STAY AT THE RAVELLA FOR LAKE LAS VEGAS TRAIL RUN
It’s not too late to make travel plans for the XTERRA Lake Las Vegas Trail Run, which is scheduled for April 15.
The race will take place near Lake Las Vegas – just 17 miles off the famous Las Vegas Strip. The race headquarters will be at the Aston MonteLago Village Resort, but all rooms at that location are now sold out for the weekend of the race.
For those looking for a place to stay near the race, the luxurious Ravella Hotel & Resort is your answer. The Ravella – which virtually overlooks the race site -- has agreed to offer an “XTERRA Rate” for the week of the race:
Desert View room with 1 king bed or two double beds -- $119 per night
Lake View room with 1 king bed -- $139 per night
All rooms booked with the XTERRA Rate will have a reduced resort fee of $15 per night, plus 13 percent tax (reservations are non-refundable).
Call 1-888-810-0440 and ask for the XTERRA Rate to book a room. To learn more about the Ravella Hotel & Resort, please visit www.ravellavegas.com.
As for the race itself, there is still plenty of room on the starting line to participate in one of the most unique races on the XTERRA Trail Run schedule.
The Lake Las Vegas Trail Run will offer course options to accommodate the various levels of runners – a 21-kilometer long course, as well as a 10K and a 5K. The run through the desert has been described by runners as “like running on the moon” because of the combination of hard-packed sand, loose rocks of various sizes, and a lack of forestation.
To register for the race or learn more about it, please CLICK HERE.
BELL RINGS UP ANOTHER WIN AT XTERRA THRILLS IN THE HILLS
David Bell continued his annual tradition of racing to a first-place medal in the XTERRA Thrill in the Hills Trail Run last weekend.
Bell won the half-marathon (21 kilometers) division for the third consecutive year. The other overall winners were: Johan Desmet (men's 42K full marathon), Mandy Meyer (women's full marathon) and Michelle McKenzie (women's half-marathon).
A capacity field of 500 runners participated in the event, which was completed on February 25 at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, Georgia.
Most of the runners opted for the half-marathon course, and Bell prevailed with a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes, 49 seconds. "I love this course and have come back three times now to race on it," said Bell, 28. "To me, it is the perfect combination of speed, distance and technical difficulty. It's so much fun each year to come here and fly through the downhills and enter into sections of very tight switchbacks mixed with all the choppy elevation dips and rises. It sometimes feels like downhill skiing."
(David Bell, pictured courtesy www.featherbrush.com)
Bell's speed and experience proved to be too much for the others, as he took the lead in the first mile and never relented. "I found that I was on my own and from there, it became a time trial and tempo which I enjoyed for the remainder of the race," he said.
Matt Haley placed second in 1:23:45 - almost a minute behind Bell. Matthew Rivers was third in 1:24:41 - almost a minute behind Haley.
The women's race of the half-marathon course was much closer, with McKenzie crossing the finish line with a time of 1:38:40, and Tara Mooney four seconds behind.
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XTERRA TRAIL RUNS COMING UP IN MARCH
The month of March is here, which means spring is right around the corner. It also means it’s time to put the spring back in your step as several races in the XTERRA Trail Run Series are coming up.
- XTERRA Trail Run will make its debut in the state of Washington on March 24, when the inaugural XTERRA Steilacoom Trail Run takes place at Lakewood, Washington. The race is part of the XTERRA Pacific Northwest Trail Run Series, which becomes an official full series during the 2012-13 season.
- The XTERRA Arizona Trail Run Series will host its final event of the season on March 25, when the XTERRA Black Canyon Trail Run takes place at Rock Springs, Arizona. The race is a new one for the Arizona Series, so it should make for an exciting conclusion, as well as add some intrigue to the overall standings. The overall Arizona age-group champions will be determined after this race.
- The always-popular XTERRA SoCal Trail Run Series is back for another race on March 25 with the XTERRA Black Mountain Trail Run in San Diego. It will be the sixth of seven races on the 2011-12 SoCal Series schedule. The field is expected to reach capacity, so register early at www.trailrace.com.
- The XTERRA Florida Trail Run Series will host its first race of the 2012 calendar year when the XTERRA Trout Creek Trail run takes place on March 25 at Tampa, Florida.
To register for any of these races (and other races coming up in 2012), or to learn more about it, please visit www.xterratrailrun.com.
Also visit the XTERRA Trail Run facebook page at www.facebook.com/xterrarun
CONTACT THE XTERRA TRAIL RUN SERIES
Toll-free: 877-XTERRA-1 (877-983-7721)
emily@xterraplanet.com
www.xterratrailrun.com
Facebook: Become a Fan
Twitter: XTERRAoffroad
