LV 1/2 Marathon

i've not run the 1/2 or the full LV thon, but this saturday i'm running the first 22 of the course to scout out the grade of the hills. i'll be glad to post a report on monday. with regards to the half i know of two guys who will be there to run 68/69-ish, and a buddy of mine who is undecided about full or half. if 1/2 thon i think he can run around or under 67 minutes, if full thon 2:20 neighborhood. although it would be his first. i believe that gene mitchell will be running the full to get under 2:22, with rich byrne pacing him through 20 or so....at least this is what i was told by rich at the NYC 'thon.

I was 7th in the 1/2 last year. The first 5(of the half) are a nice steady downhill on a straight road, it flattens from 5-8 at which is the hard part of the race. You turn off the main road at 8 miles and from 10 to the finish the course becomes downhill again. I'll probably run this year, hopefully about a minute faster though. Good luck.

I don't think LV is offering prize money this year.

I am going to the Valley of the Sun Half, March 9th (Phoenix, AZ). They course is faster, much more scenic and the Race Directors are offering some prize money this year.

I did the Valley of Sun Half last year and agree that it is faster than Vegas. Bring toilet paper to the start. Last year there weren't nearly enough port-a-toilets.

hey, sehon, where's our report???

I am hoping to run 5:10 to 5:15 pace. I know Gene Mitchell is doing the full, and I also heard some of the Philly track guys are running the half. I know Bonnette ran last year, and he is part of that group.

The race lacks corporate sponsorship and the RD has hostorically been a pud. This combination means no prize money. The only thing that attracts runners to this event is how downhill the course is, especially the half. I would recommend Valley of the Sun over Vegas knowing little about the former.

Is Callinan running? He is running well right now, he may have a shot of winning the half at vegas if he runs. Who else is running (half or full)

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Other than "fast" what can you tell me about the Valley of the Sun course, the race organization, etc.

Thanks again,

Tim Geldean

a group of 5 of us bucknell alums are going out from the east coast. i'm running the full. undecided about pace, but a shot at 2:22 is starting to look appealing. dave bronfenbrenner will be running the full or half. if he runs the full, we'll most likely be running together in the 2:22 pace neighborhood. his chancess of running under 2:22 are far better than mine, but his training lately has not been marathon geared. if he runs the half i think he can be at or under 65 minutes. 3 other guys coming out with us are running the half and should be in the 68 minute neighborhood.

as for my report of the course....well, i started my run on saturday from the starting line in jean, nv. the weather was 40 degrees, with light rain, and a very slight head wind. as the LVM website indicates the course rises oh so gradually for the first 9 miles. because visibility was s poor on saturday (about 2/3 of a mile) i couldn't see real far ahead to get a sense of weather or not the first 9 loom there over your head. i would imagine that on a clear day you can see the first 9 miles from the start line, as the race course does not turn an inch for the first 20.

i ran the first 5 as a warm-up, and then put on racing shoes for my tempo run. i wanted run run 5:30ish pace for 13.1. the first 4 miles (slight uphill) were 5:46, then 3 x 5:40. once the course peaks at 9, it is a slight downhill for 8 miles. i thought that it would be noticeable downhill to my legs and my eyes. it really wasn't to either. again, becasue of poor visibility on saturday i didn't get the "you can see las vegas from the 9 mile mark effect," which some claim can be a psychologic barrier in the race. without changing my effort though (from the first 4 miles) my fifth mile was 5:11. all 8 of donhill-ish miles were between 5:10 and 5:20. i think i averaged 5:13's going down. the course begins to level off between 17 and 18 and is pretty pancake flat all the way home. as i'm sure you've heard, there is nothing out on the course. it is a boring and lonely place out there. he who runs alone in the race will have nothing but there thoughts. the desert scenery gets a bit old after a mile or so, and the road does not turn an inch. i imagine it would be a little nicer on a clear day, but overcast would be better for racing.

there's the report. guys from philly who are going out, when are you leaving and where are you staying? we're going out friday am (land around 10) and are staying at mgm.

merry x-mas......sehon

I'm running the full. I think I can take a good crack at 2:20. I hope there are a bunch of guys willing to put it on the line for the first 20 miles. I ran it last year. I found that going conservative for the first 6 or 7 miles is wise, considering the course is designed for negative splits. Again, there is no prize money, but I've never met anyone who planned to win money in Las Vegas? I'll see ya'll on Feb 2.

VOS is perhaps one of the fastest half marathon course in the country...with some prize $$$ this year, this should be a GREAT race, with a GREAT field! The marathon course is quite fast as well...last year Collins won it with a 2:17, and Malone won with a 2:56 (she had just finished in the money at Motorola just 3 weeks prior) If you are in more specifics, drop me an email...I am involved with the race, and would like to help you out however I can! But well organzied, fast course, and good weather (the odds are better in Phoenix than anywhere else!) Check out the website at

www.valleyofthesunmarathon.com

Happy Running!

I ran it one year. My first mile was under 4:50. I thought that was pretty fast until I looked up and saw a female in front of me. My thighs were thrashed for a week.

I will be leaving Fri and arriving at LV at noon. I will be staying at Bally's, then moving to Circus Circus on Sunday. I am a BMRC man, not a Philly track club though I know some of those guys well. I believe Callinan is running the US champs in Mobile, so I doubt a 1/2 is in the cards when that marathon is a week or two away

mummer,

drop me a line if you'd like. will you be heading out to LV solo? you'll be more than welcome to join up with the group of us. i live in wayne and know most of you BMRC guys. hope all's well......sehon