Las Vegas: Desert Running, The Las Vegas Running Scene

My second metatarsal on my right foot is still bothering me some, but my hip has improved greatly and I am no longer experiencing any pain or tightness in that area.  This was great news because the weather in Las Vegas was up to 65 degrees when I went out for my first longer run in a while on Wednesday evening.


I thought a flatter run might be best so I started running from Katie's parents house directly north into the Las Vegas desert between the Las Vegas Range of mountains and the Las Vegas Beltway.  This is completely barren and empty desert land that stretches for around eight miles between the beltway and the mountains and is part of the Desert National Wildlife Range.


It felt great to run for miles on neither trail or road, just barren desert with not a single audible sound to be heard.

Las Vegas Range

The city is miles away looking back

The terrain

The run quickly turned into a tempo run as I zig zagged a bit through the desert but kept a mostly straight path.  I occasionally spotted a tree or cactus of interest in the distance and diverted my path to head toward it and investigate.  It's simply shocking how far away an object in visual range can be out in the desert.

A strange desert find, a "phone tree"

A target apparently

On the way back I picked up the fast pace I had started and really stretched out my stride for a few miles.  I didn't recognize just how much elevation gain I had experienced running between the house and my turn around point in the desert.  When I got back I found out that I had run over 7 miles and climbed from 2000 to 2800 feet, and then turned around and ran 7 miles back with an 800 foot descent.


This type of running through an environment of vast scale is so different from home that I couldn't help but feel an ecstatic joy in pushing the pace into a tempo run.  A 7 mile downhill false flat is also a fun way to end any run.


I definitely in my time here can see how the varying conditions and terrain could be a paradise for many runners.  The highest runnable peak seen from the city is Mt. Charleston in the Spring Mountains at 11,916 feet.  It's worth also noting the proximity of Las Vegas to other great running destinations in the west including the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Zion National Park, and Lake Tahoe.


I've visited the local running store, the Red Rock Company and found some great races, group runs, resources and evidences of a good local running and outdoor community here in Las Vegas.  Here a few links I found useful:

• Red Rock Running Company
• Saturday Morning Ultra Team (Running Club)
• Running In Las Vegas
• Hiking Around Las Vegas
• Calico Racing
• Desert Dash

I also would guess that proximity to the Badwater 135 would be ideal for an ultra runner training for that race.  Las Vegas, while not an obvious selection, may be one to add to a list of great "running cities".