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Apr 29, 2024

Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.5

Spectators 2.6

Number of comments: 80 [displaying comments 71 to 80]

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Midwest Runner from Midwest (10/9/2007) "A+ from Start to Finish!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I LOVED THIS RACE!!! Flying in from the midwest the logistics were much easier than I expected. The host hotel picked me up at the airport for free and was also the location of the packet pick up and bus transportation. Loads of restaurants were within walking distance and I easily found a place to carbo load. The bus was really comfortable and had a toilet. The energy of the fellow runners was awesome with loads of costumes and Joyce (the RD) set the tone with inflatable aliens and glow stuff all around. The course is challenging and the volunteers were fantastic! Running underneath the stars and full moon in the middle of Nowhere, Nevada was magical and I'll definitely be back to this unique race. The breakfast buffet at the Little A'Le'Inn at the finish line was the perfect finish to a great race.
J. K. from Snohomish, WA (9/1/2007) "It's not just a race, it's an adventure" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Bring your running shoes and your spirit of adventure and you will have a great time, if not a great finish time. The course was challenging and interesting. There weren't as many aid stations as you would find in a big race, but it was midnight and in the middle of nowhere. There were enough aid stations, and the volunteers were great. There weren't many spectators, but so what? If you enjoy small races in interesting locations, you will probably love this one. I ran the half this year, and would definitely do it again.
R. G. from Phoenix, AZ (8/31/2007) "Half Report" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I ran the half. CHECK-IN: smooth and uneventful TRANSPORTATION VIA BUS TO THE RUN: we arrived early enough to correct lame bus drivers who got lost! SUPPORT: I totally respect the folks who gave up their night to keep us hydrated. It must have been extremely difficult to recruit this type of support. FLUIDS ON COURSE: water was fine. The electrolyte fluids were awful. Not sure what it was, but man it was bad! COURSE: The road surface was nice. Good shape. The course was WAY too steep the first 6.5 miles. Not exactly the best way to start a race. FYI: the elevation profile was posted no more than two days prior to this race. DISTANCE: this course was 13.37 miles! It was measured on two entirely different GPS systems. POST RACE: Awards were quickly handed out to runners on the bus before leaving back for Vegas. To me, it was VERY clear that the organizers anticipated that the times would be a lot faster than they were. I think they were struggling with the fact that a large majority of the runners took the course a lot slower and it threw them off. SUGGESTIONS: -the concept and location are terrific, but get more of this race on flat land -get a better electrolyte drink -measure the course the right way, not on with your car -get race results up sooner -get an elevation profile for just the half KEEP: -your motivation to get better because this race is way cool! Good luck...
Ernie Rambo from Las Vegas, Nevada (8/30/2007) "A race like no other on the planet!" (about: 2007) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 The ET Full Moon Marathon shows off Nevada's beauty more than you'll ever see in Las Vegas. How many marathons begin with a meteor flaring across the sky? It was exhilarating to experience the mystery of running in the desert at night. If you are not familiar with rural Nevada, it might be hard to truly understand the challenges of putting on this race. The events were very well organized and the course was worthy of earning a medal. If you're looking for a fast, flat course that will qualify you for Boston, this might not be your race, but if you're looking for an unusual and challenging course that will help build confidence in yourself as a runner, then sign up for this event!
L. V. from Dallas, Texas (8/30/2007) "My Favorite Race EVER!!" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I knew going into this that there would be something magical about running in the desert at midnight. Nothing prepared me for the reality of how wonderful it really was! In the first place, I normally avoid really small races, as I am slow and end up at the very back of the small pack. Of course, that happened right away, although I did run the half and not the full marathon this night as well. Joyce, the race director, did a fairly good job of organization. The rest stops were very well stocked, although we were asked to carry water bottles to refill. This was unusual, but not a problem for me. It made for a nice, "green" situation in the desert, which I appreciate. I did see a couple of porta-potties out there, for which I was thankful. I considered ducking behind a rock until after the snake encounter! Bad idea in the desert in the dark! I do agree with the comments on the host hotel. The front desk was a bit surly about use of the shuttle, and downright rigid about late checkout. No one got it, even though we all thought the RD had been told by the sales dept. we could.... No go! And, it was off the strip with no casino! It was nice having the bus drive us out and back. Perhaps next year a group of us will stay out there at the A'le'inn after the race, though. It seemed a lot farther going back than out to the "black mailbox"! Now, about the race itself. The course was straight down the highway, with almost no traffic. The highway was lit only by the almost full moon, the millions of stars, the occasional falling star, and every now and then, the light of my little head lamp. And that was only when a car was near, and just so they could see me. There was a light breeze MOST of the time, but it was much warmer than expected. The first 6 or 7 miles were uphill, and I thought that hill would NEVER end. It finally did, but it didn't really matter. I enjoyed this course more than any other race I have done. Maybe because it was in the desert mountains, maybe because it was after midnight and I was goofy, maybe because it was by the light of the moon and stars and completely magical, or perhaps it was because there was no pressure on me (I gave up worrying about my time in the middle of that hill that kicked my butt right off the bat!). I don't know. But, I've done about a dozen races (fulls and half's) and this is by far my favorite! And, I ran it almost alone, although I did pick up a running mate for a while. We were silent, and I even turned off my music for a good bit of it. I cannot even begin to explain what it was like out there, but it was AWESOME!!!! I highly recommend this Midnight Moonlight Marathon at Area 51.
