A notable participant in the inaugural race was Harry Reid, who at the time was involved with local Nevada government.

Both organizations were motivated by attracting visitors during the "slower" December time period and their consent was necessary for holding any large downtown event.

In 2009 the race was acquired by the Competitor Group, Inc. and incorporated into its Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series and the course was changed for a fourth time since 1982.

[3] Since the Competitor Group acquired the race in 2009, the number of full distance (26.219 mi (42.195 km)) marathoners has diminished, while the overall participation has increased dramatically .

While a high volume of entrants is necessary to carry the cost of closing the Las Vegas Strip for more than 12 hours,[5] the paucity of actual marathoners distinguish the Las Vegas event from other big city venues such as Boston, New York, Chicago, London, or Berlin where the number of marathon finishers range from about 20,000 to more than 30,000.

While successful as a commercial, for profit venture, this race falls short of the original vision to make the Las Vegas Marathon a world class, competitive running event.

Organizers decided not to hold the 2020 edition of the race on its original date in November due to the coronavirus pandemic.

From 1967 to 2004 the marathon course was located on several different routes within Clark County, but outside of downtown Las Vegas.

In 1983, Al Boka inaugurated a course that started on State Route 160, high in the Spring Mountains west of Las Vegas on the road to Pahrump, and descended approximately 2,900 feet (883.9m) into the valley, finishing at the Renaissance Center located at the corner of East Tropicana and Eastern Avenues.

After heading north on Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip), to the Fremont Street Experience and the Downtown area, the course meandered further northwest of the city and ultimately looped back to the west before reaching Mandalay Bay's parking lot at the finish.