Hello! I just ran the Rock N Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon and have so many tips, pics and fun to recap! I’m going to start with the race expo and hotel – and I’ll be back soon with the run, what I ate and other thoughts on the race known as Strip At Night [#StripAtNight or #RnRLV on Instagram].
Did you run it? Let me know!
[ This post is about the travel side of my race weekend. Running and nutrition tips are coming soon – plus a video. If you want more on that now check out my instagram @RunEatRepeat ]
Okay…
now let’s talk travel, hotel, logistics and food in Las Vegas.
Traveling to Las Vegas:
I flew from Orange County to Las Vegas easy peasy. It’s a 1 hour flight or a 4 hour drive (depending on traffic).
I’ve done both the drive and flight many times before – going to Vegas is a common road trip when you live in Southern California. Flying vs. Driving depend on who I’m traveling with. There are pros and cons to both. Sometimes the timing of driving vs. flying is about the same with the logistics of getting to the airport/security/etc. But leaving out of the OC airport aka John Wayne is close and fast compared to LAX so it was great.
Packing for the Race:
Packing for Las Vegas and packing for a half marathon… since it was trip for RUN and FUN stuff I had to make sure I had everything I needed for the race PLUS stuff to go out.
Usually when I travel for a race I keep it simple with comfy, casual clothes. But Las Vegas sometimes requires un-comfy shoes and 4 different kinds of eyeliner.
What I packed for the race (clockwise):
Brooks Happy Pace bag – used as my purse for the plane // floral body suit // belt // comfy jacket // gallon sized bag with running essentials // running shoes // comfy clothes // nude heels // all packed in my pink carry on for short trips.
* Check out my Race Day Packing List for more on how to pack for a destination race *
When I got to Las Vegas I went to the hotel to drop off my stuff before hitting up the expo.
I stayed at the Paris Hotel & Casino on the Strip. It’s a super fun hotel right in the center of the strip – prime location for almost anything you want to do! Plus, there’s online casino like www.UFABET.com ลิ้งเข้าระบบ, so you can continue the excitement even when you’re not on the casino floor.
The room was standard – big bed, desk, sitting area, mini-fridge, iron, hair dryer, shower & tub (my last few hotels have only had a shower and I brought Epson salts for a bath – it’s a great post-race recovery practice).
Race Tip: Unpack when you get to where you’re staying BEFORE going to the expo.
Lay out what you’ll wear for the run and from head to toe check that you have everything. This way if you forgot anything you can try to get it at the expo.
A lot of people lay out their “Flat Runner” before a race and share it on Facebook and / or Instagram.
What is a Flat Runner?
Flat Runner = Running gear laid out from head to toe before a race or run. It looks like a runner laying flat on the ground (or whatever you laid your clothes on).
You don’t have to wait until the night before to do this and it gives you the chance to make sure you have everything…
The Rock N Roll Race expos are always pretty big and exciting!
And Brooks is a main sponsor of the RnR Race Series so they have an entire store of running shoes, running gear and stuff with the race location/name on it. I’m a big fan of Brooks so I loved this!
The tie-die rainbow shoes are still one of my favorites and I saw them everywhere!
*It looks like they’re not selling those anymore but there are a lot of fun designs on the Brooks Launch 6 here. *
Hello and the Night-Life Gear! Make sure you have running gear that’s visible in low light and dark conditions – be safe!
After the expo I took my stuff back to the hotel then it was time to enjoy Las Vegas! There’s so much to do and see and EAT in Vegas!!
The Paris Hotel has a ton of amazing food and drink options. (So many of the hotels do – there are tons of options!)
You can sit outside for dinner and watch tons of people pass by – everyone’s in a fun mood. I’ve had a lot of delicious food in Las Vegas on past trips – it’s definitely another reason to visit.
Love when the garnish is edible! My fancy drink had an edible flower in it!!
There’s a restaurant in the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower too!
They have fancy cocktails and an amazing view of the strip.
This cocktail has egg white in it – that means it’s healthy, right?
It’s basically a smoothie…
Fun fact: I’ve never been to a big Las Vegas show like Cirque de Sole or Britney Spears or J Lo… I’ve visited Vegas so many times I’m kinda surprised.
Next time. Maybe.
Tell me if there’s a MUST SEE show I have to get tickets for next time.
Speaking of next time…
The race and what I ate on race day before the half marathon post is coming up next!
Question: Have you been to Las Vegas?
What’s your favorite thing to do there??
Want more? Check out these posts for more tips and info:
What I Ate Before the RnR Las Vegas Half Marathon
Half Marathon Training Plan & Packing List
Last Minute Race Day Tips – post & podcast episode 21
Travel Tips for Running an International Marathon or Half Race
Rock N Roll Arizona Discount Code:
Save $15 on the Half or Full Marathon or $7 on the 5K or 10K with these codes!
Just saw Absinthe in Vegas and it was AMAZING– like Cirque du Soleil’s raunchy cousin. SO FUN!
I was there too! Wish I knew you were there!! I stayed at the Luxor which was not in a good location for the race. Next time I will definitely stay near the center of the strip.
I did have the absolutely best buffet in Vegas. It was at the Cosmopolitan. SO good. Although we didn’t go to any shows this trip, I highly recommend ANY of the Cirque de Soleil shows. They are amazing. Also, the Blue Man Group is super fun.
I saw the Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show the last time I was there and it was amazing. Even as a casual MJ fan I loved it! Definitely recommend