Las Vegas marathon ready to take over the Strip

A lot has changed in the past 50 years since Judy Ikenberry, the women’s winner of the inaugural Las Vegas Marathon, first ran.

Ikenberry estimates there were probably fewer than 200 people. Women were not allowed to run marathons then, so Ikenberry and her friends ran unofficially.

On Sunday, Ikenberry will be on hand for the 50th running as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K take over the Strip at night.

More than 45,000 people will participate this weekend — including the 5K on Saturday — coming from 50 states and 83 countries. The 10K is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Sunday and the half marathon and marathon at 4:30.

Most of the participants will run the half marathon. As of Thursday, event organizers said half marathon registration was near 25,500, while marathon registration was about 5,300.

The marathon is one of two events to shut down the Strip to traffic — the other is New Year’s Eve — and doesn’t take the form of a traditional race.

“It’s really everything on the marathon upside down,” event organizer Dan Cruz said. “Most marathons, they kind of advise you to stay off your feet the day before and rest before the big race, whereas in Las Vegas, people are going to the night club on Saturday night. They’re going to be out until all hours of the night. They’re going to be watching Snoop Dogg, so it’s kind of counterculture to the old school, if you will, marathon preparation.”

There is a Snoop Dogg concert Sunday afternoon before racing begis, live entertainment throughout the course, a run-thru wedding at Mile 3 at The Park by T-Mobile Arena and runners dressed in eccentric outfits, including hundreds as Elvis Presley.

“It’s a world-class event in the front from some of the fastest athletes on the planet who will be participating in the event, but it’s a big old party following right behind them,” Cruz said.

The person who will be starting behind everyone in the half marathon is Michael Kutcher, actor Ashton Kutcher’s twin, who will be the Transamerica Tomorrow Chaser.

Kutcher received a life-saving heart transplant 25 years ago, and to pay recognition to his donor, he will start the race last and Transamerica will donate one dollar for each runner he passes.

He is one of many running the race for charitable reasons. The largest charity team participating is the St. Jude’s Heroes, running for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Cruz said more than $2.5 million will be raised for charity by participants Sunday.

The weekend also will have a large impact on the city. Josh Furlow, president of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, said Thursday the estimated economic impact will surpass $200 million. He said it was the eighth-largest weekend of tourism in Las Vegas.

This year’s marathon takes a different shape than in previous years, as the route was redesigned, cutting out a nine-mile section in North Las Vegas and replacing it with mileage within the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, where Saturday’s 5K was held.

Cruz said the North Las Vegas section was the route’s farthest point from the Strip, which meant it didn’t have the same energy, atmosphere or spectator support as the rest of the course.

This year’s race, with the newly designed course, is expected to be plenty lively as it pays homage to the city.

“It’s the Elvi, it’s the wedding, it’s the Strip and it’s the Strip at night that make this race, it’s all the Vegas feel,” Cruz said. “It’s being able to run into a casino or stop off at a bar midrace that makes this race unlike any other in the world.”

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.