The 2007 Las Vegas Marathon is less than two months away. While thousands of runners are getting in shape for the full 26-mile race, others are warming up for the half-marathon. One local woman decided to come off the sidelines and join the race.
Wendy Rountree has always enjoyed sports as an observer. Running marathons was strictly something that "other" people did. "I couldn't run from here to the corner. I literally couldn't run from here to the corner, without huffing and puffing."
After a leaving an East coast corporate job to start her own real estate practice here in Las Vegas, Rountree found herself pursuing interests, such as photography, that she never seemed to have time for in the past. Then came the inspiration -- to run.
"A couple of years ago, after I watched the Las Vegas Marathon, the first year that it came in on the Strip, there's just something about it. I was taking pictures of people. And they had their little medals. It was like -- I'd like to do that. I really would like to do that," she said.
In 2006, Rountree left the sidelines and ran in her first half-marathon, and she plans to cross the finish line again this year.
"It's such a positive, that you're seeing yourself grow and be able to achieve something that you're just amazed at yourself. And that's a good feeling. And that basically permeates other things in your life. So I think that comes through. You'd be amazed at what you're able to do."
The Las Vegas Marathon is Dec. 2. Channel 8 is once again the official broadcast partner for the Las Vegas Marathon.
Wendy Rountree has always enjoyed sports as an observer.
