Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon Cancelled, No

The Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon and Half Marathon, scheduled for April 3, 2027, has been cancelled. Organizers announced the decision on August 28, citing lower-than-expected registration numbers and offering no refunds to entrants.

According to an email sent to runners, the Revel Race Series team made what it called a difficult decision. The message stated that general interest and registration for the event was lower than expected, making it difficult to responsibly produce the race. The source for this report is Runner's World.

Options for Registered Runners

Runners who had signed up were given two alternatives. They could transfer their entry to the Las Vegas Marathon on January 10, 2027. Alternatively, they could choose to run another event organized by Brooksee, Motiv, or Vacation Races in 2026. The email warned that if an entrant did not select an option by September 7, they would be automatically enrolled in the January Las Vegas Marathon.

For some runners, the financial impact is significant. One runner's husband had registered for the half marathon, compounding the cost. Runner's World reported that emails to three officials from Brooksee, the race organizer, were not immediately returned.

Impact on Runners' Long-Term Goals

The cancellation has disrupted long-term plans for some athletes. Lori Smith, a 40-year-old occupational therapist from Hartland, Wisconsin, and her friend Kristen Carr have been trying to run a marathon in all 50 states for nearly two decades. They had registered for Revel Mt. Charleston as soon as it opened in July, paying an early-bird price of $149 before fees. Nevada was one of just six states they had left to complete their quest, with the others being Vermont, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, and Alabama.

Smith explained the challenge of scheduling. "We have to be strategic as you get down to states, right?" she told Runner's World. "It's hard to figure out when to do them, and you know, each state, depending on where they are, kind of has their running times of year." The January transfer option does not fit their schedules. They had hoped to finish their 50-state quest by 2029, but Nevada is now a question mark. To pick races, they rely heavily on reviews from groups like the 50 States Marathon Club on Facebook and Marathonguide.com.

The Race's History and Recent Changes

For years, Revel Mt. Charleston was a popular course for runners seeking to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The route features more than 5,000 feet of elevation decline. However, in June 2025, Boston Marathon organizers announced a new "downhill index." This policy effectively adds time to qualifying marks achieved on significantly downhill courses.

Runners who qualified at Revel Mt. Charleston would have had 10 minutes added to their finish time. This rule change appears to have impacted participation. The 2025 edition of the race, held before Boston's announcement, had 2,455 finishers. This year's race saw that number drop to 1,200 finishers. For more on race stats and fixtures, runners often check dedicated pages.

Smith noted that finding a well-reviewed race in Nevada had been difficult. "We stumbled upon Revel, and it had great reviews," she said. "Everybody really raved about it." While accustomed to last-minute changes, usually due to weather, the pair have never experienced a race cancelling seven months in advance without offering refunds. Their search for a Nevada marathon continues, a setback in their long-running quest that runners can track progress on through standings and club squad pages.