ExtraTerrestrial race instructions

Well, it’s finally here! The ET midnight marathon happens this Saturday night on a desolate mountain range somewhere in the middle of the Nevada desert!

I’ll be driving down to Las Vegas from the bay area on Saturday morning ( 600 miles one way), picking up a couple of friends along the way. Once we get to Vegas , we have an additional 3 hour bus ride just to get us to the marathon staging area. The race itself begins at midnight….at the… “Black Mailbox“ ! ( Hey….half the fun of doing an event like this, is the journey getting there… right?)

I don’t know about you, but reading the final race instructions for these kinds of events always gets me a little pumped up. Can’t wait to check out the Little Ale-inn after the race. Hope my lungs and back hold out.

Hello Fellow Crazy ET Runners!

We are just a few days out from race day- I hope that you are just as excited as I am! Welcome back to the many of you that ran in last year’s ET race or one of the many other Calico Racing events. Your return to another one of my events is a great compliment, so thank you. For all of the others, welcome to the growing Calico Racing family! I hope to make this a special event for everyone. Don’t forget your costumes!

Below is some information about race day that will ensure for a smooth event:

Packet Pick Up: Saturday 8/16: Hours: 4-8pm. Located at the Hyatt Place Hotel, 4520 S. Paradise Road/ Las Vegas, NV 89169 across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel. Enter thru the front doors, take a right after reception and the banquet room is right there. PLEASE – do not wait until the last minute to check in! If everyone waits until the end of this time we will not be able to depart the buses on time and the entire event will be delayed. I suggest beating the crowd and checking in early- then head to one of the many nearby restaurants for dinner. Any runners under age 18 must be present with a parent to sign the waiver. Those of you who bought the bus ticket and/ or spectator breakfast tickets will receive your voucher at packet pick up.

Transportation: For those of you who’ve paid for the contracted bus service, the buses will load outside of the Hyatt Place Hotel at 8:15pm and will depart at 8:30pm. There will be 4-5 buses, 55 passengers each complete with bathroom. We will try to board buses by race distances, marathon first, then half marathon, then 10K. If you are traveling with a group of people you may all ride together on the earlier boarding bus. Not to worry there will be plenty of time and room for everyone. After the event, the first bus will depart to return to Las Vegas when there is a completely full bus of runners. With the increased number of runners, and buses, there will be more frequent departures back to Las Vegas after the race than last year. The final bus will depart at 7:35am. While you are running you may leave a bag of dry clothes on the bus to be available at the finish line. Please leave your bags on the bus; a volunteer will remove them at the Little A’le’Inn finish line and lay them out on a tarp. These will not be guarded so we are not responsible for lost belongings, so no valuables please. If you are driving yourself to the marathon or half marathon start, you may place your dry clothes bag on any of the buses and it will be transported for you to the finish line.

For those of you driving yourself, please check the “directions” page for directions to the start line. If you are racing the marathon or ½ marathon, please report to the Marathon Start line “the Black Mailbox”. This is 20 miles from the turn off of Highway 93. Please park along the dirt road out of the way, not blocking traffic. ALL Half Marathon runners will be bused to their start lines. Portable toilets will be available here at the marathon start line.

10K runners driving themselves: Please report directly to the Little A’le’Inn Restaurant in Rachel. This is 40 miles from the turn off of Highway 93. The Little A’le’Inn is the start line for the 10K, the finish line for all 3 distances, and the location of the post race breakfast. Portable toilets will be available.

Transportation will be provided back to the marathon start line to collect your cars for those of you driving yourselves. This will run roughly every 45 minutes. 10K runners driving yourselves: if you’re heading home after your race, are passing by the black mailbox, and have room in your car; perhaps you could offer a ride to someone needing to collect their car?

Aid station and portable toilet locations are listed on the website. Visit the “aid stations” tab listed under the event title. Remember your water bottle!

* Please note: I will be coming up from the packet pick up in Las Vegas, and it is likely I will not arrive at the marathon start until 11:15pm. If you show up before then, please do not be concerned. I will be starting each of the 3 distances, so 10K runners, sit tight- have fun and I’ll see you before your race!

** For those of you driving yourselves: Marathoners and ½ marathoners will be transported back to your cars when enough demand dictates the bus leave. If you have your car at the finish line and are heading out- it would be greatly appreciated if you could give your fellow runners a lift back to their cars (it’s along the way back to Las Vegas). This will alleviate some of the burden on the bus. Your kindness would be appreciated by many.

*** Please also note: Don’t forget- when you’re driving there may already/ still be runners on the road. Please drive slowly and give them the same level of respect you would desire. Thanks.

