It was such a thrill to finally do a live in person race again after over a year plus of nothing…read more Of course living in the "post" Rona world of 2021 Spartan had to make some adjustments/safety measures to put on races this year. The changes include no spectators in the festival area, racers can only check in for their race 30 minutes before their start time, racers have to wear a mask before & after their race but it's optional during the race. They have sanitizing stations through the festival area and near most obstacles, no mud pits or water dunk walls. On their site they have a list of all the other rules and safety protocols. Overall I was satisfied with the new way their had to put on the race given the current state of the world. I feel a little crazy doing a "day of" there & back road trip to Vegas just for a race, but given California has already postponed (really cancelled) all the races Spartan had planned in the State leading up to the summer of 2021 (its barley spring right now) I'm glad I went. Also a few new things, Spartan has added parking & bag check fees into the registration process which is kind of a good thing if your forgot to bring cash with you on race day, but kind of a pain in the ass of your actually carpooling with someone else that's racing since you're paying for a spot you're not actually using.

I DID IT!!!! Finished the Las Vegas Spartan Sprint!!! What an AMAZING experience!!! I am officially…read moreADDICTED!!! I watched tons of Spartan obstacle videos beforehand and psyched myself out a bit and was incredibly nervous. But being here today and doing the race was definitely a memorable experience and now I want more. Everyone says you do Spartan once and you become addicted! They were right. My inspiration for doing this is a woman named Marla.Sweeney. A 74-year old who is a two time Trifecta finisher. That means she completed the Spartan Sprint, Super & Beast...all of them twice in order to get the Trifecta medals. I knew I definitely had no excuse! So on a whim, I joined my friend's team. With only a month and a half to train, I was consumed with Spartan and the training. Then the day FINALLY came and it was GO TIME!!! When we arrived on race day, there was this amazing feeling you get that I just can't quite describe. I saw the people out there, the vibe, the energy, the badasses...and I had this ridiculous adrenaline rush. I couldn't wait to do our race! This Spartan Race was very organized and so well done. They have tons of staff and volunteers helping out. The set up was cool. Tons to see. Obstacles, retail vendors (gloves, shoes, Spartan gear, energy drinks, etc.), food vendors, drink vendors and photo opportunies. Bag checks are available for $5. Locker vendors are available, same vendor we saw at The Color Run recently. Port-O-Potties are available for bathrooms. You arrive to the race, pay for parking, register, walk around and check everything out, then get your butt to the start line at your designated start time. The obstacles are crazy crazy crazy!!!! Some harder than others, but they definitely challenge you. Anything to make you work for it. We went up this steep hill in the very beginning, went under muddy freezing water at the Dunk Wall on the 8th obstacle, we were soaking wet and cold for the rest of the obstacles. The Sprint is 3-5 miles with 22 obstacles. My favorite obstacles are Herc Hoist, Dunk Wall, Slippery Wall, A-Cargo Frame, Fire Jump. My least favorites included Twister, Olympus, Multi-Rig, Rope Climb. The obstacles I've been training for and were actually good at were Monkey Bars and Z-Wall. Of course that wasn't on our Sprint Race. Spartan professional photographers are scattered throughout the obstacles. You'll most likely find them at the more popular obstacles like Dunk Wall, Bucket Brigade and Fire Jump. Get a team together and do a Spartan Race, because you can do it even if you think you can't. We had 11 people on our team and it was the best experience ever!!! And the 9 out of 11 teammates were newbies!!! The bond and and camaraderie you build is unlike anything else. You will even meet people you don't know who are out there racing and they will help you out, because that's what Spartans do. AMAZING!!! AROO, AROO, AROO!!!

