Rock ‘n’ Road Trip Hits the Strip for Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Las Vegas, Offering Participants a Virtual Running Tour of the City of Lights with Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K, and Remix Challenge Options

November 12, 2020

- Featured Rock ‘n’ Roller Ryan Romero, Las Vegas, Nevada shares why he loves to run the City that Never Sleeps - Over 14,000 participants from 87 nations join the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip during multi-stop weekend in Savannah, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. / TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 12, 2020) – After the first multi-stop virtual race weekend that saw over 14,000 participants get their run on in two popular Rock ‘n’ Roll destinations virtually, with Bose Rock ‘n’ Roll VR^® Savannah and United Airlines Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Washington DC, the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip tour bus packs up and heads west to a city that never sleeps, bringing the bright lights of the Vegas Strip to runners around the world. In the first virtual visit to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series’ marquee event, Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Las Vegas will offer participants a Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Remix challenge options to participate in. Registration for the Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Las Vegas remains open and available for FREE to the entire global community from Nov. 13 – Nov. 15. All Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Virtual Running™ (VR™) Series races during the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip begin weekly on Fridays at 5 a.m. ET and close Sundays at 11:59 p.m. ET with participants being able to compete in the virtual tour stop anywhere, indoors or outdoors, as long as the distance of their choosing is completed in one session.

As the only running event to shut down the famed Las Vegas Strip at night, the one-of-a-kind Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon has placed runners right in the middle of the Vegas nightlife with a big dose of running to garnish it off for over ten years. This party all night on your own two feet starts when the sun goes down and doesn’t stop until the last runner crosses the finish line. While the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series will not make its annual stop in the City of Lights this year, that doesn’t mean we can’t infuse this weekend’s virtual version of the esteemed event with the sights, lights, and sounds of the entertainment Capital of the World.

Update on Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon

Over the last several months race officials have been working very closely with various host city partners, stakeholders, the Las Vegas community, and local professional sports organizations on all potential event options that will best meet the needs of our participants and race community. While we are unable to confirm a future event date for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon at this time, we are working diligently and will provide an update as soon as one is available.

Featured Rock ‘n’ Roller

Ryan Romero, Las Vegas, Nevada

Meet a Las Vegas runner who lives and breathes the City of Lights — and the sport that saved his life. Ryan Romero has a perspective on Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas that is as up close and personal as it gets: He lives on the Strip, right across from the 5K start line. “I would watch it as I was eating a bowl of ice cream or something and say, ‘I should do that someday,’” the 26-year-old reflects. Four years ago, while studying hospitality at UNLV, Romero was diagnosed with HIV. Because of the stress and medication, he gained weight and struggled with high blood pressure. Weighing in at 220 pounds, his doctor told him he either had to lose weight or start taking blood pressure medication—something he didn’t want to do at such a young age. In 2018, Romero decided to start running—a sport he had never been a big fan of. He downloaded a “couch to 5K” app and set a goal of running a 5k in eight weeks. “When I got to 5k, that was a huge accomplishment for me,” he says. “I kept going from there and have fallen in love with it. I feel the healthiest I’ve ever felt before.” Next, Romero planned to tackle the Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon as part of the St. Jude Heroes program, where race participants raise money for the children’s hospital. The day before the race, Ryan was allowed to upgrade to the marathon distance for an extra $100 of money raised for St. Jude Heroes. Romero was in. At the finish line, Romero noticed a runner sporting a Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame medal. He inquired and immediately set the 15-race minimum as a new goal. He plotted out a race calendar that would take him all over the US and Canada to get there. In a whirlwind of a year, Romero ran 10 full marathons and six half marathons, along with numerous 5K’s and 10K’s. He gained a whole lot of medals, lost a whole lot of weight (70 pounds, to be exact) and found a second family in Rock ’n’ Roll. Read on for some of Romero’s favorite things about running in Vegas and how he’s tackled 2020 in The Beat.

