I was excited to cross this race off of my bucket list and overall, it lived up to its expectations. I arrived from the East Coast on Saturday morning and headed straight to the Expo. The parking was a bit of a mess but they redeemed themselves by the fact that it was free. Bib pickup was easy and my running buddy was also (somewhat easily) able to change to be in the same corral as me. They organized the corrals into colors with a dozen or so corrals in each one. I didn't realize just how massive this race was until that point.

Expo:
Lots of vendors with a ton of variety in products. A couple of energy providers (Honey Stinger, woot woot!), and some other fun freebies. I liked the variety of quality brands, especially as some offered Expo discounts. If you forgot something, you could likely find it here. Would have loved to see more reflective or light up items given the location and the only beef I had was a super aggressive security guard when we were leaving the bib pick-up area.

Race Swag:
Just the standard RnR shirt but I liked the design for this one (I've done quite a few RnR races and the designs and colors can be hit or miss). A couple of coupons in the bag but nothing else really exciting. I guess the pre-race 'concert' could be considered part of the swag but more on that with race day logistics.

Race Day:
This was the first time I had done an evening race so planning for that was foreign. I definitely could have made better decisions for lunch because my stomach was not happy with me 10 miles in. We stayed off the strip with family and knew driving to the runner drop off would have some traffic. We did not expect an hour of traffic. Getting anywhere near the Hard Rock was a joke so we eventually jumped out of the car and ran to the race festival. We heard Capital Cities just as they played their hit, Safe and Sound which was enough for me. I had worn the wristband from the bib pick-up but it fell off multiple times as we were heading in, and I saw a ton of them littered on the street during the race. They might want to reconsider the company they used for that one. I've had plenty of festival bracelets and never had that problem before. Thankfully I didn't seem to need it as we missed the festival due to the traffic. We arrived just in time to be funneled into the blue corral. It was tight trying to squeeze into our actual corral number, but from what it sounds like from other reviewers, this was a new way of operating compared to last year. It makes sense for security purposes but could probably have been planned out a little better so people could get to their spot in time.

Race:
The first 3 miles of the race were the most uneventful. You ran out to the Welcome to Las Vegas sign and there was little activity, music or much of anything else. Around mile 2 you turn around and make your way back to the strip. That was a relief because at mile 4 you finally had music and spectators which made the race so much more entertaining. I had a great time from that point on; just from people watching and enjoying the sites on the strip. The course itself was super flat and I felt that the water/gatorade was just the right frequency. In fact, it was on the heavy side where I was surprised at the amount. But I didn't mind that at all given the dry weather. The only thing that would have been nice was more porta-potties. They had one, maybe two max every few miles and they had LONG lines. I was surprised by how unprepared they were for that and at some point during the latter half, I didn't see any. I don't usually look for them on the course but the lines themselves made them very noticeable whenever you passed one.

I went in a little disappointed that there wouldn't be as many road markers or inflatables (as communicated in an email earlier in the day) due to anticipated wind. I love that part of the RnR experience as few races really take it to the extreme like they do. So I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount that I did, especially because it turned out to be a perfect evening with very little wind. The music stations and performances were also perfectly spaced after you got through the first few miles.

Post-Race:
Chocolate milk has become one of my favorite post-race treats so I was excited that they were there. Aside from that I was a little disappointed by the pretzels and Pringles. That and Quaker bars... and apparently over-ripe bananas (I passed on that). Meh, that was just ok but I don't really go for that aspect. I do have to give a shout-out to the medical tent for the amazing ice pack they strapped on to my knee. I was sore from running a full marathon the week before and my knee wasn't going to let me forget it. The medical tent at the finish line had me in and out in minutes. It was the longest finisher's chute ever to hobble through, but it seemed to help with crowd control.

Overall:
Really, it's a fun race. Rock N Roll is definitely in the business of making money and you can buy all the branded souvenirs and Brooks gear you want at the expo. Of all the races I've done, this expo was the largest or close (comparable to Disney). This course was flat and well supported with entertainment and aid. The medal is probably one of my favorite ones that I've received. I love the moveable deck of cards...it's a fun little extra from an overall enjoyable race.