A Disorganized Disappointment…read more... I rarely leave reviews, but after attending the recent Bubble Run event in Las Vegas, I feel like people need to be aware of how poorly this was handled. Packet Pickup Chaos We were informed via email that packet pickup was only available the day before the event, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. No flexibility. No other pickup dates. And the pickup location was all the way in North Las Vegas, which is extremely inconvenient for anyone living in the south. It would make a huge difference if they allowed earlier pickups throughout the week or had multiple pickup locations around the city. To make it worse, if you couldn't make that tight window the day before, they charged $5 for same-day pickup. Honestly, it felt like a money grab, like they were intentionally making it difficult so people would have no choice but to pay extra. Unprepared and Understaffed When we got to the packet pickup line at 4 p.m., it was clear they weren't ready. Only one or two staff members were handling the line. We stood in 115°F heat for nearly an hour, surrounded by parents and kids who were clearly overheating and uncomfortable. After finally checking in at one tent, they sent us to a separate tent to collect the rest of our items. It made no sense, why not consolidate the process and keep people out of the sun? Event Day = Even More Chaos The day of the event was no better. Long lines formed again mostly because so many people missed the short packet pickup window. The lines barely moved, and they clearly weren't staffed to handle the crowd. Where Are the Bubbles? The biggest disappointment: the lack of colored bubbles. This was supposed to be a fun 5K with colorful foam at each kilometer. Here's how it went: * Start line: Just white foam - no color. * Blue section: The only one that worked. * Yellow, green, and other colors: No foam, no color, or the machines weren't working. Most of the bubble machines were either malfunctioning or just not producing foam, and it completely ruined the main attraction. Lots of Hidden Costs They originally said parking would be $20, which was excessive (thankfully, they removed that charge). But with all the extra fees, $5 for same-day pickup, vague registration pricing, constant upsells it felt like they were nickel-and-diming attendees at every step. People are more than willing to pay for a well-run event. But when everything feels like a trick or extra charge, it starts to feel shady. Just be transparent and treat your attendees with respect. The Good Parts That said, there were a few things I really liked: * The medal: Super cute and surprisingly good quality. It was definitely a nice touch. * VIP goodies: I loved the bottle of bubbles included in the VIP bag, fun and useful. The sunglasses were cool too and really helped under the sun. * The shirt: Be warned - it runs really small. It's not made of cotton anymore, so the material fits tighter. Even if you normally wear a large, you might need to size up. I'm not overweight, and it was snug on me, and I saw other people struggling with sizing too. I just wish they had noted that clearly online so people could prepare. Final Thoughts This event had potential, but the lack of organization, heat mismanagement, broken machines, and hidden charges made it feel like a missed opportunity. If they can get organized, be transparent with costs, and take better care of their participants, this could be a great event. But as it stands, it felt more frustrating than fun. I'm not sure I'll return next year, it just wasn't worth the hassle.

The idea and videos look so fun but man they hype this place up - it is nothing like what we…read moreexpected. We waited over an hour to check in then we had to get in line for the starting line and they let people start in batches. My kids were hot and the constant lines was horrible not to mention the bubbles are only apparent at the start and finish lines the rest are a joke. Not worth the money and we just could wait to leave.

Is a really good place for offroading. Sand, gravel and…read moredirt. Be careful on the summer, the temperature can go really high.

My wife and I need to get our RV trailer out to test it before taking it on a longer trip. We…read morepulled into the park and we were greeted by Sandy one of the park rangers. She was very friendly and explained the campground was full but we might get lucky as some may have checked out recently. We did get lucky. Found a spot by the showers. We set up the trailer and went driving. The park is totally cool! There's so much to see. We saw big horn sheep and amazing rock foryou like to hike you'll love it here. We're going back in the fall for a longer stay.

Great free event held at the South Point arena with archers from 55 countries. Over 4500 archers…read morecompeted it's my favorite event every year with lots of stadium seating and food for sell. Shout out to all the archers who hit the bullseye every time.

I participated in the 2013 Glo Run and was planning on running in the 2014 event (which was…read moreunceremoniously cancelled). :( It's too bad since the Glo Run is AMAZING!! The Glo Run was held Downtown on October 14th and took place in the evening. I believe the race started at 8PM. Participants were dressed for the part - tutus, colorful wigs, and creative/skimpy attire were all the rage. The pre-party was held at the Commonwealth. Background music consisted of, you guessed it, EDM! The finish line featured a stage with a DJ. Giant beach balls were being tossed around in the crowd and confetti bursts were being launched. I truly had a lot of fun. I'm hoping the Glo Run will happen in 2015 because I would love to participate again. I paid around $35 for registration, which included a tshirt. Early registration that starts way in advance starts at $25. YELP 100 CHALLENGE 2015: #36

I've been to EDC. I've done Mud Run. I just did Glow Run and it was lots of fun. OMG, that…read morerhymes! Good music, positive vibe, lots of lights/ neon, happy people, rainbows, tutus, fairy wings, balloons, wigs, I got a bunch of freebies: glow-in-the-dark bands, Glow Run t-shirt, snacks, etc. I think I paid $35 or $45 for early registration with a student discount. I got to burn calories, have a good time and support AFAN. There were runners of different ages. Some ran with their costumed babies on a stroller. Little girls passing me. LOL. All had fun. The weather tonight was just right. It wasn't hot out. They had water stations, I'd like to say, at every mile. Before I knew it, I've already completed the 7k. I'd do this again!

