Las Vegas man completes 100k run to Mount Charleston

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Friday, July 17, 2020 | 2 a.m.

Skyler Holloway set a goal for 2020: The Las Vegas native wanted to run a 100k ultramarathon. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused most sanctioned ultrarunning events to cancel in the spring, he realized he’d have to take matters into his own hands if he wanted to achieve that goal.

So Holloway, 30, planned his own route from Las Vegas Boulevard to Mount Charleston, and on Wednesday he crossed his personal finish line.

The Green Valley High School grad completed his 100k route — the equivalent of about two and a half marathons — in just under 15 hours.

“I wasn’t sure if I could do it or not,” Holloway said. “It’s hard to accomplish, but I wanted to go for it.”

Holloway’s route started at 2 a.m. Wednesday at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and wound north through the city. He took the 215 Beltway trail west, then followed desert trails to the city of Mount Charleston.

The temperature at the start of his run was 89 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. By noon, the temperature in the valley had climbed to a sultry 100 degrees. But Holloway was able to avoid that heat on Mount Charleston, where the day’s high temperature of 85 degrees was recorded just before 2 p.m., nearly three hours before Holloway finished his ascent.

The final 16 miles to the summit of Mount Charleston were the most difficult, Holloway said, because he was unsupported during that stretch. Friends had pitched in to set up aid stations to allow him to refuel every 5 miles or so, but the mountain terrain at the end of the route meant he was on his own.

“The last stretch was the most intimidating,” Holloway said.

Holloway said he wanted to complete the run as a way to bring attention to a pair of Las Vegas charities: Goodie Two Shoes and Delivering with Dignity.

Goodie Two Shoes helps provide new shoes and socks for disadvantaged children, while Delivering with Dignity brings meals to vulnerable families that are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Holloway had competed in triathlons, and was part of the triathlon club team during his time as a graduate student at Stanford. He had never attempted ultrarunning until he started his route on Wednesday.

He said he prepared as much as he could, but that he had to trust himself to make it to 100k.

“You run a lot,” Holloway said. “I did some bicycling. There are so many different aspects of running a 100k. You have to train your mind to be mentally tough and train your body to keep moving when your mind is telling you to stop.”

That training paid off during the difficult desert and mountain portions of his run, when Holloway said he had to battle negative thoughts.

“Mostly what was going through my mind was to keep moving,” he said. “I was trying to stay focused, rise above the pain and be smart about my pacing. And ultimately, keep moving.”

Nicolas Libonati, part of the logistics team that assisted Holloway, was astonished at the drive of his longtime friend.

“I can’t imagine the pain and mental strain he was battling,” Libonati said.” I am so proud of Skyler for the accomplishment but even more for the way he handled himself through the run. Never once did he show a sign of weakness or doubt that he would finish. Even along the hottest, grueling, seemingly never-ending part of Kyle Canyon Road, he just kept pushing. It was unbelievable.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.