Las Vegas Great Santa Run

How cool is it to be part of a world record? By my best guestimate I’d say it was probably 28 degrees counting the wind chill. I quite possibly would have frozen my behind off had I worn actual running attire to this event.
I had not even planned on running in this race less than 90 minutes after my plane landed at LAS. I called my friends who had all arrived several days before me to see if I could get a ride back to the hotel when they told me they were all headed to this race, and they had forged my signature and had actually signed me up to run with them. OMG!
Looking back on it this race was incredibly well organized compared to the Rock n Roll race that I’m still very bitter about. Everybody got a complete 4 piece Santa suit to run in and those lucky enough to finish early which I believe included everyone in our group got a free long sleeve t-​shirt at the end stating «Have you seen my Santa suit?» Best of yet we got the world record according to the Guinness folks on hand for the largest assembly of full-​suited running Santa Clauses with 8123 beating out the old world record held by a Santa race in Liverpool, UK with 7326!
When I agreed to take part in this running weekend with my friends I was really bummed that I couldn’t be with them for the entire stay as I was literally in town for just 48 hours. My friends talked about planning to go to one show a night, and I really wanted to do that too, but my work wouldn’t let that happen. This race was so incredible that we got to see free performances by Recycled Percussion, Jabbawockeez and the Chippendales on stage before the race. Lorena Peril, who headlines the topless Fantasy show that one of my dear Unilocal friends drools over sang the National Anthem, and my my that lady has a pair of lungs.
Tons of refreshments, fresh made guacamole and salsa served over crunchy chips, skydivers dressed as Santa, free 7 – 11 Slurpees on the course even!
If I ever return to Las Vegas to run a race it will be this one! Thanks guys for signing me up!

Wilhelm Y. summed it all up perfectly.
I just like to add for my own personal diary, we got gypped. from the run haha
This was my first Marathon and I was a bit disappointed of how unorganized it was. My friend and I arrived about 45min early and made our way in the registration area to pick up our Santa suits. Miraculously I got the last medium thanks to my friend who swapped with my small. We’re both about the same height but she got that woman figure going on. She tried to exchange it, but the only size they had left was SM and 2XL.
The run was a course around and through the Town Square. We started in near the front, did a lap, and before we knew it we finished without even knowing it. The chaos developed when other groups including walkers merged into the course, so there we’re lots traffic and congestion causing some runners to run off track and onto the side where the rocks and bushes were. The runner next to me wasn’t so jolly about that as she blustered, «WALKERS TO THE RIGHT!!»
I was like danggg. ho ho ho (o_​O)?
I know this was suppose to be a fun run and for a good cause, but my friends and I been training (i know, it’s only 5k) for two month so it’s kinda booboo when we didn’t even break a sweat. I got a taste of my first run and know a little of what to expect as i challenge myself to the next one.
All in all it was nice to see so many people dressed up and supported Opportunity Village. And special thanks to all the volunteers.
–Pets are allowed in the run so watch out for dog poo. Some runners weren’t so lucky lmao.
–Carry minimal as the Santa suit has no pockets. They don’t breath well either so dress light.
–Ipod is not necessary
–have fun

I was on vacation in Las Vegas and decided to join this race last minute with a friend who was planning to run the Rock n roll Marathon. This by comparison was just a warm up but nonetheless a fun event. Got to meet various people, some in some interesting costumes.
It was a bit disorganized but the company was great. The funniest experience throughout the race was the fact that we stampeded throughout the shopping center causing a slight scare on the shopping passerby-​er. It was a nice invasion, though like my friend would have said… if only we’d all be chanting ho ho ho to complete the gag of overtaking the town shopping outlets.

