Initially, I was not going to run the Halloween Half-Marathon. While my goal is to work up to run a lot more half-marathons over the next year, I have been training towards running the Rock N Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon in November. Yet when Groupon sends a coupon for $15 off, and the race is already on sell on Groupon. It is very tempting to just go for it. Well, I did! Here is my race review of the Halloween Half Marathon 2018.
Packet Pick Up
The packet picket was at the Fiesta in Henderson NV. There was no expo, or event other than small tables set up to pass out the 5k race number, and the Half-Marathon race numbers. One table was set up for the 5K, and the Half-Marathon was on the other table, but the signs were not visible until you reached the front of the line.
They were accommodating and quick at picking up the race number and swag bag. For good or bad they just asked for your name (no waver, or ID check) and would mark you off the list. I was in and out, picking up my number in about 5 minutes.
They did give me an XL race shirt when I ordered a large and nothing but a face paint kit was in the swag bag. I was slightly disappointed because the race shirt, while I like the design, was just a regular cotton shirt, so not something I would even use to train in.
Before The Race
They bused half marathon runners to the starting line, so we had to arrive between 5 am and 6:15 am to get transported to the start. It took me about 30 minutes to drive to Henderson, and I parked and got onto the buses at about 5:15 am. I was about the 3rd person on the bus, no shocker that I am there early for anyone that knows me. They waited for the bus to fill up before sending us to the starting line.
There was an overall lack of communication from the race organizers before the event. They didn’t tell us how long we would wait on the bus or what to expect once we arrived at the bus drop off.
Just a short quick trip from Henderson to the outside of Boulder City. We were dropped off at the starting line. It looked like they were setting up some sound system at our arrival at about 6:00 am at the starting line. We all just hung out for a bit with no clue no clear communication from the race organizers. Then about 6:30 they had the sound going and started playing Halloween music.
They offered a gear check but did not list it on their website. (Or if they did I missed that they were offing a gear check) About 10 minutes before the race was about to start is when they asked us to get behind the starting line.
The best thing about before the race is they would walk around and took a bunch of photos they said they would be putting up on their website. (at the time of this writing nothing was currently up)
The race was spouse to start at 7:00 yet a bus arrived late, and we didn’t start till about 7:15. The countdown and the guy talking was less than entertaining. But in all honesty, I have only run big events so far in my half-marathon / marathon running. So this smaller event was a new thing for me. There were just 170ish people running. Then we started.
The Course
The course was all downhill mostly. There were a few small uphill moments and some rolling hills. The course followed the railroad tracks from Bounder City out to Henderson. The course was mostly on a bike path the whole time. It was fun seeing other people using the race course during a race. In my review YouTube video, you can see many cyclist and other runners passing us going the opposite direction.
If you enjoy the desert, this race has fantastic views. We ran mostly east or north throughout the race so as the sun was coming up it was mostly to our back. Except for the first mile.
The Aid Stations
There was no medical aid station at all on the course. There was a handful of water and Gatorade sessions. Yet for most of them, you had to stop and fill your own drink. They had vo, and towards the end of the race they were passing out drinks. They did not pass out an electrolytic gue, but they did have candy on all the tables.
The Weather
It was cold (low 60’s) at the starting line, before the race. There was a slight breeze, and luckily I was dressed as Harry Potter, so my cloak kept me warm. As the race started it slowly warmed up from the mid 60’s at the start of the race to 70’s at the end of the run. About mile 5 is when I started to feel really warm in my cloak.
Finnish
I was the only runner finishing the half marathon at the moment I finished. There was a small crowd around the finish line but didn’t seem too focused on cheering on the runners.
Once you crossed the finish line, you had to walk to a table to get your medal. There were donuts, small bottles of water and non-cold chocolate milk. Nothing was around at the finish other than one place to take your photo.
The Medal
The medal is cool looking being based on the classic Halloween monsters.
Fun Factor
Since I have run a lot of rundisney races in the past, I have seen a lot of people wearing costumes when running. While I have never really cosplayed while running this race was the first race that I cosplayed at. It was fun seeing a lot of different people dressed up, but it was also disappointing how many people didn’t dress up for The Halloween Half Marathon.
Any race that wants runners to dress up is defiantly a good race in my book.
Overall Thoughts
This was the first time that the race organizer put on the race here in Las Vegas. Overall I enjoyed the race because it was the first time I have been back into running half-marathons. However, when I ran with Team In Traning, the fun runs we planned seemed more organized. The views were terrific on the course, but the organizers from the packet pick up, to before the race, the aid station and the lack of “fun” at the finish was disappointing.
Would you run this race again?
I would run this race again if I had a coupon code and I bought it through Groupon. Paying $50 for this race seems to be a lot of money for a lot of lack of organization.
You can check out their website here: The Halloween Half
Score Card
I rate every race base on each aspect I talk about.
Ranking 1 is the worst – 10 is the best
Packet Pick Up – 6
Before the Race – 3
The Course – 8
The Aid Stations – 5
Weather – 9
Finnish – 6
Medal – 9
Fun Factor – 9
Overall – 7
If you ran this race, or have any comments question or suggestion for future races, please let me know.