This is one of my favorite marathons each year. Going off at midnight can't be beat. Running in the middle of the desert is equally as fun. This is a well organized race that I always look forward to. My only negative comment about this race is the Hammer Heed energy drink.(yucko). Stick with the cold water; the Heed could stop you dead in your tracks. Thanks, Joyce; your races are a lot of fun

This is a race to do for the sheer love of running, not for a big marathon experience. Joyce does an excellent job of putting this event on. I can't say enough about the organization. Everything - from loading the buses in Vegas until we loaded them to head back - was well planned and executed. The course itself was tough, but I think it had more to do with the fact that we were starting at midnight rather than any sort of technical difficulty. The entire first half is on a slight incline, which is barely noticeable, until miles 11-13 when you definitely feel like you're running uphill. Then the rest, as they say, is all downhill. It's also just one, long, straight shot, which makes it mentally difficult. You pass the town of Rachel at mile 20, and then have to run a 10K out-and-back. Once you turn around for the last 3 miles, you can see the finish the entire time. My time was very slow, but I knew it would be. Don't run this race for a PR; run it just to enjoy running through the desert at night.

This race is definitely not for the faint of heart, but I can't think of a more beautiful way to finish a marathon than by getting to watch the sun come up over the desert mountains. I definitely recommend this race.

Here is a race unlike anything else around. To begin with, the race starts in the middle of the desert - not in a city, not in a town, not even at a hotel or building of any kind. The "start line" is at the "Black Mail Box" located at a turnoff on Highway 375 (dubbed the official ET Highway). This is as close as you can get to the famous "Area 51," and it is every bit as remote as the hype claims.

Most of us started our journey back in Las Vegas, where we boarded buses and drove over 2 hours into the desert. No cell phone coverage here! Another unusual aspect is that the race is started at midnight, and the landscape is only lit by the full moon (no street lights, buildings, or much of anything else man made). We are given green glow sticks to wear and many runners had those "miner hats," complete with headlight to see better. Personally I think once my eyes adjusted to the moonlight, I was able to see just fine without supplements. The temperature was surprisingly cool (low 60's) and there were some moderate winds. The conditions were perfect for me, but those who dislike the cold might be a little uncomfortable. The altitude also played a factor, especially on the mid-race hill, which peaked at just over 5,500 feet. It wasn't really steep, but it went on for several miles. You pass the A'le' Inn (play on words for "alien") at mile 20, and head back out into the desert until you reach the marathon turnaround (or the 51K turnaround farther down) and head back to the A'le' Inn for the finish. Breakfast awaits you there and a bar is open even for late morning arrivals if you want to buy a beer or a cocktail to celebrate your finish (this is Nevada after all!).

The skies were full of impressive shooting stars, the traffic on this open course was light, and the runners in costume will make you smile. The water stops are every 3-4 miles and many only have water at them but are adequately stocked even for late arrivals. It is a good idea to bring a water bottle that can easily be refilled, and a good supply of gels or snacks is a must. The medal was alien-themed and substantial, but it was generic - the same for all race distances from 10K - 51K - and didn't have the year on it. Still, it is unique just like this race. I highly recommend that you try it. You won't be sorry that you took a trip into the heart of the Twilight Zone!

This is a great nighttime race that is well organized. Good job, Joyce! If you like a desert setting, solitude, not too many people (spectators or runners), great organization, breakfast and a nice medal, then this is the race for you. The course is tougher than most; do not expect to get your PR on this course. Perhaps it is the altitude, the fatigue factor (due to it being at night), and the warm weather (near 70ish). This race had some wind the first half the course which did not help. The race itself is fun and friendly, and Joyce is one who makes it happen. She takes care in listening to each person and their comments. Staying at the host hotel, the Hyatt Place (they provide airport pickup and drop off) and using the buses (no problems at all) to and from the race is the way to go. Nice race, but do not expect to have many people cheering you on. The folks attending the aid stations every 3.5 miles are a great group of folks. I would highly recommend this for a unique race experience. Watch for shooting stars.

