This was my first half marathon. My dad and I ran it together (it was his first too). Obviously I have no experiences with which to compare it, but I really enjoyed myself. I think the course was challenging, but not impossible. Being able to see all the runners glowing as you run is just too neat! I know we are now planning to run this race every year. =o)

Midnight start, blinking lights, full moon, shooting stars, 13 miles of hill climbing, altitude, in the middle of nowhere, and one beautiful sunrise. Even though I was very disappointed in my time, I still enjoyed it. Time isn't everything.

As mentioned below, volunteers and aid stations were great. Very cool looking shirt and finishers medal.

You really should try this race at least once, such a different experience.

This is a great marathon and I am glad I ran it. That said, you have to be prepared. I felt I ran well but my time was awful. No doubt the elevation and hills took it out of me. That said I really enjoyed running it but bring a water bottle. I was reluctant to buy a belt but thank god I did too far between aid stations.

But the aid stations were the BEST!! They had fruit, a great variety of cookies (the best chips a-hoy I ever had (mile 20), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the usual gels and drinks, but I had the peanut butter sandwiches and that hit the spot. All this from volunteers at 4am in the middle of the desert. Great Job! Did not see any aliens but I expect they were really well camoflauged. Thanks for running this had a great time!

A 'must-do' marathon. It's like running a marathon in a planetarium. Found my running zen under a starry desert sky. Awesome organization and volunteer support. Fans? Not unless you actually see aliens. Courses is exceptionally tough, so don't run this one for time. Run it for the experience.

This was certainly the most unusual marathon I have run. The start at midnight was nice. The desert night sky was lovely with a near full Moon and lots of stars and planets. The sunrise was great. At nearly 6,000' elevation the weather was great. This is must run.

I ran the half marathon. Meeting at the start line in the middle of nowhere was actually really exciting. I drove out from South Carolina so met at the 'Black Mailbox' instead of taking a bus from Las Vegas. Busses take the half marathon runners from the start of the 51k/marathon up the road to the half start. It was fun seeing a lot of runners dressed up in alien costumes. It was so beautiful running in the middle of the night on a full moon! The course may look easy on the map but it is far from it. Up hill the first six miles was challenging but the downhill to the finish made it all worth it.

The race was very well organized especially for all the logistics involved with bringing runners up from Vegas and moving everyone to their start line. There are no spectators on course. But I had to give some stars on the spectator rating for the awesome woman at the finish who cheered for each and every runner who came in. There are aid stations every three miles. Very friendly volunteers. Very cool race shirt, medal, even the number bib. Definitely would recommend this race and would do it again.

This is a great race to run at least once. I ran the marathon and had a good time. No spectators just awesome volunteers at every 3ish miles. Glad I carried water. The race is very well organized by Joyce. She was very helpful. So glad I ran it!

This was a difficult race for me - altitude, the 13 mile climb to start the race, and the midnight start all contributed to a unique and different experience. It was amazing running through the desert in the middle of the night. The clouds parted and the full moon and starry night guided my way. I was on one of the busses that got lost - and actually didn't mind as it allowed me another hour of nodding in and out during the bus ride out! I would recommend everyone try this race as it will be one you will always talk about!

Wow. If you want to run in a memorable marathon that you can tell everyone about, this is it. Like all events there might be some issues, but the course and race director definitely aren't. Even though two buses made a wrong turn and the marathon/51K started ten minutes late, the logistics of hauling a thousand runners/spectators 2.5 hours from Vegas in the middle of nowhere at midnight is no small feat. And how can you beat running in 60 degree temps with no wind and a full moon? If you prepare by running for an hour on a treadmill set at 3-5 degree incline, the first half of the course isn't so bad and the 2nd half is mostly downhill... actually a fairly forgiving course. I do wish that some of the other runners would follow the rules and wear headlamps/glow necklaces/reflective tape (I almost ran into a few runners)and refrain from yapping on the so-called 'quiet buses'. And the Hard Rock is every bit of the mosh pit as advertised (Rehab on Sunday was unbelievable). But this is definitely a must-run event.

Many runners may choose this race because of the novelty of running a race at midnight, in the desert, next to Area 51, with a full moon, and the chance of alien abduction. However, this race is so much more. This a well-organized event with a great course that invites negatives splits. The hill is gradual enough to be manageable, and the downhill side is gradual enough to not destroy quads. I was looking for a race with cool temps to run a fast ultra and this race hit the mark. Thanks to Calico Racing for putting on such a great event. Blew away my 50K PR in the 51K by 38 minutes. Spectators are limited, but those that drive 2 hours to the middle of nowhere are very vocal. Thanks to those who followed the course and cheered on all the runners.