Las Vegas: A Running Community?
San Jose, California it is not…but let’s not write off “Sin City” just quite yet.
Bert Sperling of Sperling’s BestPlaces culled data on 50 U.S. cities from both public and private sources and tested each city against 50 select measures in five major categories: physical activity, health status, nutrition, lifestyle pursuits, and mental wellness. Here’s the MSN link.
In this study, Las Vegas is ranked #42 and I think the city gets a bad rap. Yes it is true that we have 24-hour gambling, drinking and general debauchery (enjoyed mostly by out-of-state visitors). We also have 24-hour gyms, suitable weather and loads of Californian transplants – bringing their active lifestyles and healthy regimens with them.
With a Convention Authority that likes to taut and promote an “unhealthy” lifestyle, it’s no wonder most health analyses of Las Vegas would be negative. If I have to see another “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” commercial, I may decide to throw my running shoe at the television (but I digress). If you lived here and saw the amount of people out running and biking on a Saturday morning, you would definitely draw a different picture in your head at the mention of Las Vegas.
While runners are outnumbered 20-1 by cyclists, I couldn’t believe the amount of runners I saw Saturday morning. While the number of us crazy runners at 6:00 a.m. haven’t increased (love the number of hard core faces on my long runs), the shear number of people out running in the mornings is inspiring. From mothers and their daughters to groups of men running/walking on the sidewalk has me believing that it’s a turn for the better. What once was a playground for gamblers at the table is slowly progressing into a playground for the healthy at heart.
With the growing number of running clubs and events (Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas had nearly 23,000 participants), I’m hoping this trend keeps picking up speed and we’ll see Las Vegas move up this top 50 list in years to come.
RMFR
Tags: Bert Sperling, California, Healthy City's, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Nevada, Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Marathon, San Jose, Sin City