The Fabulous Las Vegas Half Marathon, Gran Canaria
Maspalomas Dunes Half Marathon # 263
Date: February 1, 2026
My Time: 7:53:25
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
My 263rd half marathon in Gran Canaria led me to another fabulous Las Vegas. While over a billion people know about Las Vegas, Nevada, and many have visited this American city, few have heard of Las Vegas, Gran Canaria, hence the inspiration for the name of my 263rd private half marathon on the Spanish island.
I had named all my previous 262 private half marathons in Gran Canaria “Maspalomas Dunes Half Marathons” in my Garmin database, and I didn’t write a single article about them.
Then on February 1, 2026, Nathalie Desrousseaux, my wife Gisele Diallo and I took a bus to the mountainous Valsequillo County for their annual Almond Blossom Festival—a vibrant celebration of Canarian heritage with the sound of live folk music, the rhythms of traditional dances, typical Canarian food, Canarian wrestling, and the displays of centuries-old crafts throughout the villages of the county, including in Las Vegas.
Once on site, we walked a 10 km loop linking Valsequillo—the capital of the county—to Tenteniguada and Las Vegas, and back to Valsequillo. When we saw the sign “Las Vegas” on Avenida de Las Vegas, it reminded me Las Vegas Boulevard and my 7th marathon, which I did in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 4, 2011...
My book Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).
Date: February 1, 2026
My Time: 7:53:25
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
My 263rd half marathon in Gran Canaria led me to another fabulous Las Vegas. While over a billion people know about Las Vegas, Nevada, and many have visited this American city, few have heard of Las Vegas, Gran Canaria, hence the inspiration for the name of my 263rd private half marathon on the Spanish island.
I had named all my previous 262 private half marathons in Gran Canaria “Maspalomas Dunes Half Marathons” in my Garmin database, and I didn’t write a single article about them.
Then on February 1, 2026, Nathalie Desrousseaux, my wife Gisele Diallo and I took a bus to the mountainous Valsequillo County for their annual Almond Blossom Festival—a vibrant celebration of Canarian heritage with the sound of live folk music, the rhythms of traditional dances, typical Canarian food, Canarian wrestling, and the displays of centuries-old crafts throughout the villages of the county, including in Las Vegas.
Once on site, we walked a 10 km loop linking Valsequillo—the capital of the county—to Tenteniguada and Las Vegas, and back to Valsequillo. When we saw the sign “Las Vegas” on Avenida de Las Vegas, it reminded me Las Vegas Boulevard and my 7th marathon, which I did in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 4, 2011...
My book Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).
Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo did the Fabulous Las Vegas Half Marathon
Nathalie Desrousseaux and Gisele Diallo taking a break on our way to Las Vegas, Gran Canaria
Almond flowers in Gran Canaria in early February 2026
Traditional Canarian musicians taking a break in Las Vegas Avenue, Las Vegas, Gran Canaria, during the 2026 Almond Blossom Festival.
Almond blossom in Gran Canaria in early February 2026
Fabulous Las Vegas, Gran Canaria
Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo’s Fabulous Las Vegas Half Marathon Garmin data
Nathalie Desrousseaux, Gisele Diallo and Sidy Diallo walked a 10 km loop in Valsequillo County, Gran Canaria.
One of the two “Las Vegas” signs in Las Vegas, Gran Canaria