15,000 Santas!
No, it’s not a new rock band. That’s the total number of participants dressed as Santa that the event organizers was hoping for in 2010. This event brought in nearly 9000 participants last year, and the organizers were hoping that a goal of 15,000 would give them a new Guinness world record for the largest number of Santas gathered at one place. The current world record of 12,965 was set in September 2007 at an event in Derry City, Northern Ireland. Judging by some of the race numbers I saw I think they may have come very close, but no official count has been announced.
The 6^th annual event was a charity 5K/​1 Mile Fun Run/​Walk to benefit Opportunity Village of Las Vegas, an organization that supports nearly 2000 individuals with developmental disabilities. For a registration fee of $ 35 ($ 45 on race day) participants received a five piece sized Santa suit consisting of pants, top, hat, belt and beard. For an additional $ 10 a short sleeve t-​shirt was available. I ordered one, but when I showed up to pick it up they said they didn’t have my size so I had to take something smaller than what I wear. That’s pretty crappy considering they ask for your size when you place your order.
Had I known that the local FOX TV station KVVU was giving out free long sleeved t-​shirts to the first 1000 finishers I wouldn’t have even bothered to pay for one. All I really needed to do was run fast, and as it turned out they still had shirts in my size when my slow legs crossed the finish line. In addition to free t-​shirts participants got to sample free fish tacos from Rubio’s, sample smooth shots of vodka from iS Vodka, drink refreshing Norwegian Artesian water from VOSS and have their fill of sugar as several sponsors offered tables full of candy canes. Christmas caroling was definitely a must for those of us who stayed at the event long after the last walkers had finished.
The event was truly fun, and it was great to see entire families participating including dozens of canine friends dressed in festive Santa garb. A handful of people even showed up in costumes, with Santa suits on of course. The event could have been better organized however as there was very little information given once participants arrived at the Town Square shopping center. Signs or verbal announcements would have been nice to direct participants to where they needed to go. Thank goodness shopping center security personnel and past participants knew to give out information to those of us who were lost sheep on the premises.
Neither the run nor the walk is timed, and there was mass confusion when the starting horn for the 5K blared on the loud speakers. A group of cyclists supposedly there to lead the runners never took off, and there was at least a six minute delay before they began moving. Once everybody got started it was chaos again as runners received no clear directions on where to go on the course. It was like follow the leader and pray!
Overall though, I had lots of fun and in the name of charity that’s all that really matters. I hope the organizers get their world record too. If not, I’ll be back in 2011!

I was very disappointed with the Santa Run this year. I have ran it every year except for last year and it has been one of my favorite events. This year, not so much. I preregistered and preordered a t-​shirt a couple of weeks ago. The event was moved from Freemont Street down the south of the strip at the Town Square. One pro with that — free parking, unlike the parking garage on Carson street where it would usually cost $ 3.
I parked in the lot near some of the stores and it was a good distance to get to the common area where the run would take place. There were a lot of tents and a huge crowd (getting bigger each year). I saw the Unilocal tent, but didn’t stop. It was a bit of a challenge finding my way through the crowd to the registration tables. It seems to take excessively long to get the packets. Everyone in the line was pre-​registered and there were multiple lanes, but it took a long time. When I arrived at the table the young lady suggested I get a XXL santa suit because they were out of the XL.
I am not sure who made the suits — they have always been cheap and most of the years the pants have not survived, but this time I think I received a defect. The pants fit fine, but the jacket was too small — I thought it was a XXL? The hat was jacked up too as part of the felt was sticking out and the hat itself barely fit on my large Oprah head.
Then on to the course. Huge crowds lined up, which was really cool (hopefully they broke the record). We started, supposedly… and it slowly inched forward. Once underway it was a good 10 minutes before we could move from a shuffle to an attempt at a job. The 1 mile walkers and 5K runners were mixed together, apparently designated by red arrow signs and green arrow signs — I don’t know which was which. The course was through the various stores in the shopping center — which I don’t think was the best approach. 10,000 people or so jammed into small narrow streets looping around each other and at times on future laps, having to cross over the others on a prior lap. The runners around me were confused as to where to go. We completed the first lap, were turned back in for a second loop, and turned back in later for a third loop — but then I saw some runners out further and some around me were asking if we were supposed to be out there. I don’t know that I actually finished — I turned down one street and headed toward a the finish, but I don’t know it was the proper way to finish.
There should be some adjustments moving foward, especially if they plan to keep the shopping mall area. Runners and walkers should be sparated. Maybe start runners at 10 AM, walkers at 10:15 AM. One loop around the shopping area, loop back inside for lap 2, then out and down the street to the end of the block, back up the front entrance. I think having loop two cross back over the course into the stream of people on lap 1 is bad too. The place is large enough that the 1 mile walk course could be in a separate part of the complex to avoid that confusion. Move the registration and pre-​registered pickup somewhere further from the main area. The crowds of people hanging out waiting for the race to start backs up into the crowd for the lines and slows it down. I was also disappointed that even though I prepursed a t-​shirt and arrived more than an hour prior to the run, the largest they had was a large. That wasn’t what I ordered. For pre-​registered people, those should be set aside for pickup and what is left should be left with the others buying that day. Now I paid for a shirt I can do nothing with.
It is still a nice event but this year was frustrating. It was the most disorganized event I have ever entered. Definitely some room for improvement. I think the event has grown too large to run it the same way it has been in the past. After the first year I suggested that they partner with the Marathon to serve as a tune-​up and bring in more people. I am glad to see that is happening now and I saw a lot of people at the marathon wearing their Santa jackets. Good to see so many people supporting a good cause. I hope they beat the record. Just make some organizational adjustments next year.