Although I run for exercise, I am not a competitive runner or a…read moremarathon runner. I leave that running to the pros like my husband and daughter. My daughter signed up for the 2020 St. George Marathon but of course it was canceled due to Covid19. She was pretty bummed as she had really prepared for it. This marathon offers both a full 26.2 mile marathon and a half 13.1 mile marathon. Fast forward two years later, here we are at last. She originally signed up for the full marathon but she decided to only run the half marathon. St. George has this marathon and all the set up down. They are extremely organized as they host many sporting events all year long. Many years ago my husband ran this marathon to qualify for the Boston Marathon and of course he did very well. The majority of the course runs downhill and is USATF certified. You get the pleasure of running through some beautiful Utah scenery like Snow Canyon. Lots of volunteers and helpful crew making sure everyone stays safe and crosses the finish line. Both marathons end at the Vernon Worthen Park. All runners have access to the post race food, drinks and freebies. In the old days, everyone had access but times have changed. This is one of the best marathons offered out west. So proud to have had my family run both marathons!

I have now ran St George three times, and is the top of my list for favorite marathons. Every time…read morerunning it has been a fantastic experience. Don't let the hills scare you, St George is a fast course if you run it right. I actually ran it this year signing up 10 days before the race. The race director was able to accommodate me with a charity entry last minute. I ran Big Cottonwood 4 weeks before, turned around and ran St George faster and got a PR. Missed my BQ by just a few minutes, but with fresh legs next year it's in the bag. Best race in Utah for organization and support. Excellent expo, volunteers, medals, tee and fabulous start/finish areas and support. My friend also got a 25min PR running it this year for the first time. Can't go wrong running St George. I love this race!! I will be going for my BQ next year with St George!

What a funtastic day today on Fremont st. East! The people watching was great, the cars going…read morethrough tech was amazing and the smell of fuel... was grand! Highly recommend going to the street festival before the race!

A must attend for any Automotive, Motorsport, or general want to experience a good vibe aficionado…read more An Off-Road Desert Race held in the high desert outside of Las Vegas, NV. Not into racing? Check out contingency. Held the 2 days prior to the racing on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Part Rock Concert, Part X Games, and Part Spring Break (Miss Mint!), it won't disappoint! Go for the party atmosphere during contingency, stay for one of the most unique motor sport events you will ever witness.

TLDR: Go to Zion, stay far away from anything planned by these race coordinators…read more The "challenges" of this 2017 half were artificially induced by poor logistics, planning, and organization. The expectations were poorly set and then mismanaged. Communications were frantic, blameful, and condescending. Everything seemed blamed on rain and snow that occurred a week earlier. Post-race emails offering 15% discount on future races (ha!), noted failures due to "unexpected circumstances" and " surprises mother nature threw at them". Y'know, spring. From official Zion climate page: "Precipitation peaks in March." (https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/weather-and-climate.htm) Things that were done well: aid stations appropriately manned and supplied. Gear check relatively quick and bags sorted for finishing. Staff for shuttles and aid stations were all cheerful and upbeat. Medal- classy, well above average. I don't run for the material thingees that will get tossed during my next move, but clearly the upbeat staff were coached to remind us how great they will be every bus transfer and aid station. If this course billed itself as a trail run or mud run, that's one thing. But a net-downhill, paved course within sights of Zion were the key points. That's what we prepared for. Basic planning & logistics for 3000 runners failed at several steps: the expo & bib pickup was in no place to support 3000 people in short notice. Total parking capacity (which reduced 2-way roads to 1-way) around 200? Somehow, the pre-race spaghetti feed still ran out of meatballs within the 30 min of opening. Despite the fact we were in the Zion area, with very limited cell reception and hiking on amazing remote trails, the race organizers insisted in their communications the day before the pick-up "Please Check Your Email Frequently This Weekend". 7 Texts and 3 emails later, we actually started running. I guess we were supposed to skip all our Zion hiking plans and stay glued to the screen to know what twist was next. The shuttles and parking locations were moved, because, well, spring occurred. The emails kept insisting that we get there very early and expect a walk, without any quantification. Like, a mile, with hills. (And we were among earliest parkers, if slower runners). We spent more time to- and from- our parking space than the race itself took. This also led to 2 miles of snaking parked cars along both sides of our run. Lovely The course was poorly chosen. The first mile was especially awful- a mile on unpaved mudbogs thru tacky, under-construction "family" campground and mini-golf course (astroturf too). Miles 7-9 occurred along the same snaking parking that earlier logistics fails created. Parking lot is not what I'd expect from a run touted in the National Park Series. Miles 9-11 followed a single-file mule train bounded by a mud to one side and barbed wire to the next. The portions which vaguely represented our expectations were miles 2-6 as bland yet inoffensive ranch land and the last 2 miles with distant views of a canyon. Less than half. We were happy that many runners found joy and satisfaction in this event. We also heavily discussed the sunken cost fallacy (https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/173/Sunk-Cost-Fallacy) that would greater affect destination races than local events. This event is altering how we plan travel around races in the future. Essentially, our group will not use any future Vacation Race events. We're trying to inject humor into the honest representations of the actual event (as this is what kept us going.) Please see pictures and decide if only the endorphins failed us that day. Please still go to Zion and experience the amazing landscapes and scenery. Their roads & trails are jaw-dropping, buses run regularly. The weather went from perfect sunny, to rain, to blizzard in our four days, yet- unlike this event- the Nat'l park staff and logistics are pros and nothing hampered our enjoyment of this amazing park. We only wish to have skipped this event to spend more time there.

