This year I’m trying something new. Instead of just writing about the races I enter, I will be creating race day videos as well. They say a picture says a thousand words so I’m thinking videos must be close to a million.

This is the first one so please be gentle. They’ll only get better from here. After putting this together, I realized I really didn’t give a summation of the race at the end. Rest assured it was a good event and I’ll be running the sister event Running With the Devil in June. Big thanks to Calico Racing and Joyce Forier for another great race.

This past Saturday was the Red Rock Marathon and Half Marathon in Las Vegas and what a great event!!! This demanding course is well worth it for the scenery alone being run in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (just 20 minutes west of the Las Vegas Strip) but what makes it a great event is the event organizers – Calico Racing.

I ran this event last year and loved the organization and attention to details and this year exceeded my already high expectations. From packet pickups on both sides of the valley to the constant email updates runners were kept well informed. Since there is no parking at the Canyon itself, buses transport runners from the Red Rock Hotel & Casino to the starting line every 15-20 minutes. It’s a great place to meet new people and I’d like to give a shout out to Hobey from Seattle (in Las Vegas with his wife for their 25th wedding anniversary) and Bobby from Las Vegas (going for his Calico Slam) – my bus mates to and from the race.

With two starting lines – marathoners started at the finish while the half started at the other end – both were well equipped with food, water and bathrooms. Race director, Joyce Forier, personally sees to the start of both races and seemed to be everywhere at once. Around 600 participated in the half marathon (another 100+ ran the marathon) and while the start of the race was a little tight packed, the group was easily separated when the climbs started. The really cool thing about this race is when the marathoners (who start before the half) meet up with the half marathoners. Constant encouragement (both ways) could be heard up and down the line of runners and really gave the race a hometown feel.

Running this route often, there’s NO WAY I could handle the hills out and back and I’m very content running the route one way. With around 1,800 ft. in elevation change, this is definitely not a race to go hunting a PR on but the challenge of the long climbs and fast descents is a running reward in it’s own right. Since I’ve been hampered with injuries all year long, this race was going to just be a fun run for me. With all races, it didn’t end up that way and I bested my time from last year by over 8 minutes – no worse for wear.

Want to talk about food? By far, the best post race feed I’ve ever experienced. Waiting just past the finish line was the Salvation Army serving up eggs, pancakes, pasta and peach cobbler along with cookies, bagels, fruit, etc. I’m not usually hungry after races but there was not way I was going to pass up this feast.

Calico Racing puts on a series of events in and around Las Vegas. While I’ve only run the Red Rock races, I’m certainly going to sign up for more in the future. If you haven’t run a Calico race in Las Vegas yet, you’re missing out on great smaller races from a well organized and dedicated group of racing professionals.

RMFR

I received a nice email from Jeff Bockhorn, team captain for the 180 Energy Runners today. He sent me this press release and I wanted to share it with you.

Birren/Small Take Titles at Red Rock Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Races

On Saturday March 7, a small contingent of Anheuser-Busch’s 180 Energy Runners participated in the 2nd Annual Red Rock Canyon Marathon and Half just outside of the “Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada.” “The race director (Joyce Forier) said, ‘It’s hard, when you have some altitude… ’,” was the only warning given to these St. Louisians. Runners of the Red Rock pay a hefty price for their scenic run by having to climb within the park to a summit overlook at 4,771 feet above sea level.

Sean Birren was Anheuser-Busch’s top runner in the full marathon; he was challenged by defending Red Rock champion Dan Kuch, 34 of Lake Havasu City, AZ, also the winner of the 2008 Whiskey Row and Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathons. “The lead switched back an forth for the first half,” states Birren; however, Sean Birren was able to not only win the marathon but break the course record – his time  2:48:17.  

Jeff Bockhorn, team captain for the 180 Energy Runners claims, “The race was challenging from several angles, everyone ran their slowest marathon times, I think due to altitude, you had to summit 6 times. You went up and down – around 1000 feet climb. Not only were the hills, excuse me, mountains were a challenge but we had a head wind going out and just to be an additional challenge – I think the wind changed and we had a head wind returning – all you could do was laugh and enjoy the scenery.” Bockhorn states that he was extremely proud of his teammates – Sean Birren and Tyler Small.

Small, also was in a tight Half Marathon battle where the lead changed several times. “We were shoulder to shoulder for the first half of the half,” states Small, “I was able to pull away on the downhill section.” Small set the course record in 1:17:09.

 ”The race and the Red Rock Resort, treated us like family,” claims Bockhorn, “we had a blast.” After the race, it was just as much a challenge climbing the mountains and finding incredible waterfalls. We tried jogging the trails but they were more of a climb than a jog. We didn’t want to leave the desert – it was new to us – new challenges. When people think of Las Vegas, they think of gambling, I won’t think of that anymore – I’ll think of the mountains.”

RMFR

Pictured from left to right: Tyler Small, Sean Birren, Jeff Bockhorn and Joanne Bockhorn