Ed Lyell from San Diego, CA (8/29/2007) "Really Cool!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Being one with the stars and road was very cool. Everyone in the marathon was in great spirits. Aid station crews were lots of fun. Awesome organization - the race bus was the only way to travel. Calico Events put out another great product.
Marathon Freak from The Great State of Texas (8/29/2007) "Come see the shooting stars!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Ignore my star totals on this race - I loved the race! But you only get three categories to rate a race on.... Okay, this isn't my first race at midnight... but it won't be my last! A fun event and a great name at a fantastic location! Not sure what the course looked like, but it was paved and smooth... I felt it under my feet! You get to stay in Las Vegas! That alone would make this a fun event. You also got to run in the desert at midnight... now how cool is that?! The stars were out in force as there is nothing out there to ruin your view. Shooting stars (or falling stars) were providing their unique show for you all night... well technically, all morning long! The coyotes were singing to me as I reached the last rest stop and made my turn for home. A simple course to follow - a straight road with no cross streets, but this course is not a flat course. It has a long grade the first half of the course. It was also warmer than I expected from the weather reports, and not as dry. The aid stations were well stocked with fruit, cookies, pretzels, energy drink, electrolyte replacement, gel, water, and friendly volunteers! What a fun time... and the costumes and fun of seeing everyone's lights were a pure delight. This was a great, small, fun marathon in a wonderful location. If you like small races, you'll love this one! If you need some small amount of crowd support to get to finish line, I'd choose a different race. Not much happens 150 miles from nowhere at midnight in the desert.
C. G. from Phoenix, AZ (8/28/2007) "Great scenery, not-so-good organization" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 First the good: The desert sky was gorgeous, the course fairly flat - except for the unadvertised 13-mile hill climb at the beginning of the race, which was not so bad for the first 9 miles with a 2% grade, but the next 4 - at a 4% grade - really added up. And the temperatures were pretty good considering the area and the time of year. If you like quieter marathons, this is for you. The bad: The organization was so-so. Only one port-a-potty on the course away from the start (and not a lot of trees around) so I wouldn't say it was very female-friendly. The expectation was that we would lug around a bottle to refill (although in the end they did have cups at the stops, though not many). The excuse was the prohibition against littering, but considering the small number of participants and the fact that the runners arrived at the aid station either by themselves or in small groups, I am sure that they would have just thrown the cups in the trash provided if requested...). There was a big question as to how we would find our bags after the race (but we did), and almost non-existent or invisible mile markers (or at least we weren't told how to find them if they were there). On the plus side, the volunteers were great, and I never felt completely abandoned even though I was running at night in the middle of the desert. The ugly: The hotel (Atrium Suites in Las Vegas) was absolutely horrendous, both in amenities and service (see the majority of reviews in trip adviser, including mine) and expensive compared to much nicer hotels in the area. I wonder what criteria were used to pick that hotel because it has to be one of the worst ones around. DO NOT run this marathon if the same place is picked next year - or at least stay somewhere else.
M. M. from Arlington, VA (8/27/2007) "Different - not your normal marathon" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Yes - definitely not your normal marathon. The idea/setting for this marathon is pretty cool. For me, the opportunity to see the "black mailbox" and then run 26.2 miles to the Little Ale Inn was the draw. I'm not into aliens but being able to participate in this marathon was well worth it. Challenging? Was it the course or was it the fact that I was running a race several hours past my bedtime? Either way - still a cool experience. I don't judge races by the course or the fans - it comes down to organization. And Joyce (and the volunteers) did an outstanding job!! A course photographer would have been nice touch - either on course or at the finish line.
D. O. from Las Vegas, Nevada (8/26/2007) "Different from any race you have run before!" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 If you are looking for big crowds of cheering fans, then this is not the race for you. Looking for a challenging course with a scenic background and glowing (literally) competitors, than this is the race for you. Cool people, cool costumes and all in the middle of a Saturday night just two hours from Las Vegas. :)

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