Nine Yorkton runners hit the strip in Las Vegas on December 2 for an exhilarating marathon.
Sandy Vaughan Hastie, Cynthia E.B. Wolkowski, Bernie Wlock, Lynel Martinuk, Rick Vaughn, Glenna Potzus, Angela Pidkowich, Beth Puchala, and Dennis Fuchs took part in the 13-mile marathon that was held for a crohn's and colitis', which is an inflammatory bowel disease, fundraiser.
For some Yorktonians, the marathon was the main attraction in Vegas, but for others it was just the icing on the cake for their vacation.
"My wife wanted to see a Shania Twain show in Vegas, so when she got tickets, I decided it would be fun to run in this marathon," says Bernie Wlock.
The marathon, which went as long as roughly 26 miles for those up for the challenge, cost each runner $175 to take part. Some of the top runners won cash prizes; however, none of the nine Yorkton runners finished high enough to win some extra gambling money.
The marathon was huge to say the least as 37,000 people ran in it. Vegas shut down the strip from the public for the marathon from 1 p.m. to midnight on Sunday, the day of the event.
The track was so jam packed that it took the nine Yorkton runners 25 minutes just to hit the start line.
"There were so many people," says Wlock. "It took a long time to get going."
The massive crowd made it tough for the runners to find their friends and family after the race.
"After we finished the race we couldn't find our spouses because there were so many people," says Wlock. "We had to text each other to figure out where everyone was."
The log-jammed group of runners also made the lines incredibly long in front of the portable toilets.
"There were like 80 porta-potties in four different spots and the lineups were still huge," says Wlock. "It took a while to go to the bathroom."
When all was said and done, the runners had a blast.
"The race was very well organized from start to finish and it was a good experience," says Rick Vaughan.
"The race was an adrenaline rush," added Glenna Potzus. "Running marathons can be addictive, but self rewarding.
The race left a very good impression on the runners. Some of the Yorktonians would do it again in a heart beat, including Wlock.
"I would do it again if I had people to go with," he said. "It is a lot of fun and it is great exercise."
