WARNING: Not for the faint of heart. Don't let the fact that the Biggest Loser sponsors this event…read morefool you into thinking this is an event just for overweight and out of shape people (as I did) - this 5k was actually half of the Nevada Super Spartan Race - obstacles and all! This event was out at Lake Las Vegas and ran simultaneously with the Super Spartan race. I had signed up thinking it would be a fun little 5k with obstacles where we'd get to meet some of the past contestants from the Biggest Loser TV show. I had no idea the obstacles would be the same as the Spartan race. Each participant was given a Biggest Loser T-shirt (a nice cool/dry one I'd actually wear to work out in), bagels, fruit and water. I got to meet Joe and twin brother Henry Ostaszewski from season 14 - woo-hoo!! We started together at the beginning of the Spartan Race and were told to follow the guides, or you'd likely get off course.. nice idea, however the guides were rarely around when you needed them (which is why I give it only a 4 star rating). Ours was not a timed event, the idea was just push yourself to finish. We were told the obstacles were optional, but if you skipped one or could not complete it you were to do 20 burpees (just as the Spartans do). I tried everything, but did end up doing a lot of burpees (see below) Here are just some of the obstacles included, spread out over 5k: Dragging a 150 lb. tire 20 yards and back (I needed help for this one) Crawling under barbed wire through 100 yards of mud Climbing a rope net up and over and back down a large archway Climbing two 7 ft. walls Climbing two 8 ft. walls Scaling a vertical rock climbing-style wall (hand over hand, foot over foot) Pulling a rope to raise a weight 100+ ft. in the air A swim in open water Climbing a rope ladder (burpees for me) Throwing a spear into a target (missed the target, burpees for me) Jumping over a fire pit I've yet to do a Tough Mudder or Spartan race, but half of the Super Spartan sure made me feel like a super hero!

Beware! ! Thieves! This company is an absolute fraud. I signed up for the Biggest Loser race and…read morePalm Desert and the race was canceled. Since December I've been waiting to get my money refunded. I have been sent very few responses out of the 15 plus emails I've sent them. They won't call me, they won't send me a phone number, and they promised on three occasions to send my money and it was in the mail. But I still not received the dime. I don't know how many other people they've ripped off like this but I am extremely frustrated and disappointed in this hole company brand. They should all go to jail. I've been giving stories about somebody dying, I've been contacted via email from some person named Andrea Wilamowski who told me just a week and a half ago that my check was in the mail. I still have not received it. Fraud! Thieves! Disgrace to the industry, beware of this company.

I have completed this event in 2016 and this year, 2017, as well as 2015 when this race company,…read moreBBSC took over the event from Calico Racing. (I also did the race in 2014 when it was owned by Calico, they did a great job too! It used to be called Running With an Angel) This race course is pretty challenging. There are several distances to choose from, 5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathon. I am typically out of shape after spending the holidays eating cookies and drinking wine like it's my job, so I stick with the 5k. BBSC is very well organized. They offer packet pickup in advance, as well as day-of for this race. They offer unisex, and women's specific cut shirts, and great medals as part of your race entry, and include a bag with samples and coupons. I'm not an expert when it comes to races, but I have done 61 of them as of the time of this review, so there's that. They start on time and their courses are well supported. They are affordable and often offer specials and email you discounts after you have completed one of their races. This particular race won't come around again until next year, but check out their full schedule on their website. Time limits are generous, and the 5k, 10k and half marathon are definitely walker friendly. 7 hr cut off for the full marathon (7 am start, 2 pm course closure for the 2017 marathon distance event.)

Traveled to participate for the Lake Mead Marathon in Jan. Spent money on airfare and hotel. They…read morecanceled the marathon and didn't even offer a deferral. I will never trust the company again. I guess I will need to only purchase races from big, reputable race companies. Be warned they do not refund or defer when they cancel an event

Not recommended unless you have small children that just want to play in the bubbles. There aren't…read morethat many bubble stations, maybe 4 scattered throughout the course. The bubbles also blow away in the wind and sometimes are concentrated in a pile to the side instead of directly blow the machines where you run/walk through. Looks like a lot of the kids still had a good time playing in it even though you don't actually get to run/walk through it There are also no real water/aid stations during the run. About halfway through, and also at the finish line, there is a volunteer with a box of cups and a water hose filling up cups. What a joke! I get that the race is between "free" and $20 but does it cost that much more money to provide actual drinking water when it's warm out?! Now onto the price. This event is put on by Cool Events which always does "free" races if you register really early in advance. To get a "free" one, you only have to pay the insurance and venue fees which come out to $12ish per person. As it gets closer to the race, they increase the price to $20 + the fees. While this means the race will be very affordable no matter when you register, but it'll also be super crowded!! Based on the price you also shouldn't expect much other than a cotton event t-shirt, temporary tattoo, bib and finisher's medal. I was surprised they didn't provide drinking water though! I'd rather have that for an outdoor race than a t-shirt lol!