This was my twelfth marathon, and it was by far the most unusual. If it weren't for this run, why else would I have reason to go to the remote Nevadan desert under the isolation of a cool, starry night? Add to this the exhaustion of a challenging course, and behold a surreal experience. Near the end, with the pack of runners generously dispersed, I was alone - hearing nothing but my own footsteps and regular intake of breath, and seeing nothing but the silhouettes of ghostly Joshua trees and falling stars. The experience really did put me in another world. The only aliens that early morning were the participants of this unconventional race. It was we, adorned with glow-in-the-dark apparel and accessories, who stood out as foreigners briefly invading the nightly solitude of the orderly desolate landscape. While it felt the rest of the world was asleep and dreaming, the few hundred of us eccentric participants were wired awake, dreaming only of the anticipated finish line.

I don't have too many nitpicks with this race. It's relatively new, so I imagine that as time goes on particular kinks will be fixed. I will address minor issues along some proposed suggestions.

1. The packet pickup at the host hotel was a bit congested. I'd recommend finding a bigger room for the pickup, or find someway to manage the line a bit better. T-shirts should already be in the packet if you've already registered, as long as the volunteers ask each participant to ensure that the right size of shirt is in the packet. It was nice to have a choice between a cotton shirt or technical shirt, but this caused a bit of a delay - and I think that could be a choice given to a person at the time of registration.

2. I heard some mumblings about the shuttles, but mass transportation in various other marathons I've ran has been doubly chaotic. Nothing is ever perfect, so for me it wasn't a big deal. Evidently there was a gaffe where all of the buses were allowed to load at the same time, so you ended up with all of the buses only being partially filled, and each bus had to wait for the gaps to be closed. Perhaps designated buses might curb some of this problem or more delegated volunteers to ensure smoother bus loading.

3. The theme of the race lends itself to awesome costumes. The website advised of a costume contest. To enter, you needed to get in touch with the race director at the packet pickup or at the start line. Both environments were too hectic for that to be successful. Perhaps at the race start there should have been a designated Costume Entry table, and a designated volunteer or volunteers to photograph you, log you in as a costume participant, and provide instructions as to when the actual judging or award presentation would take place.

4. This isn't unique to this marathon, but volunteer staff should always stand out from participants. They should have been wearing special shirts.

5. Many of us finished around the time we are used to waking up! Free coffee (or included with the price of registration) would have been nice to have, instead of having to purchase it at what seemed to be a rather inflated price $1.50; and it was no Starbucks, let me tell you).

6. The medals and t-shirts are some of my favorites I've received from a race! But, the medal and shirt lacked what many events are also guilty of: no date printed anywhere! Put it on the ribbon of the medal if you must, but a date adds a lot of significance.

I have run all of the ET's. This year was the toughest for any first-year people, or people reading about the 2009 version. It isn't usually this tough. What can you say about a race in the middle of the desert at midnight? No scenery, no spectators, no bands, no cheer squads, no traffic. It is just you running down a long straight highway. Good, bad or indifferent. That is the race.

The good:

Nice shirt! No sponsor-laden advertising board here! A choice of a nice, thick, warm, long-sleeve cotton, or a sleek, thin, long-sleeve, tech shirt. Both very nice!

Easy course to follow: go straight. No turns to miss, no roads to cross, just go!

Did I mention that race is staged out of Las Vegas? What can be better than a race trip to Vegas?! I even got married there once. What a wild and crazy place to go... and to be able to run an ultra while at it! Woohoo!

Multiple distances; one for everyone.

A bus ride to the race! No driving in traffic. The bus leaves from your hotel! Sweet! Or in Vegas, just take a cab if you are staying on the Strip. Very easy race, with no hassles.

Did I mention that race was in Vegas yet?

Quiet, midnight race....

Hot meal when you are done!

Cold towels when you are done!

A bus ride home so that you can sleep and not have to kill yourself trying to stay awake for that long drive home.

