Where to begin....
This was my very first marathon as well ad my first BIG race. 47,000+ runners were in Vegas this weekend! The entire Las Vegas strip was closed off for this event. It's a nighttime run (start time is 4:30pm), so you get to enjoy the night-life and lights. It's like a 26.2 mile long party.

The organization that goes into this is amazing a fine tuned. The expo is unbelievable! We spent the entire day looking through all the booths, wanting to buy everything, and taking pictures.

As for transportation, we stayed at a hotel on the strip (purposefully near the FINISH line) and took the monorail (highly suggested) everywhere else. So, if you're staying on the strip, transportation isn't an issue. Everything is close-by, but the monorail will save you a 30-minute walk everywhere. or, for a pricier option, you can always grab a cab)

The swag was perfect. A nice tech-tee, nice blingy spinny medal, lots of goodies at the expo, and a super rad marathon finishers jacket for marathoners. BIG THING for me here was that you could CHANGE your shirt size AND jacket size if needed! There was an area to switch your shirt (because if you're like me you picked a large but need a small) AND a place to try on the marathoner's jacket so that you are completely satisfied with your hard-earned swag after crossing that finish line. I was really, really thankful for this. I am 5'11" but a stick, so I never know if I need a small or large.

The ENERGY. It was amazing. EVERYONE is out on the sidewalks and overhead on bridges cheering. There were so many emotions that evening. I couldn't help but smile practically the whole way (OK, maybe not miles 19-25...) and come close to tears, overwhelmed with emotion.

The course was fairly flat with just slight incline and decline throughout. The start and finish were a tiny bit down-hill, which was nice. No drastic change in elevation, though (yay!). Just watch out for potholes. I witness one face-plant and my friend twisted her ankle. I had no major issues with that, though.

It was dark for the majority of the run, but the streets were well-lit from all the casinos and night life. Any non-lit areas (some of the course is off the strip) were lit by race management. There was one spot I encountered that was pitch black - maybe a light went out or something. Not really a need for a headlamp or anything in my opinion with all the lights, but I saw one or two people wearing them. I'm sure it helped in that one 20 foot area.

Overall, this race was phenomenal. I would definitely recommend it to someone and it was an amazing, unforgettable first marathon experience.