We did the Bubble Run at the Grand Prix where they have F1…read more Great venue, I thought when I signed up 2months ago. Yesterday was 100degrees at 8am and it was so not enjoyable. There was no shade when we picked up our bibs the day before. The full run was outside around the race tracks and not one piece of shade. There were minimal bubbles that it was so disappointing overall. There was about 4 locations and then we just are being sectioned off to zig zag thru the concrete directly in the heat. The poor kids who were looking to bubbles didn't get much but the hot sun straight at them. Besides the stage that was set up and the awesome announcer, it was a dud in my eyes. And I literally got burn from the sun.

Apparently Facebook ads work. Had I known all the issues that this race would have, I might not…read morehave signed up- but at the end of the day I got to eat chocolate after going for a run on the Strip, so it can't all be bad. PROS: + The bowl of finish line fondue is actually really good, tasted like Ghirardelli. + One of the few runs to use the Strip area (Linq/Flamingo/Paradise section). + Super cozy zip up sweater instead of your usual cheap participant tee. + Training program and pacers available for the route for beginning runners. CONS: - Stupid early start time, likely due to the chaos of shutting down the Strip. 7:15 start with 6AM suggested arrival was not disclosed until a couple weeks before the event. And then we didn't even start on time! And why was the 5K before the 15K instead of after?! - No day-of packet pickup, had to go to Friday or Saturday afternoon "fitness expo" at the Linq to get your stuff. Tons of weekend Strip traffic, and there was no expo. I didn't stick around, but apparently there was no after-party either as advertised. - No finishers medal for the 5K. This is not explicitly spelled out on their website and only reluctantly answered when directly asking their social media manager. Really? Like it's so hard to leave the "1" off of the "15K" medal?! - One hydration/treat station for 5K route. Site advertises sweets throughout the run but heavily favors the 15K participants (they get 5 stops). Not sure if I'd sign up for this event again, at least not the 5K distance. Certain organization decisions make it seem like 5Kparticipants are not as valued as those doing 15K. Rather than subtly diss those who aren't up for the longer distance, maybe don't offer it at all.

3.5 stars Likes:…read more- Awesome finisher's medal (has amazing and accurate details of landmarks in Las Vegas, distance, name of the run and year on the medal. It's a nice size and is pretty heavy without being gaudy. The ribbon it comes on also says the name of the run and distance. If you collect running medals, you'll know why this matters.) - Relatively flat course with shade here and there - Gender specific jackets (because Tshirts are a dime a dozen and let's face it, men and women have different curves) and a thin plastic draw string knapsack included with registration - Greatly appreciate the pacers & volunteers; police did a great job of blocking traffic and keeping runners safe, frequent mile markers so you're not just guessing how far you've gotten - Chocolate fondue was pipping hot and suuuuuper delicious. Stuff to dip in it was perfect. - Nice photo opportunities in front of their (3) blow up displays. - Had chocolate chips, M&Ms, strawberry marshmallows & chocolate marshmallows throughout the run. Dislikes: - No expo or after party as promised. This was really disappointing consider how much they promote and it's a well known and popular run. We booked an extra couple of days anticipating an expo with sponsors, freebies, etc. - Pretty weak giveaways (just papers: discount coupons and flyers) - Free photos, but they were only at the finish line. Expect only one to two pictures of yourself, max!

This marathon is run in the desert outside of Las Vegas in late June, over the steep rolling hills…read moreof Lake Mead National Park. Needless to say, this marathon is a challenge for even the most experienced marathoner. I ran this race in 2012, and although the temperature was only in the high 90s and did not climb above 100 degrees as in previous years, it was still an extremely challenging race. With a very small field (less than 100 combined in the full marathon and ultra), this race was designed only for the experienced (and slightly insane) marathoner. Even though this is a smaller event, it was very well-organized. The packet pick-up was easy. The race organizers require that all runners carry water, and they give you a cool Polar water bottle for that purpose (I elected to wear a Camelbak). The course support was AMAZING...the volunteers were the most friendly and helpful I've ever experienced in a race. They provided ice, water, and a generous amount of snacks at each stop. At one stop, the volunteer offered to fill my Camelbak with ice and water for me while I helped myself to snacks and cooling ice water for my hat. The T-shirt and medal were very nice for a race this size. Congratulations to the folks at Calico Racing for putting on a stellar event. I look forward to running more Calico Racing events in the future!