Vegas Inspired Running/Walking Plans

Participants are encouraged to be Vegas inspired in their virtual activities and share photos and videos on social media by tagging #RnRVRVegas. Don’t live along the Vegas Strip, no problem. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip has some tips on how runners and walkers can experience the bright lights of Vegas in their own communities.

• Late-night loops: If you’ve never run at night, first, make sure you take safety precautions such as running with a buddy, wearing reflective gear and lights, and planning a safe route ahead of time. After you’ve got those basics down, however, you’re in for a treat! Mixing up your usual early-morning routine by throwing in a night run can energize and inspire your running, and what better reason to try it than in the name of our favorite night marathon!
• Fountains of fun: The Bellagio is known for its impressive fountain show, and though your city probably doesn’t have anything quite as over the top, try to find your city’s best fountain or water display and route your run around it for a couple of quick k’s.
• Lights, lights, baby: Vegas is known for its bright lights and light shows. If your neighborhood has started decorating for the holidays, bonus! If not, route your run past an area of your city—perhaps it’s a government building or hotel downtown—that’s known for lighting it up when the sun goes down.

Fun Run Prep for the Rock ‘n Rollers

• Start me up: This race is known for its epic start line experience, where music and fireworks light up the sky as runners get ready to take off into the night. At what other race are you treated to a concert from a 70-ft-long stage with 30,000 of your closest friends before you run? Recreate it at home with a few power tunes from your favorite bands and a family (or solo!) dance party.
• Color me seven: The Seven Magic Mountains is a public art installation by Ugo Rondinone featuring seven towers of colorful, stacked boulders standing more than 35 ft. high. You’ll find these boulder totems just a short car ride outside Vegas, where they bring a poetic burst of form and color to the stark Ivanpah Valley. Dress up in the colors of the totems to bring a burst of color to YOUR night run, too!
• Taste of the town: Our favorite midnight snack post-race is a toss-up between the sushi cupcakes at Jaburritos and the Housedog at Dirt Dog. We like to chase that down with a PinkBox donut. Celebrate your own virtual race at your city’s best sushi, hotdog, or donut slinging hot spot for a true taste of Vegas’ diverse food scene.

• “Tik Tok” it’s time to Rock!: Bring the beat to your feet as you hit the virtual Vegas Strip this weekend with Rock ‘n’ Roll Vegas’ most recent Headliner act, Kesha. With a larger-than-life persona, Kesha channeled a variety of genres including hip-hop, pop, and dance music to create her multi-platinum sound and parade of blockbuster hits. Check out how the game-changing provocateur as you get Vegas inspired to run or walk through Sin City this weekend. Check out this week’s Apple Music playlist – Kesha Essentials
• Viva Las Vegas: A city that bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World, it’s almost a guarantee you will never be bored when in the world’s most visited tourist destination. Visiting Vegas area or planning a future trip, here are 10 things to do and see when you make it there:

1. Ride the Roller Coaster at New York New York Hotel
2. Check out the Fountain Show at the Bellagio Hotel
3. Hike the Red Rock Canyon
4. Grab a Housedog at Dirt Dog
5. Take a Gondola Boat Ride at the Venetian Hotel
6. Run down Fremont Street to see the Light Show
7. Treat yourself to a post run Pinkbox donut
8. Visit the neon museum
9. Snap a pic at the Seven Magic Mountains
10. Enjoy a sushi cupcake at Jaburritos

Getting Started

To register for Rock ‘n’ Road Trip event, runners or walkers only need to sign up through the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running Club platform and connect to their tracker app. Runners can then complete their registration by going to the “Events” tab and clicking “Register Now” for free on the virtual race page.

Through the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip, participants will be able to earn exclusive digital event badges for every race and distance they complete; download race bib to personalize the experience; reward themselves for their efforts with cool destination themed finisher medals and T-Shirts; and earn points redeemable for sweet swag and more at www.runrocknrollstore.com/rock-n-roll-vr. Finishers who complete the Remix Challenge also earn access to additional medals.

