Area 51 / ET Full Moon Fun Run

Area 51 / ET Full Moon Fun Run

I like to think that I am a runner. I'm not of course. Run, walk, jog is my speed. To be honest I do the best I can for a t-shirt and a finisher medal. I have done many runs here in AZ and a couple in Califoria so I thought I would really take a drive and to Nevada for out of this world experience and the Area 51 Fun Run did not disappoint. The 'ET Full Moon' run is hosted in Rachel, Nevada which a tiny town in the middle of nowhere Eastern Nevada (and adjacent to the famous 'Area 51' of Groom Lake - a special detatchment of Edwards Air Force Base). Rachel is home to the Little A'le Inn which is a charming little motel in the middle of a wide-open valley dissected by State Route 375 which has been named the 'Extraterrestrial Highway' and this highway is the route of the ET Full Moon run which started at midnight and you run 5K, 10K, 1/2 or Full Marathon, or the 51K run.

The drive to Rachel from Las Vegas was long but included many interesting spots to stop along the way including a few natural springs, a large riparian preserve, and several great photo op spots (especially the 'Extraterrestrial Highway' sign). Another potential photo op *may* occur along the road to Rachel which is an open cattle range and you may encounter some cows standing next to, or even on, the highway (so drive with care). Once you arrive in Rachel there is very little to do or see other than the Little L'le Inn which is the town's hotel, bar, grill, and giftshop. The folks at the Little A'le Inn are very friendly and can share stories about life next to Area 51. You will also want to gas up whereever you can along the way because the nearest gas station is many miles away in either direction.

The night of the run was cloudy and then turned to a light drizzel with the full Moon occasionally breaking through the clouds. The run attracts people from across the country and many of them are dressed in appropriate costumes for the run's theme. Since you're running along a highway at night you're required to wear some reflective gear ... or some people wore green glow sticks which only added to the eeriness of the run with a long line of green glow up and down the highway. When you finish the run you get your cool ET medal and can wait for the pancake breakfast, but we decided to get a few hours of sleep before hitting the road for the 7 hour journey home.

http://calicoracing.com/events/et-full-moon/

www.aleinn.com