Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Hits Maximum Capacity with 44,000
Las Vegas soars to the top of U.S. distance charts with the New York and Chicago marathons as the third largest long-distance running event in America; debut evening event; Cheap Trick and American Idol star Casey Abrams headline pre-race concerts
Posted Monday, 28 November, 2011
From Ryan Lamppa, Running USALAS VEGAS - (November 23, 2011) - The thrill of running down the Las Vegas Strip at night has reached max capacity. The Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America is sold out with 44,000 entrants set to take over the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday night, December 4.
"We truly believed moving the Las Vegas event to a nighttime start would raise the bar for the entire running industry," said Scott Dickey, President of Competitor Group, owner and operator of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series. "We couldn't have done this without the support and cooperation from Las Vegas Events, Clark County and each of the resorts on the Strip. It's going to be unlike any other running event in history and we can't wait to deliver that experience to the 44,000 runners with their friends and family under the neon lights of Las Vegas."
Competitor Group acquired the Las Vegas Marathon in 2008, rebranding it as part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series in 2009. For the runners, the event closed the Strip in both directions for the first time in history, and the race grew by more than 10,199 finishers - 132 percent higher than the 2008 event under previous ownership and the largest year-over-year change of any major road race in the United States.
Proving there would be no sophomore slump to the Rock 'n' Roll hit parade, the 2010 event welcomed 28,000 runners generating a total economic impact of more than $91 million for the local tourism based-economy and filled more than 63,000 hotel room nights. A shoulder-to-shoulder finish line concert headlined by Bret Michaels pushed the entertainment experience to new heights.
Competitor Group launched the nighttime event concept in March with a dedicated website at Stripatnight.com, in conjunction with an exclusive registration opportunity. The 'Strip at Night' theme was the impetuous for an aggressive international marketing and social media campaign, which has resulted in runners from all 50 states and 54 countries registered to participate.
The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series is known for lining race routes with live bands, cheerleaders and rewarding runners afterwards with a finish line concert. The Las Vegas event turns the traditional formula on its head, cranking up the volume to the sounds of Cheap Trick and American Idol star Casey Abrams with a pre-race concert at Mandalay Bay. Abrams will open the show beginning at 3:00pm, followed by Cheap Trick, one of the most covered bands of all-time after selling more than 20 million records, taking the stage at 3:45pm.
The marathon will start at 4:05pm, with the half-marathon scheduled to start after sunset at 5:30pm. Runners will span across all eight lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard in epic fashion, exclusively shutting down the neon-lit Strip to vehicular traffic and instantly becoming the World's Largest Nighttime Running Event with the entire 13.1-mile half-marathon course being run on the Las Vegas Strip.
Nearly 30% of the 2011 field will be participating in their very first marathon or half-marathon. Las Vegas is also the largest travel market for any Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series event, with more than 88% of the field arriving from outside the state of Nevada. As the event's official charity, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America will return with the Team Challenge half-marathon training program. Since 2009, Team Challenge has raised nearly $8 million though the Las Vegas race.
In addition to running past the world famous hotels and casinos with live bands performing at each mile along the course, the Las Vegas event is famous for hundreds of participants dressed as Elvis and every year includes a run-through wedding chapel, which will take place in front of the Volcano at the Mirage Resort & Casino with more than 60 couples.
New to event weekend in 2011, is the first ever Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Stiletto Dash presented by the Palazzo Las Vegas, which be hosted by Brooke Burke of Dancing with the Stars and will welcome 500 participants rocking their highest heels for a good cause. Contestants can dash for cash, prizes and charity as they compete in a 50-yard-sprint through the Palazzo Las Vegas casino. The Stiletto Dash will benefit two charities: the local Las Vegas-based Opportunity Village, a not-for-profit organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities, and Operation Smile, a nonprofit that treats facial deformities such as cleft lips and palates worldwide.
Prior to taking on the Strip, runners can carbo-load with Rock 'n' Roll at the Official Pasta Party on Saturday, December 3 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino. On race morning, a Pre-Race Brunch will welcome runners, family and friends to enjoy a gourmet buffet to get them ready for the nighttime excitement. Both events will feature live entertainment. To celebrate their accomplishment and keep the excitement going long past the finish line, race participants are invited to the Official Post-Race Parties at XS Nightclub and LAVO at the Palazzo. Space is limited.
More information on the exclusive parties and tickets for all race weekend events are available online at Stripatnight.com.
For more information about Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas, visit Competitor.com or follow @RunRocknRoll on Twitter.