Total agreement with all the one star posts here. Zion is a beautiful national park. But Vacation…read moreRaces is a joke and a shame of an organization. Everything people have already posted here is true and given the zero responses here it's clear the organization doesn't care. AVOID this race and any other race organized by Vacation Races. Money and time is wasted with them

Attended my first Formula 1 race in Las Vegas this year and had a BLAST. It's been about a week…read moresince and I am still reminiscing about my experience. My only tip is to scout the place before your first day on the track. It can get a little confusing due to road closures, escalators not working, and big crowds. After the first and second day, our third day was a breeze. The experience was the best due to the amount of activities to do on and off the track. I truly believe that Las Vegas circuit being the first race I decided to go to was the correct move as we were able to visit fan zones off track (the best was Williams by the way). Been a fan of Formula 1 for two years now and I truly thank LV GP for a great experience! Looking forward to the next :)

F1 paddock club is a treat…read more High end foods Attentive staff Amazing venue Solid execution once you are in the space. Getting to the Paddock Club is a bit of chore but once you are there it is top notch

What can you do in Las Vegas besides stuffing your face at the casino buffets, seeing all the…read moreshows, or gambling for a chance at the big jackpot money? Run a marathon or an ultra, of course! The Jackpot Ultra distance festival is generally held in the spring, normally during President's Day weekend in mid February. There are varying degrees of distances and times you can sign up for. From a 3 hour event to a whopping 72 hours of fun running. That's a lot of time out there. Plus if you do the multiple day option, you can probably guarantee yourself to save money since you don't need a hotel room, so there's that. I gravitated towards this race due to its very generous options to knock off the marathon or beyond distance and while having fun doing so with a generous time limit. Gone are the days where you had to make it to the finish line within 6 1/2 hours or 7 hours. This event blows that out of the water. You can go as slow as you want or even stop and take breaks if needed. Just know that you are there for a reason. The loop is pretty self explanatory and the course itself is clearly marked. The event is held at cornerstone Park and there is many laps to be had along the lake. After so many knives, your mind starts getting numb and you wanted to quit but, however, you know you paid money for this so it is what it is. For the most part, though, the excitement is knowing that you're doing something that only one percent of the population in the world has managed to do: Run a marathon or beyond within the time that you signed up for. For myself, though, I did just that, but fell short because I did not end up running the whole entire time. I caught my minimum goal though of 50 km in the records, so it was a personal win and good all around anyway, but I could have done more if I wanted to. The overall experience here at the Jackpot Ultra endurance event in 2024 was great and definitely a place to be where people are encouraging and fellow runners are being super awesome in trying to encourage you to keep going, especially when you're tired AF and want to stop. Sure you can take a break or sleep, or eat, drink, whatever you want to. The course was a loop around the lake with a little other loop by the parking lot. The lap measured about 2.35 miles in total. Kept a leisurely pace during the day and felt good. It became a laborious activity because I kept the number of laps i needed for my goal and being on lap 3 of 21, for example, made it a little tiresome, but it was fun and memorable, while being meaningful at the same time. The scenic course helped a lot and the fresh air made it better. The aid station was fully stocked with aid and definitely a lot of food for hungry runners. Who are there to do some thing magnificent. Snack food is always a good thing with a running. they also had water, Gatorade, another electrolyte drinks that helps runners hydrate to the best of their abilities. My experience here at this event was good, since I made my goal of 50 km on foot with my own determination and lot of inspiration from friends and just my own belief that I could do it. The course was OK, not much of a scenery, although the lake views was fairly scenic while we ran around and around for 24 hours. Night time was especially fun, especially with the headlamps that were brought out to see everybody's glowing light. You'd definitely meet like minded people while you're out here participating and family and friends who are supporting their favorite runner. And so, if you want to ease into the ultra marathon running world, this one is a good starter one to get into. If you want a destination race, look no further than Las Vegas. The Jackpot Ultras is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and staged at Cornerstone Park. They accept online sign ups on Ultrasignup and requires a credit card. The park itself has parking for runners and alot of space to roam. For myself though, I came here and departed here via Uber. For a city like Las Vegas, you can get an Uber any time of the day. If you feel like public transportation is your answer, you may be out of luck depending on your location and when the buses are running. The race starts usually at 7 or 8am, so you may be out of luck, depending on what event you sign up for. For myself though, I ended up having a fun time. Even though my legs staged a rebellion against me at about 10pm that evening, I had logged my minimum 50km, so I was happy. Would I do it again? Ask me that later. Still recouperating. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+