My wife and I were on a trip to Las Vegas in the spring of 2008 when we heard about the breathtaking views of Red Rock Canyon and decided to explore it. The main drive through the park is a 13-mile horseshoe. I was training for the Potomac River Run (#3 below), so I saw this as an opportunity for a memorable long training run. Gina took the car and her camera, drove ahead, parked, hiked and snapped some pictures while I ran to where she parked and refueled on water and nutrition. We repeated that leap frog approach for the full loop.
During that run, I learned that the road runs uphill to the summit overlook which is about 5 miles in and at an elevation of 4,771. The view is stunning, but the climb is relentless. I registered for this marathon in 2014, but a patellofemoral syndrome injury prevented me from actually running it.
With a small field of runners and no spectators, this race pushes the boundaries of endurance physically and mentally. Marathon Maniacs and 50 Staters comprised many of my fellow runners as well as a few locals who love Calico Racing and their well organized events. I finished 53rd out of 103 finishers with a time of 4:38.
This made number 11 on my 50 in 50 states journey.