5/5 Stars

I was so nervous for the race! Everyone was so friendly, the buses were so comfortable and the start area was well organized. It calmed my nerves and helped me settle in my groove. Early in the race I found the 3:40 pacer and she was just spot on. I stayed with her the whole race, and she took me to my BQ. The hill at 24 was brutal!! My watch actually read 27.5 miles at the end. I wonder if the race was longer than 26.2, but regardless I got my BQ. I've run The NYC marathon, Big Sur 4 times, Paris once and Azusa twice. This was my favorite course of all of these. I absolutely loved it and can't wait to do it again!

Yes!! It was a 20 minute PR for me!! I finally got my BQ with a time of 3:43:54 (I'm 42).

I would describe the course as gradual downhill with 4 uphill segments. It didn't feel like it was torturing my quads. It was beautiful!! I was so surprised at all of the gorgeous scenery.

I have trained consistently for 3 years with MAF heart rate training and have decreased my marathon time from 4:14 in NYC in 2015 to 3:43 at the Revel Mt Charleston Marathon in 2017. I was in the 4 hour range at Azusa in 2015 and 2016.

I would say prepare yourself for windy conditions. Train for gradual downhill. It never felt like huge downhill.

I loved that it was in Vegas. We had some great dinners and caught a show after we ran the marathon. I was traveling from Portland OR. I've run 3 Revel races- 2 at Azusa, then this at Revel Mt Charleston. I'm sold on Revel races. Downhill running is for me!

5/5 Stars

It was great. Who ever organized this event did an awesome job. From parking to leaving the race. Stations and inspirational messages were great!

Yes.

Great challenge

Didn't train enough for downhill

Train down hill running

Went to water park

5/5 Stars

The scenery is definitely the best thing about this race. The first 21 miles are totally beautiful. Even when i wanted to quit in mile 16, the views kept me going. To start by a snow-capped mountain and finish by a more desert type nature, was incredible.

Yes. I was shooting to qualify for Boston but came up short. Managed to get a PR by 3 minutes, even though I was not totally well trained. I give credit to the fast downhill course for sure.

It is fast for sure. 21 miles of a gentle downhill helps to run about 20 seconds below your normal pace. The scenery is beyond beautiful and the volunteers and officials did a great job to make this race one of my favorite ones. The elevation is not an issue, as you come down significantly from the start to the finish line. I even felt like I had a second wind around mile 20, since the oxygen was a little richer.

My only suggestion will be to either start the half marathon sooner, maybe around 6:00am so that the fast marathoners do not have to fight over water in the water stations with the slower half marathoners who tend to be walking around the water stations or even stopping next to them; or to make the water stations a lot longer. Currently there are only two tables per station, one for water and one for gatorade, maybe it should be 6 tables long, so fast marathoners do not get the traffic.

For example, a marathoner than finishes in less than 3:15:00, hits a very large traffic of half marathoners starting at mile 20 or so.

Again, a simple starting time adjustment for the half will solve this issue, or making the water stations a bit wider.

My training cycle was not perfect for this race. Lost about 10 weeks due to a car accident in December. So I had to substitute by doing aqua-jogging for 5 weeks, and my real training was only 9 weeks on the road. I wanted to train a lot more running downhill, but only managed to do two 10-mile runs.

Since my foot was injured, I did a lot of bike riding uphill to prepare my quads for the pounding. I believe I did around 60 miles on the bike each week.

For my next Revel race, i will do at least 8 downhill runs. My quads were not dead during the rae, but they are totally shot now, even 3 days after the race.

Do not overdress. Even if the race starts in the 30's, the sun is up and it will be 20-40 degrees hotter by the time you make it to mile 18. I ran in short and a short-sleeved shirt. Wore hats and a ear cover, which I removed around mile 3.

Train your quads, and trsut your training. If you feel like going fast, do go fast. The course allows for a fast pace. Even if you are not used to altitude, the low temperatures and the fact that you are gaining oxygen with each step that you take, should make it a no issue; even for sea level runners.