Looking Back – By the Numbers

Bose Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Savannah

• Bose Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Savannah offered distances of a Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K and 1-mile along with the Remix Challenge
• More than 8,500 people from 80 nations and 45 states stepped up to the virtual start line for the Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Series’ Rock ‘n’ Road Trip in Savannah, Georgia this past weekend.
• Participants for Bose Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Savannah came from around the world and ranged in age from 19 to 83.
• The United States led the way with over 6,000 walkers and runners followed by United Kingdom (just over 300), Canada (just under 300), Mexico (over 200), and Portugal (just over 100).
• Other nations represented included Belgium, Colombia, Luxembourg, and Poland, among others.
• Of the 45 U.S. states represented this past weekend, the greatest number came from Florida, followed by California, Texas, Virginia, and Florida.

United Airlines Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Washington DC

• United Airlines Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Washington DC offered distances of a Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K along with the Remix Challenge
• More than 5,500 people from 80 nations and 45 states stepped up to the virtual start line for the Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Series’ Rock ‘n’ Road Trip in Washington, D.C. this past weekend.
• Participants for Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Washington DC came from around the world and ranged in age from 19 to 83.
• The United States led the way with over 4,000 walkers and runners followed by United Kingdom (just over 200), Canada (over 150), Mexico (just over 100), and Portugal (over 50).
• Other nations represented included Brazil, France, Ireland, Jamaica, South Africa, Switzerland, and Philippines, among others.
• Of the 45 U.S. states represented this past weekend, the greatest number came from Virginia, followed by California, Texas, and Florida.

Rock This Town^® Turkey Trot

To date, over 2,300 runners have signed up for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Club’s Rock This Town^® Turkey Trot. Runners are encouraged to run a 5K or more between US Thanksgiving on November 26 and Giving Tuesday on December 1. For every runner that signs up, Rock This Town will donate $1 to Feeding America for those facing hunger this holiday season. According to Feeding America, each $1 donation will provide 10 meals to individuals facing food insecurity. Next week, Rock This Town will host its Rock This Town Food Drive at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Health & Fitness Expo Thursday, November 19 and 20. Rock ‘n’ Rollers are invited to drop off non-perishable food items before entering Nissan Stadium for Athlete Check-In. Through Rock This Town’s IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund grants, Operation IRONAID Nutrition, and Operation IRONAID Face Masks in partnership with Framebridge and supported by Good360, over 230 organizations have been supported since March. Applications for the fifth round of IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund grants are also being accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on December 15, 2020. For more information about IRONAID visit ironmanfoundation.org/ironaid.

Full details and specifics regarding the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running Series, Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running Club and Challenges are available on www.runrocknrollvr.com. For more information on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, please visit the website at www.runrocknroll.com. Media related inquiries may be directed to press@runrocknroll.com.

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About Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series^® is the world’s largest running series taking part in over 30 destination events around the world every year. Established in 1998, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series simple idea of making running fun has transformed both the U.S. and global running landscape by infusing the course with live bands, cheer teams and entertaining water stations, creating a block-party atmosphere for participants and spectators alike. Focused on running, music and community, race weekend kicks off with a free Health & Fitness Expo showcasing the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health and nutritional information and much more. Events culminate with an entertaining finish-line festival featuring some of the biggest names in music, with past performances including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, O.A.R. Aloe Blacc, Pitbull, Flo Rida, The Band Perry, Fitz and the Tantrums, the Goo Goo Dolls and Bret Michaels. Further information about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series can be found online at www.RunRocknRoll.com and follow @RunRocknRoll on all social platforms.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series^®, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS^®, ITU World Triathlon Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and The Sun-Herald City2Surf^®, Ultra-Trail^® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance (www.advance.com), a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.