finish area! Looking forward to running this event next year!

3. Did you PR?

   Yes! Was hoping for below 2:00 and did that easily

4. How would you describe the course?

   Beautiful, peaceful 1st 8 miles with nice surface and straight shot down. Miles 9 and 10 flatten out a little and are on the frontage road. At miles 11 and 12 or so it gets challenging with a slight longish uphill, then briefly flat before another short uphill over an overpass. Then the last mile or less is mentally relaxing with a nice downhill to finish. I had to be careful and steady during miles 11 and 12 to avoid tweaking a hamstring or calf. Overall a great course.

5. Tell us about your training.

   I was only able to run about a 4.5 mile stretch of the course for downhill training by running uphill then turning around. But it seemed easy to find a comfortable fast efficient groove without hurting anything so I just focused on regular half training.
   The grade is not extreme. I would advise not "over focusing" on downhill and instead to get in good shape by regular half training including long hilly courses. Your fitness will pay off during the last 3 miles of this race.

6. What advice would you give future runners?

   Bring layers of clothes to wear during the hour or so wait at the start area. You'll be glad you did! It is very easy to just put the clothes in the bag at the last minute so no worries. During the race you will warm up fast so either start a little cold or be ready to tie your top shirt/jac around your waist later on. I wore thin tights and didn't need them later in the run but they were no problem, and a definite plus during the wait. The weather this year was cooler and windier than usual, but the wind doesn't kick in until the sun is up for a while.
   Overall this is a great event that anyone would enjoy!

7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

   I live here so went home and relaxed.

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