Summerlin to hold inaugural half marathon today

More than 500 valley residents are expected to participate in the inaugural Summerlin Half Marathon today. The 13-mile run/walk kicks off at The Vistas Community Park, 11311 Alta Drive, at
7 a.m. and travels through The Vistas, The Arbors, The Crossing, The Trails, The Hills, The Hills South and The Canyon villages.

Participants will run/walk on the scenic street-side trails as well as some of the community's most popular paseo parks, including Arbors Paseo Park, Trails Paseo Park and Cottonwood Canyon. Summerlin's paseo parks are often located in arroyos or man-made open space corridors and are designed to provide respite from noise and traffic and a good setting for running/walking enthusiasts.

"Summerlin is well planned for a half marathon given its ample trails and parks, wide sidewalks and scenic landscapes," said Molly Sheridan, Summerlin resident, running enthusiast and co-founder of Desert Sky Adventures. She is the coordinator of the inaugural Summerlin Half Marathon. "It's a beautiful community loved by outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. We hope to see the half marathon become an annual Summerlin tradition."

According to Kevin Orrock, executive vice president of master-planned communities for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin, the community's annual programming is a Summerlin hallmark. "Since Summerlin's inception, the community has hosted a variety of recreational, cultural, educational and social events for valley residents," he said. "We believe the best way to show off the Summerlin lifestyle is to invite others to experience it firsthand."

The Summerlin Half Marathon is one of several events planned in 2011. Other spring 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. Visit summerlin.com for event information.

Summerlin is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a year-long celebration that commenced in May 2010. The community began to take shape in 1990 and has been ranked in the country's top 10 best-selling master-planned communities by national studies for more than a decade.

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.

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

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

For more information on Summerlin, visit summerlin.com, call 702-791-4500 or find Summerlin on Facebook.