Las Vegas Marathon to draw from across globe

20,000 runners expected to participate

Almost 20,000 runners are expected to gather on Las Vegas Boulevard early Sunday morning for the second annual New Las Vegas Marathon.

The marathon, a standard 26.2 miles, will take the same route as last year, starting and ending in front of Mandalay Bay.

The course takes runners up Las Vegas Boulevard to Martin Luther King Boulevard, Smoke Ranch Road, and then down Torrey Pines Drive back toward the Strip.

Terry Collier, executive race director, said holding the run on the Strip makes it more visible.

Collier said 41 countries are being represented from every continent except Antarctica and there will be at least one runner from every state in the union.

He said 26 percent of the runners are from California and 21 percent from Nevada.

"It's so unique," Collier said. "You can spend a few days here before the marathon getting ready and a few days after relaxing."

The marathon, which begins at 6 a.m., will provide 53 entertainers for runners to enjoy along the way, including the Blue Man Group at the starting line, Cirque du Soleil performers at the finish line and gospel choirs at Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Also unique is the run-through wedding chapel.

At the fifth mile of the marathon, 26 to 30 couples will run up to the chapel to be married by a reverend who also is a member of a local runners' group, aptly called the RoadRunners.

The first couple to cross the finish line will win a night in the bridal suite at Mandalay Bay and a seven-day honeymoon in Tahiti.

This year, a half-marathon has been added. It will start at the same time and place as the full marathon but will take a different route at Casino Center Drive.

There is expected to be 10,000 runners in the half-marathon.

"The half-marathon was the No. 1 request last year presented to us," Collier said.

The first man and woman to cross the finish line in the full marathon will each win $15,000.

Women start the race about 15 minutes before the men based on their best times in other races.

A $50,000 prize will go to the one runner who has the best time minus the start difference.

There also is a local prize called the Clark County Challenge. The first male and female to cross the finish line will each receive $10,000.

"The local prize purse makes for a hometown hero, so to speak," Collier said.

Chris Mech, who is running his 11th marathon this weekend, said he is going for the Clark County Challenge.

The Desert Shores resident said he ran competitively in high school and college and then blew out his knee.

"After that I sat on the couch for 10 years," Mech said.

Mech said he got his knee fixed and then trained for the 2001 New York City Marathon.

"I felt my way through, learned a lot of things not to do and finished my first marathon in over three hours."

Mech is now the coach of a local marathon training group based out of the Centennial Hills running store Red Rock Running Company. He said his goal for the marathon is to finish in two hours and 50 minutes.

Support will be available along the entire race route.

The University of Nevada School of Medicine will have mobile medical stations throughout the event.

Every mile will have a watering station starting at mile 2.

Gatorade stations will be at every odd mile starting at mile 3.

Race clocks will be at all mile marks and Gu Energy Gel Zones will be at miles 18 and 22.

Collier said the marathon already is almost 5,000 runners ahead of last year's event in terms of participation, but there are still spaces available.

Runners must be registered in advance. The registration fee is $105 for the full marathon and $95 for the half-marathon.

Collier said organizers also are looking for volunteers. For more information, visit www.lvmarathon.com.