Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

For the first time ever, the Las Vegas Strip will be completely closed off to traffic for two hours when some 20,000 sprinters from all over the country run on this street during the Rock n Roll Las Vegas marathon.

But instead of losing revenues due to the closure of the Strip, Las Vegas is still expected to earn an estimated $40 million from the event to be held on December 6th.

"More than half of the runners will come from outside of Las Vegas. They will stay an average of three nights in hotels here and they will bring at least two people with them," said Bruce Herring, senior vice president of Competitor Group which spearheads the event.

"That all adds up to a significant economic impact to your community I would guess, in excess of $40 million in economic impact to the community," he said.

Approximately $1 million in tax revenues, meanwhile, will be earned by the local government, he added.

This is good news to a city that has been suffering from lackluster tourist visits since the start of the year, due to the sagging national and global economy. Declining tourism has been a problem for Las Vegas residents a majority of which, work in the hotel and casino industry.

Data from the Las Vegas Conventions and Visitors Authority show that visitor volume in Las Vegas dwindled by 7.2% from January to April this year compared to the same period last year.

Nevada Sen Harry Reid last month told the Senate, "The recent decline in visitors to Nevada has unfortunately contributed to the worst state budget shortfall in the state’s history."

For this reason, the local governments in Nevada have been pushing for increased promotions for tourists and business conventions alike.

The Rock n Roll Las Vegas marathon is also expected to promote Las Vegas as an entertainment destination.

"The days preceding it, people from all over the world are not only participating in the race, but they will also be viewing us on TV," Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman told a press conference last June 10th.

"You can envision tens of thousands of people waiting to run down the most famous street in the world, while it’s covered by reporters from all over the world. It will be a healthy thing for those runners and a healthy thing for our economy," Clark County Chairman Rory Reid for his part, said.

Las Vegas is part of Clark County in Nevada. Other cities in this county are North Las Vegas and Henderson. Clark County is home to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and site of 14 of the nation’s 15 largest hotels.

Individuals who want to participate in the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon will have a choice of running either the half marathon or full marathon. The half marathon will be run on a portion of Las Vegas Blvd, which is the Las Vegas Strip.

"There will be a full closure of the Las Vegas Strip on December 6th. The half marathon of 13.1 miles will be run almost completely on the Strip. This is unprecedented, it has never been done before," Adam Zocks, general manager of the event told the press conference.

The full marathon, meanwhile, will start at Spring Mountain Rd. going west and finish at Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Meanwhile, a portion of earnings from the Rock n Roll Las Vegas marathon will benefit the Chron’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

"$4 million is expected to be raised in Las Vegas to help us find a cure for Chron’s disease and also colitis," Staci Brown, national director of Team Challenge said.

( Published on June 19, 2009 in Asian Journal Las Vegas p. A1 )