My first 51k (31.7 miles) at the ET Full Moon Midnight 51k in Rachel, Nevada a little town of about 35 on the Extraterrestrial Highway as it has been named. Starting at midnight, the course is a slow 13 mile climb and a 7 mile drop that passes the finish for the shorter distance races, but continues until a turnaround either 3.1 miles up a slight incline for the marathon, or 5.85 miles up a slowly progressing hill. The half marathon starts 7 miles ahead of the marathon so they get a healthy amount of the incline as well but are unlikely to be encountered if you’re doing the marathon. On a clear day it would offer a pleasant view of the moon. Today it was cloudy with periodic rain showers (but it’s a dry rain) so visibility is low, making recognizing friends or scenery difficult until morning. The net result is a kind of solitary experience. Congratulations to Seth Elsheimer, who completed his 50th state for the 3rd time. Fun Fact: The US Military originally intended to help out with costumes and equipments for the film Independence Day but reportedly pulled out because of the filmmakers’ refusal to take out Area 51 references from the script. It wasn’t until August of 2013 that the CIA officially recognized the existence of Groom Lake facility responsible for the development of several spy planes and stealth bombers.
