Overall Production: Surprisingly this is the only race that routinely occurs on the actual 4th of July in the area (although there are others in the days before and after). … MORE
Overall Production:
Surprisingly this is the only race that routinely occurs on the actual 4th of July in the area (although there are others in the days before and after). As a result, it has a good amount of participation despite being small (289 total runners).
Packet Pick-up:
Packets consisted of nothing but the T-shirt and race bib in a nice reusable plastic bag. Pick-up was offered for three hours the day before at a 24 Hour Fitness on the north side of Las Vegas. However, they also offered race day pick-up an hour before the race started. Lines never seemed long for race day pick-up and it was clearly the best option.
Swag (T-Shirts):
The provided shirt was a simple cotton one (see attached picture). However, they really like the logo that they went with this year. I’ve seen some of the shirts from previous years and they certainly upped the ante this time around. It might not be a shirt I wear for runs or races in the future – but it’s a good looking shirt that I’ll certainly wear.
Pre-Race Administration:
This park, and this course, are common stops for race companies to use for 5Ks. A previous run I did at this exact same park had 463 racers and the limited bathroom facilities of the park became outright overwhelmed. With almost 200 fewer racers at this event, we never saw the same problems. They also did a good job of getting the DJ going early and routinely giving updates on when the race would start. It was all very timely and the race started on time and without a hitch.
The Course:
As I said, the course itself was one that has been used time and time again for 5Ks. It’s a great fast and flat course that I’ve now PR’d on two different times (including today). Total elevation rise on the course is only about 40 feet, and it’s a mix of some paved and some nicely groomed, non-technical trails. They call the course type a “lollipop” where the first 3/4 mile is repeated on the way out and back, but the rest of the course is a loop that returns you back to that section. As far as scenery, that repeated section is by far the best, with a small lake, shade trees and geese and ducks. The loop portion of the course is a trail around a depression used for water overflow (not the most exciting).
Water and Aid Stations:
They had one aid station at the half-way mark that offered water. Nothing fancy, but with it only being a 5K that’s all we really needed.
Crowd Support:
Minimal. This is a really small race that largely runs around a drainage resevoir. There just aren’t that many people out and about on the course. But as you approached the finish, the DJ was doing a great job and made a point to call out everybody’s name as they finished.
Finisher’s Medal:
So the two knocks against the medal are that it’s one of the smaller ones I’ve ever received, and also the ribbon is boring and generic. With THAT being said, I thought the design of the medal was exceptional. It essentially just replicates this year’s race logo, but as I’ve already indicated with the t-shirt, I think they did an exceptional job on that this year. It displays the Las Vegas strip with fireworks going on overhead. Sometimes medals can get too busy and include too many elements into a small space, so the simple race logo medal is usually a winner. When that logo is a good one, it makes it a truly fun medal. I’ll include a picture. Good job!
Post-Race Snacks:
They had many of the usuals you’d expect. Water, apples, bananas and some granola bars. I did not see any gatorade or similar type products though. It worked, but it wasn’t a strength of the race.
Results:
They had several kiosks on site where you could type in your bib number and instantly check your results (as well as placement relative to your AG, sex, et al) after finishing. By the time I got home, the results were already posted to the website as well. That’s all I ask. Excellent job.
History of the Event:
The event was put on by a company called “Xtreme Timing.” I’ve never heard of them of run any of their races. Apparently they only put on one other race in the Vegas area. That being said, this is the 4th year for this event and I talked to several other people that have run it in the past and had good things to say.
So would I do it again?
Yes, I probably would. As I said before, I’ve PR’d twice on this course – so it definitely works for me. Also, there aren’t any other runs that occur on the 4th of July (other runs happened on the 3rd and the 5th this year). I love the idea of running the morning of the holiday and not on another day nearby. Lastly, there was a solid t-shirt and medal. Plenty to like about this one.
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Small race, fast course
Overall Production: Surprisingly this is the only race that routinely occurs on the actual 4th of July in the area (although there are others in the days before and after). … MORE
Overall Production:
Surprisingly this is the only race that routinely occurs on the actual 4th of July in the area (although there are others in the days before and after). As a result, it has a good amount of participation despite being small (289 total runners).
Packet Pick-up:
Packets consisted of nothing but the T-shirt and race bib in a nice reusable plastic bag. Pick-up was offered for three hours the day before at a 24 Hour Fitness on the north side of Las Vegas. However, they also offered race day pick-up an hour before the race started. Lines never seemed long for race day pick-up and it was clearly the best option.
Swag (T-Shirts):
The provided shirt was a simple cotton one (see attached picture). However, they really like the logo that they went with this year. I’ve seen some of the shirts from previous years and they certainly upped the ante this time around. It might not be a shirt I wear for runs or races in the future – but it’s a good looking shirt that I’ll certainly wear.
Pre-Race Administration:
This park, and this course, are common stops for race companies to use for 5Ks. A previous run I did at this exact same park had 463 racers and the limited bathroom facilities of the park became outright overwhelmed. With almost 200 fewer racers at this event, we never saw the same problems. They also did a good job of getting the DJ going early and routinely giving updates on when the race would start. It was all very timely and the race started on time and without a hitch.
The Course:
As I said, the course itself was one that has been used time and time again for 5Ks. It’s a great fast and flat course that I’ve now PR’d on two different times (including today). Total elevation rise on the course is only about 40 feet, and it’s a mix of some paved and some nicely groomed, non-technical trails. They call the course type a “lollipop” where the first 3/4 mile is repeated on the way out and back, but the rest of the course is a loop that returns you back to that section. As far as scenery, that repeated section is by far the best, with a small lake, shade trees and geese and ducks. The loop portion of the course is a trail around a depression used for water overflow (not the most exciting).
Water and Aid Stations:
They had one aid station at the half-way mark that offered water. Nothing fancy, but with it only being a 5K that’s all we really needed.
Crowd Support:
Minimal. This is a really small race that largely runs around a drainage resevoir. There just aren’t that many people out and about on the course. But as you approached the finish, the DJ was doing a great job and made a point to call out everybody’s name as they finished.
Finisher’s Medal:
So the two knocks against the medal are that it’s one of the smaller ones I’ve ever received, and also the ribbon is boring and generic. With THAT being said, I thought the design of the medal was exceptional. It essentially just replicates this year’s race logo, but as I’ve already indicated with the t-shirt, I think they did an exceptional job on that this year. It displays the Las Vegas strip with fireworks going on overhead. Sometimes medals can get too busy and include too many elements into a small space, so the simple race logo medal is usually a winner. When that logo is a good one, it makes it a truly fun medal. I’ll include a picture. Good job!
Post-Race Snacks:
They had many of the usuals you’d expect. Water, apples, bananas and some granola bars. I did not see any gatorade or similar type products though. It worked, but it wasn’t a strength of the race.
Results:
They had several kiosks on site where you could type in your bib number and instantly check your results (as well as placement relative to your AG, sex, et al) after finishing. By the time I got home, the results were already posted to the website as well. That’s all I ask. Excellent job.
History of the Event:
The event was put on by a company called “Xtreme Timing.” I’ve never heard of them of run any of their races. Apparently they only put on one other race in the Vegas area. That being said, this is the 4th year for this event and I talked to several other people that have run it in the past and had good things to say.
So would I do it again?
Yes, I probably would. As I said before, I’ve PR’d twice on this course – so it definitely works for me. Also, there aren’t any other runs that occur on the 4th of July (other runs happened on the 3rd and the 5th this year). I love the idea of running the morning of the holiday and not on another day nearby. Lastly, there was a solid t-shirt and medal. Plenty to like about this one.