**** There is no GAS in Rachel. Gas is available in Alamo and Ash Springs.

***** DO NOT EXPECT CELL SERVICE AT THE RACE VENUE.

* Please remember to thank your volunteers! They are out there in the middle of the night and likely 2 ½ + hours from home just for you. True Angels
* Portable toilets will be available at the marathon start, the Little A’le’Inn and 3 along the marathon and ½ marathon course. No portable toilets are along the 10K course.

Safety: All runners are required to wear reflective clothing as well as use either a headlamp or a hand held flashlight. All runners will be provided with 1 Glo necklace- please wear it! These will be handed out at your start line. Additional Glo necklaces and bracelets may be purchased at packet pick up. Also available at packet pick up is reflective tape. You can purchase 12 inches for $2 and cut and place it to your preference. Two contracted Troopers will be on site at either end of the highway. They will be controlling traffic, however the roads will be open. Exercise extreme caution at all times. If you experience blurry vision or spacial disorientation while running, it is advised to stop or slow down. Concentrate and focus on one area, such as the white line of the highway.

* You must run on the shoulder of the road. Running 2 abreast is only permissible if both of you are out of the roadway.
* Runners are not permitted to cross over the roadway. Stay on the south side of the Highway.
* Please appreciate the fact that this permit was extremely difficult to get, and a successful event is imperative to the perpetuity of this race. Your cooperation is required and appreciated. Anyone conducting themselves in such a way to jeopardize the safety of the event will be disqualified.
* Anyone dropping from the event MUST inform an aid station volunteer or report to the finish line. ALL timing chips must be returned!

Volunteers: We are still looking for a few more volunteers! If you have a spectator coming with you, or any friends or family that may be interested in helping out, please email me: info@calicoracing.com or call 702.812.2609 (10am- 11pm PST). Volunteers will have complimentary breakfast and transportation can be arranged.

Breakfast: Breakfast is included in your entry fee and will be available at the Little A’le’Inn from 2am-7:30am. Runners’ bib #’s will function as your ticket. For those that have purchased “spectator breakfast”, a voucher can be collected at packet pick up. Breakfast is buffet style and you may make as many trips as you like. Please avoid taking more than you’ll eat.

Giveaways: Also included in your entry is eligibility for product giveaways. Due to how spread out the runners get, particularly with 3 distances, these winners will be randomly selected before the race and posted at PACKET PICK UP. Please check this list and if you’re a winner- collect your prize at packet pick up before the event.

Finish Line: Wet and dry towels will be available at the finish line to clean off. Please return these to the bin labeled “towels”.

Timing: I am VERY excited to announce that ET will be the first Calico Racing event to use Chip Timing! Technically you will still have just one GUN time, but the finish time is chip captured. There will be no timing mat at your start line, just the finish line. The event sizes are small enough that this should not be a factor. Line up according to pace, please. VERY IMPORTANT: in the finish shoot- you MUST return your timing chip or be charged $25. No returned chip, no results or medal. Please be patient in the finish shoot and be sure that you are properly recorded. Since this will be our first time using the system we will be running the timing system and back up system (tear tag removal), so your cooperation will be appreciated. If for some reason before race day my timer is not fully comfortable to run this chip timing system, chips will not be handed out and we will rely on the tried and true tear tag system. Either way, your time will be accurately recorded.

Mile Markers: Mile markers will be at each mile split for each of the 3 distances. It will be the debut of my new mile markers! They will be 5′ tall signs placed inside traffic cones on the side of the road. The mile number is reflective! Signs are color coordinated: Marathon= blue; 1/2 Marathon= Green; 10K= Silver.

Cattle Guards: There are 2 Cattle Guards on the marathon and/ or 1/2 marathon course. There will be a sign alerting that it is coming up, and they will be covered. There may be a “lip” to the covering, so PLEASE watch your step!

Event shirts: Event shirts are included with your entry and you have a choice between long sleeve or short sleeve. Both are Zorrel Dri Release with the same great graphics! First come first served. If available, you may purchase additional event shirts for $20 (either long or short sleeve) at the packet pick up.

Weather: Expect temps in the high 60s. Great running weather, but expect to get a little chilly after your finish. Your awesome event shirt is a Dri Release long sleeve shirt.

Boy- that’s a lot of stuff! Safety first….now let’s have some fun!! Any questions after Friday evening, please contact me on my cell ***-***-****, with the understanding I will be swamped and brief.

See you all Saturday!

Chief Space Kitty- yes, I am loosing my mind already!

Race report to follow…. (if we don’t get hijacked by aliens.)