Did the Calico Racing's Running with the Devil Marathon back in September 14th, 2013…read more The organizer was excellent, detailed information about packet pickup and parking. Provided us with plenty of aid stations supported by knowledgeable volunteers, who themselves are runners and friends of Calico Racing. The paved course at Equestrian Park was well laid out. It was not an easy course but all of Calico's courses are not made for PR's or BQ. They are made to challenge all runners to dig down and see what they are made of. Calico Racing is very considerate about all of it's runner's needs by providing necessary support, i.e. medical ambulance on site, portable restrooms, aid stations with water and food, sport drink, ice and cold wet towels at every 2 miles.There were plenty of food and fluids when you cross the finish line to get yourself replenished.You get a cool finisher's medal and special awards for the top 3 overall, top 3 males, top 3 females and top 3 age group finishers. A lot of runners know each other because we've all run with Calico Racing numerous times so it's more of a family atmosphere. Everyone encouraging each other on is one aspect than is most prevalent. ***WARNING ABOUT ANOTHER ORGANIZATION TRYING TO PLAGIARIZED A CALICO RUNNING EVENT*** There was an example of a non local copycat (plagiarism) running organization who have even copied and pasted Calico Racing's Red Rock Marathon, 1/2 marathon and 5k event description page onto their own to set up a race here in Las Vegas. It was D2E Endurance Racing out of Miami, FL. DO NOT confuse this organization with Calico Racing. Looking forward to Running the Devil on June 25th, 2016. See you there.

This is a fun non-competitive themed 5K (3.1 miles) run/walk that anyone can participate in and…read morehave a good time. The Color Run is social media friendly af.. The 2020 event was very well organized.. Starting Line: They play upbeat music and the emcee is high energy to keep you hype until you're released on the course. They were throwing out free tshirts in the corral to people who were dancing away. lol The group funnels into the starting area and they release the participants in waves so the color stations don't get congested. Smart Color Stations: You get a white color run shirt to wear on race day. you run through the 4 color stations where the volunteers douse you with colored powder. Blue, yellow, green and Pink were the colors this race. The powder kind of smells like cotton candy to me but please don't try eating it. FYI. the powder washed off easily in the wash. =) Bonus Foam Station: There's a foam station you run through that was a blast. Your shoes get kinda soggy but you can get some cool pic opps in there for sure. Finish Line: The energy continues as a DJ has everyone dancing and they're throwing more powder out into the crowd for a fun dance floor. There's more props for more social media moments, a Color Run store to buy more gear and vendors setup with booths for samples. Overall, this is a great run to do while drinking with your friends on the course. Think of it as a moving colorful party on a Saturday morning. The race crew vibe is energetic, happy and so are the runners. See you at the next one! =)

I participated in the 2014 Color Run and declined to do the 2015 run because the price was ridic…read more Even on Livingsocial and Groupon, the going rate was $45! The 2014 packet included a t-shirt, temporary tattoo, sweatband, bag, and a packet of color to use as you saw fit. BTW it was a lot cheaper last year ($25). The course was held in Downtown Fremont and drew a huge amount of people. They had to release runners in waves every 5 minutes or so. Needless to day, I didn't start the race on time because I was stuck among the crowds for 20+ minutes. There were points during the race where volunteers powdered you with color. The color is basically dyed cornstarch, so it's safe, although you're likely to have colorful boogers for the next few days!! Color Runs have become massively popular in the 5k fun run arena. Yes, they're pretty fun but after doing 5+ different variations on Color Runs they start to get a little old. PRO TIP: This a run for casual runners. Also, tutus are a hit here. YELP 100 CHALLENGE 2015: #83

The XTERRA West Championship is a two day event revolving around triathlons and cross country trail…read moreruns ranging from a 5k to a 21k held at Lake Las Vegas. I only participate in the 5k races held on Sundays and leave the triathlons and longer runs for the heavy hitters. The XTERRA 5k is the single most arduous 3.1 mile run I've ever ran in Las Vegas. The course is on a rocky and sandy terrain featuring monstrous hills, and so isn't for the faint of heart. Do not attempt to take a stroller on this trek! I love XTERRA because the scenery is beautiful, and the course is challenging. Plus the event is always well organized and starts on time. Finishers are treated to a personalized race card with all your running stats (overall place, division, time, etc.) and the best spread of treats I've encountered at a 5k. I'm talking bagels, cream cheese, fruit, animal crackers, water, Gatorade, brownies....you get the idea. I've participated in the XTERRA 3 times. Each time the course has been different, which makes it new and exciting every time! Groupon offers an amazing deal for this 5k - it's only $15 for registration, which includes a high tech running shirt. If you're a runner, you'd be missing out by not participating in the annual XTERRA run! YELP 100 CHALLENGE 2015: #71