Many roads to be closed for Las Vegas Marathon

Ron Swift hopes valley drivers will be patient Sunday.

Starting about 6 a.m. a large section of Las Vegas will be encircled by masochistic, overachieving runners competing in what is considered one of the toughest events in sports. It did kill the man who first attempted the feat more than 2,000 years ago.

The 26.2-mile Las Vegas Marathon course will stretch from Las Vegas Boulevard to Torrey Pines Drive and from Carey Avenue/Smoke Ranch Road to Twain Avenue.

Drivers won't be able to cross the roads the 15,000 runners will rumble over because they will all be closed. Pedestrians, however, will be allowed to cross the course as long as they aren't interfering with the race.

Race and government officials decided on the "hard closure" for this year's race in the interest of runner safety, said Swift, special projects coordinator for the Las Vegas Marathon. Road closures will start in the wee hours Sunday morning and the entire course will be completely closed by 5 a.m., Swift said.

There will be only two ways to get in and out of the wide swath of the Las Vegas Valley enclosed by the marathon course. Motorists can hop on U.S. Highway 95 or Interstate 15 to pass over the closed roads and exit at the appropriate offramp, Swift said. Motorists may want to use freeway exits farther from the race to avoid the more than 200,000 spectators expected to line the race route.

On some major roads, authorities will allow vehicle access to homes and businesses that would otherwise be closed off by the race route, Swift said. Those roads include Industrial Road (which is used for the half-marathon race), Bonanza Road, Torrey Pines, Smoke Ranch and Carey.

Northbound Las Vegas Boulevard will remain open throughout the race.

Swift said drivers should map out a route to their destination, keeping in mind that the freeways are the only way to pass over the race route. He also recommended they leave early and expect delays when traveling near the race route.

In the past, automobiles shared the road with runners on some portions of the course. And in others there were zones where drivers could cross.

For those ready to complain, Swift said, "Half a day out of our year is not the end of the world."

Law enforcement officers will be posted at major intersections, while less-traveled stretches will have barricades and race volunteers.

Roads will begin reopening at 7 a.m., about an hour after the race starts, as runners complete sections of the course.

All roads must be reopened by 1 a.m. Monday morning.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2904.