Summerlin hosts run

Summerlin resident Erica Schramm was the first to cross the finish line at the April 9 inaugural Summerlin Half Marathon with a time of
1:26:38.

Nearly 600 marathon participants followed her lead.

"It was an amazing experience," said Schramm, who maintained the lead position throughout the entire run.

Schramm moved to The Trails village of Summerlin in 2002. She runs in the community on an almost daily basis, logging 50-80 miles a week, depending on her training schedule.

"I started running competitively in the seventh grade and never stopped," she said.

While traveling to a marathon in California, Schramm met her husband, Mike.

"We both enjoy running and traveling so we travel to different cities to run marathons," she said. "It's a great way to see a city and spend time together."

Her marathons completed to date include Boston, New York and Alaska. Schramm is currently sponsored by Red Rock Running Co.

The Summerlin Half Marathon attracted participants of all ages and skill levels, from recreational walkers to competitive runners between the ages of 14 and 70.

"The course was designed to accommodate both the recreational and competitive athlete," said Molly Sheridan, Summerlin resident, running enthusiast and co-founder of Desert Sky Adventures, coordinator of the inaugural Summerlin Half Marathon. "It's all about motivating others to be active, enjoy the outdoors and foster a sense of community, regardless of your current fitness level."

According to Kevin Orrock, executive vice president of master-planned communities for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin, the community plans to make the half marathon an annual event based on its success this year.

"Summerlin's abundant recreational amenities attract active and healthy residents who appreciate the opportunity to exercise in their own neighborhood," he said.

And Schramm would agree. "There are several perks to running a marathon where you train," she said. "You're familiar with the course and it's comfortable."

The Summerlin Half Marathon is one of several events planned this spring.

Other events include Tour de Summerlin, a noncompetitive cycling event, April 30 at The Vistas Community Park, 11311 Alta Drive; Summerlin Kids Mix, an outdoor family festival, May 7 at Summerlin Centre Community Park, 1800 S. Town Center Drive; and the Summerlin Desert Clean-up event May 14 at The Paseos Park, 12122 Desert Moon Road.

For more information and a schedule on the community's schedule activities, visit summerlin.com.

The master-planned community is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a year-long celebration that commenced in May.

The community began to take shape in 1990.

For more than two decades, national, regional and local studies have consistently ranked the community in the country's top 10 best-selling master-planned communities.

Located along the western rim of the Las Vegas Valley, Summerlin encompasses 22,500 acres with about 7,500 acres still remaining to accommodate future growth within the master plan.

The community is currently home to nearly 100,000 residents.

Amenities include more than 150 neighborhood and village parks, more than 150 completed miles of the Summerlin trail system.

The community also has 26 public and private schools, 14 houses of worship, nine golf courses, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, business parks and more than three dozen actively selling floor plans.

Homes are available in a variety of styles -- from single-family homes to townhomes, condominiums and lofts -- priced from the mid-$100,000s to more than $1 million.

Custom-home sites in The Ridges are priced from the $500,000s.

Luxury apartment homes offer monthly rents starting from the $800s.

For more information on the master-planned community, its villages and neighborhoods and amenities, visit summerlin.com, call 702-791-4500 or find Summerlin on Facebook.