Getting There: It was a 6pm start and the races recommended that all runners take the monorail to SLS which was great considering you don't have to deal with traffic and can just easily follow the crowds to figure out where to go. Once off the rail you just walk the hotel and casino and across the street to the starting line at the festival grounds.

Start Line:They really needed more signage. Several runners and myself included, had no idea which direction to really walk in since there was not an iconic start line arch, or signs directing us. I just happened to look up to see white balloons high in the sky with corral numbers and knew that was the they way to go.

Course:The 5k was flat, out and back, organized, and crowded… but still fun. It was the perfect shakeout run. Lots of entertainment and some pretty good views of the strip at the turnaround point. Only downside is when you’re running in, and you think you’re done, so you give it your all and it's dark and you can't see the tiny finish line… then you realize you're just running in a snake formation through the grounds to get to the finish. It's a tad bit misleading... I would've preferred this extra distance to be on the street, but the vibe was amazing so it was enough to help me power through.

Post Race: Standard fare, water, banana, granola bar... there were concessions open which gave you the option to buy food. There was also a headliner concert going on as well to keep the Vegas vibe going past the race.

Overall: Why not do this!? It's a perfect little shake out run in Vegas that really works to help build up the hype and excitement for the next events.