The organizers of the Las Vegas Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon operate out of San Diego, but the Oct. 1 massacre still carries deep personal meaning for them.
Beyond the obvious need for logistical adjustments to next month’s marathon plans in the wake of the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting, that understanding of the mental and emotional wounds left bare guides event executives as they prepare the annual nighttime run down the Strip.
“There will be some changes to ensure runner safety, as well as out of respect for the community as well as all those who are affected,” said Dan Cruz, vice president of public relations for Competitor Group.
Cruz’s sister-in-law Stacy Thorne and her husband, Jared, fled the Oct. 1 shooting and escaped unharmed after hiding for hours in a utility closet in the parking garage at the Tropicana. The first “frantic” call from Stacy came in at 11 p.m. Sunday, Cruz said, and she and Jared could not get back to their Excalibur hotel room until 7 a.m.
That experience helped Cruz and the Competitor team empathize with local officials in their recent discussions about how to adjust the start line from its location near Mandalay Bay and the pre-race concert from its location on the same festival grounds as Route 91. Competitor notified runners Friday that the start line for the full and half-marathon will change, requiring some adjustments to the course as well.
“We have been in a deep dialogue with city officials, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and all of our partners on the Strip and in the city after the attack,” Cruz said. “The event is going to happen. We’ve seen a tremendous outpouring of support from the participants.”
Cruz said Competitor will announce specific changes to the marathon before the end of the month.
“Anytime you’re trying to get 30,000 people to the exact same place at the exact same time, there’s only so many venues where you can do that,” Cruz said. “The first couple of miles of the course likely will change in some capacity.”
The marathon shifted from early December to mid-November four years ago to avoid conflicting with the National Finals Rodeo and to enjoy slightly warmer weather. This year’s races on Nov. 11 and 12 are expected to attract more than 46,000 participants from 85 countries, and the packed start of the Sunday main event will create the first open-air crowd of similar size to Route 91 since the attack.