Did I mention that it was in Las Vegas yet?

There is an ultra option!!!! There is also a half option and a 10K option too. Friends and family can come run as well.

You can run a summer marathon without it being in a mountain state.

The finisher's medal gets better every year! Last year they gave us a great medal; this year we got an even better medal! I am half expecting a spinner medal at this rate!


Bad:

Well, midnight can be a tough time to run. That is past most of our bedtimes.

Did I mention that the race was in Las Vegas? That can be distracting... for good or bad.

The course has a major bump in it - 13 miles of it, to be precise.

The course is also at a mild altitude. For a sea-level person like me, it IS at altitude.

It is a small race. Some like large crowds, spectators, bands, cheer squads, etc. This has nothing like that. It is you and the road for the most part.

It is a summer race, so it's hard to train for if you live in a hot weather place.


Overall:

So it is a small race at midnight in the middle of nowhere that is staged out of a fun destination. Good shirt, good medal, and hot food; it's not cheap for what you get, but it is Vegas, after all. This may be the unique race that you have been looking for to get that stale large race taste out of your mouth. Plus it gets you a summer marathon.

It was definitely an experience. The first 13 miles are uphill, which kind of hurts. The elevation is kind of high, too - reaching 5,600 feet. I met two nice people named Joe and Kim around mile 12, and I ran with them till around mile 22, when I became sick. I became really nauseated, and walked most of the last three miles and puked my brains out after the race. I'm not sure if I ate something bad or if it was that I accidentally filled my Camelbak with Heed. The medal we got was really cool. Unfortunately, I missed the after-race breakfast because I was too sick.

Overall: This was a beast of a race. Imagine running on a straight road, at a slight incline for the first 13 miles, in near pitch black conditions with only the moon behind and the dim light of your headlamp to provide visibility, and no spectators to cheer you on. Before you assume that I had a miserable time, let me tell you that this was one of the more memorable races I've been a part of. The sheer excitement that accompanies being part of a crowd that, with little doubt, consists entirely of near-fanatic, have-to-be-a-little-crazy running enthusiasts, is overwhelming. I looked around and saw my fellow runners adorned with glowsticks, flashing lights, reflective tape, and some with full on costumes, and I thought to myself: this one's for the ages.

Definitely going to run again.


Course: Slight incline for the first 13 miles. At times hardly noticeable but definitely not flat. A similarly sloped decline for seven miles. The last six miles are killer. It's an out-and-back that consists of a three-mile dip and a three-mile climb back (again, not steep by any means, but not flat neither). Perhaps the hardest part about this course is that the scenery is bleak. Miles of desert and brush all around. The only exception, and a notable one at that, is the presence of stars to cheer you on as well as the occasional shooting star (I saw at least 5).


Recommended run? If you're looking for a unique marathon that will truly push you to the limit, this is it!

The organization, the buses and the breakfast have improved each year. The challenging course, the full moon, the beautiful scenery and the vast stillness can't be improved. It's a lot of fun. Thanks, Joyce.

Running a midnight marathon is an awesome experience! I imagine that the logistics were difficult, but Calico did a really nice job! If I ran another marathon in Nevada (I'm from Wisconsin), then I would definitely do this again.

Nothing like listening to Coast to Coast (about aliens) on the AM radio on the drive up, with all of the shooting stars, the eerie mist, and the trail of runners' lights ahead and behind.... It really puts this in the mood!

And a great way to top off a marathon with a nice meal!

The volunteers were extra awesome, because they are there in the middle of the night. I can't imagine how they had the energy to do it!

The ride home was tough, but since I didn't have to drive, I passed out. About 45 minutes into the drive, we came across a two-car rollover accident. I think all marathoners that drove by stopped in some capacity to help. I know I was one of two other first responders who assisted with a person thrown from the vehicle who had some very serious injuries. It was neat how we just ran a long distance, and were lacking sleep, yet our our priority was to tend to this patient in the hot morning sun. Definitely added to the experience.

Awesome marathon!