The typical Vegas strip fun. But I did make an effort to drive to the South Rim (5 hours away from Vegas) to see the Grand Canyon. Even took a helicopter ride to see this beautiful sight.

4/5 Stars

I ran a marathon the week prior and it was my worst overall performance in a marathon. I had something to prove to myself and took 32 minutes off my previous weeks overall time and had my fastest ever marathon of 3:45:23 at almost 51 years of age.

Yes, PRed by 32 min with an official time of 3:45:23 and I did qualify for my third Boston Marathon.

Fantastic course. Even thought it's down hill it's not as easy as everyone may think speed can be your frenemy.

I run a lot of hills and have 19 weeks of training. I wouldn't do anything differently and my advice would be to train, train, train your body and mind as well as do some downhill training runs about a month or month and a half out.

A week earlier start getting up earlier than usual as to acclimate yourself for the early bus times. Run with a pacer if you're trying to BQ. Eat pasta or potato the night before and plan on a taking a couple of salt packets on the course. Tie shoes to lock in your heal to avoid blisters under toenails or anywhere else as well as loosing any toenails.

I live locally

5/5 Stars

Perfect day

Yes, 19 minute PR and BQ'd by 7 minutes

trained and ran on a keto diet- no carbs before the race and just small amount of sugar along with ketones to fuel. Better results without gi issues and less lactic acid build up/

Never give up on your dreams

5/5 Stars

It was a PR race for me!!! Nuff said!!!

Yaaassss

Beautiful. Don't let the downhill fool you!! It was tough!!!

I would probably use a treadmill to simulate the grade. I do not have access to similar downward hill!

Enjoy!!! Practice downhill running techniques and strength train to strengthen quads.

Took a 3 mile run on the course a couple of days before the race. Went reveling at the Sugar factory and Sake Roc after the race!!! Highly recommend !!!

5/5 Stars

Chilly at the start but well organized and fun.

Yes, by 6 minutes

Scenic!

12 week plan, I was prepared

5/5 Stars

Fun; beautiful scenery; 1st 8 miles are downhill course; body shock on mile 10 uphill;

Yes-previous time was Napa Destination race at 2:43 and this race was 2:42;
Could have improved on that time by a few more minutes;

Very fun; relaxing downhill running for the 1st 8 miles;
Beautiful scenery; thankful for the city police protection throughout the course;

Weekend running long miles; 3-4 miles during week; Treadmill training as well;
I would maintain same training for this race;
We do not want to get spoiled by downhill racing only!

Be prepared to use muscles for downhill running;
Endurance training still required;

We traveled from Boulder Colorado;
We stayed at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino which was perfect for the race;
We flew in on Thursday; walked the strip Thursday night;
Weather in city was very windy and cool; could not relax at the pool!
Thanks for a great race and a great weekend!

4/5 Stars

The race went great for the first 21 miles. The downhill was perfect, not too steep or pounding to the legs. The out and back was horrible, the wheels fell off at the out and back! Please put that back to where is it was before. The hill at 23/24 was tough, but would be doable without the out and back. Finish line was weird going around corner and then trying to gain speed to the finish. Please consider changing that as well.

I did not PR on the race, but I know if I hadn't given up on the horrible out and back I could have gotten a PR. I will be back to chase that PR!

I think the course was perfect, EXCEPT the horrible out and back and the sharp corner at the finish line. Those need to be changed. I would really like to come back next year, but hope those issues would be changed.

Trained for downhill, and did squats and lunges trying to strengthen legs.

Need to run downhill during training to prepare legs for race.

Just spent quality time with running group sitting by the pool.

5/5 Stars

The race was perfect. I thought it would be freezing the first half of the race but it wasn't.

Yes! I hit my PR by 30 min!! Yes I qualified for Boston. I finished at 3:29

The course was beautiful. The downhill was nice because it was so gradual.

I ran 3 days a week. I did most of my training on the treadmill.