Under temperatures in the mid forties, more than 28,000 runners were beating the Las Vegas Strip pavements to the rhythm of Rock and roll bands.
Polish-born Gruca placed herself at the lead near the 20-mile mark and crossed the finish line of the 26.3 mile marathon in 2:44:36, according to Running Competitor's website.
“This was a great gift for me,” the birthday girl told USA Today. Although sciatic nerve pain forced her to slow her pace at around the 20- mile point, she was still pleased with her performance.
Gruca, a 25-year veteran, announced she was retiring, saying it was difficult to come to grips with the fact that she was slowing down.
Floating the possibility she might still enter Masters competitions, she said she needed time off.
Josh Cox from Mammoth Lakes, Calif., took out the men's marathon, gliding over the finish line effortlessly to win in 2:25:05.
"When you make your move, you want to make it definitively—to make it so it hurts the other runner mentally," Cox, who has his eye on setting the 50 kilometer record, told USA Today.
With 3.7 miles remaining, Cox took the lead from Ecuador's Stalin Barros, who finished third in 2:31:52.
"The game plan was to get the ball rolling on the back half," Cox said, according to USA Today. "I kept the horses in the barn during the first half. I was taking it one mile at a time. I was trying to keep (my pace) under control."
