Vegas Strip Running Routes

Running the Las Vegas Strip seems like a no-brainer. Exit your hotel, run. Depending where your hotel is, it just may be possible! But with the amount of people on the miles of the city that make up Las Vegas Boulevard, for most hotels, that’s not really feasible most of the day. So I’ve got some Las Vegas Strip running routes that are easy to access from your hotel, but still give you a chance to actually run instead of work through a crowd.

Before we get into the routes, let’s look at the Strip itself. The Las Vegas Strip is the main street of Las Vegas, where the main hotels are. It runs mostly north-south, with a slight bend to the east the more north you get. Most tourists will approach the Strip from the south, starting at Mandalay Bay. The south section lasts from Mandalay Bay through Excalibur/Tropicana Ave. Center Strip is Tropicana through Spring Mountain Road/Sands Blvd, or New York New York/MGM Grand through Venetian/Palazzo. North Strip starts at Wynn/Encore and extends up to Sahara Ave.

Please note that Fremont Street is not part of the Strip – that’s Downtown Las Vegas, and another few miles from Sahara, through an area that’s….not so great for running.

Fortunately, Las Vegas Blvd is mostly flat ground, so you can enjoy the sights of the Strip without too much trouble. You’ll certainly want to add this unique experience to your Vegas trip, and your best bets for running straight from your hotel are south Strip and north Strip. The best section of the Strip for running is southern end of the Strip. See our “Welcome to Las Vegas Sign” route for details.

Running the Vegas Strip
Welcome to Las Vegas Sign Strip running route
“The Back Side” Strip running route
Howard Hughes Loop

Running the Vegas Strip

I said above that running the Strip isn’t feasible most of the day. So when IS it feasible? There’s a relatively short window in the early mornings where the crowds are gone and the Strip is relatively open to a good pace. That “golden hour” is right around 4 AM, and lasts up until about 8-9 AM. 10 AM if you’re lucky.

There are no evening or night hours that are good conditions for running on the Strip. Everyone’s out dining, drinking, looking at the lights, or going clubbing. After midnight, there’s a lot of party traffic between different clubs. It’s only after the major nightclub acts have ended and the afterparties have wound down that there’s room on the sidewalk to run.

Start from your hotel, pick a direction, and run. The length of the Strip is about 4 miles from the Stratosphere to the Mandalay Bay, so you’ll have to calculate your distance from your hotel for the length of the route for this iconic run. Do use the pedestrian walkways and bridges to cross the street to maintain your pace.

Welcome to Vegas sign Strip running route

This Strip running route can be run at any time. Since you’re on the south end of the Strip, you avoid most foot traffic.

Start at Excalibur and run Las Vegas Blvd South to the sign. You’ll pass the Luxor and Mandalay Bay. There is a light to cross Las Vegas Blvd to the center of the street and access the sign. Please use the crosswalk for your safety.

Take photos at the sign, then turn around and run back! Be ready to wait in line for your perfect photo.

This gives you a 4-mile run. Need more miles? Extend these Strip running routes to:

Town Square, +2 miles
Las Vegas South Premium Outlets, +4 miles
South Point Casino, + 10 miles

Best hotels for this route:

Luxor
Excalibur
Mandalay Bay

"The Back Side" Las Vegas Strip running route

An alternative to running on the Strip itself is to run on Industrial/Dean Martin Rd. This road parallels the Strip and runs behind the casinos on the west side of the Strip, including the Bellagio and Mirage. Locals know it as a quick way to access parking for many casinos. This Las Vegas Strip running route isn’t scenic. You run past loading docks, employee entrances, and blank backs of buildings. However, you do get breathtaking views of those huge marquee signs right up close! There is minimal foot traffic, so you should be able to enjoy your run at any time of the day.

Best hotels for this route:

- TI
- Mirage
- Bellagio
- Ceasars Palace
- Cosmopolitan
- Aria Resort

The Howard Hughes Loop

For center strip guests or folks on the east side of the Strip, the key is to get off the Strip. On Flamingo, head east to Howard Hughes Parkway. Turn left and head north on Howard Hughes Parkway. This area is full of tall office towers or high-end condos, palm trees, and grass. It’s a nice breather from the casinos with some decently pretty side roads. And as offices, there’s traffic at 8-9 AM and 5 PM, and not much in between.

Howard Hughes Parkway ends at Sands Ave/Spring Mountain Road, or where the Wynn sits. Turn left to head west on Sands. You’ll get a close-up look at the Sphere on your way back to Las Vegas Blvd. Then turn left on LV Blvd and head south back to the Flamingo. This route should be just around 5k.

If you need to add distance, I’d do it in the business park area, popping in to the businesses and back out. Alternatively, turn right at Sands, head east to Koval, and run south on Koval to E Harmon Ave. Head west on Harmon back to the Strip.

Best hotels for this route:

Flamingo
Paris
The LINQ
Casino Royale
Venetian
Wynn
Caesars Palace
Bellagio

Las Vegas Strip Running FAQ

Where can I run on the northern end of the Strip, around Wynn and Venetian?

This section is a desolate spot for Las Vegas Strip running routes.

Can I run a Strip running route you didn't mention?

Yes. The Strip itself is publicly accessible, so feel free to plot your own route. You must stay on the sidewalks, however. Do not run on the street. That’s a great way to get hit and injured, and it will be your own dang fault.

Staying on the sidewalks means dealing with foot traffic. And there’s a LOT of foot traffic. Just trust me on this.

There’s less foot traffic south of Tropicana Ave, so the Las Vegas Sign route above is a good option.

How much shade is there on the Strip?

Practically none. While the hotel towers are tall, there’s a lot of space between them. Wear sunglasses or a visor, sunscreen, and lip balm, even (or maybe moreso!) in winter, no matter where you’re running in Las Vegas.

Can I run in the casinos themselves?

There’s nothing stopping you from attempting to run inside the casinos. I would not recommend it. Too many doors, too many people.

Also, slot machines are clustered in funky ways that don’t allow for optimal running space.