Two-day 200-mile relay race headed to the Borderland

Prepare to lace up those running shoes and gather at least 11 of your friends.

Being billed as one-of-a-kind, a 200-mile relay race is headed to the borderland beginning April 8, 2017.

Teams comprised of twelve runners will experience an overnight running adventure beginning in El Paso, Texas and ending at the futuristic Spaceport America.

Spaceport America announced Monday that crews, in collaboration with relay racing specialists MH Entreprises, will host the two-day event.

Sanctioned by USA Track and Field (USATF), the Spaceport America Relay Race will begin on April 8 at the El Paso County Coliseum.

Teams of twelve will run three of the 36 different race segments (legs) ranging from 2.0 miles to 13.2 miles with a total of a 200 mile distance.

Traveling from El Paso along the historic Rio Grande river valley, teams will make their way north into New Mexico and run through Dona Ana County and the villages of La Union, Gadsen, Chamberino, Vado, Mesquite and Mesilla.

After running across Las Cruces, daylight will turn to dusk, and teams will run under a full moon with an illumination of 93-97% through Radium Springs, Rincon, Hatch, and into Sierra County and the towns Arrey, Williamsburg, and Truth or Consequences.

As the sun begins to rise, runners will be heading east along Ted Turner’s stunning Armendaris Ranch as they approach the Jornada del Muerto (Spanish for ‘route of the dead man’).

A thirteen mile half-marathon leg begins at Engle, New Mexico. At the end of the half-marathon leg, the next runner will take a left turn down Spaceport America Boulevard as they head into the 18,000 acre campus of the world’s first purpose-built spaceport.

The final runner will run along the 2-mile-long Spaceway engineered to accommodate all air and spacecraft known to humankind.

Runners will cross the finish line on the ‘Gateway to Space’ apron in front of Virgin Galactic’s futuristic Terminal Hangar Facility.

“The Spaceport America Relay Race is a fun, inclusive race event designed to appeal to everyone, from amateur runners to seasoned athletes,” said Daniel Hicks, Chief Executive Officer Spaceport America.

“It is also an opportunity for Spaceport America to work with communities all along the historic Rio Grande river valley and our expert partners MH Enterprises to share our beautiful region and futuristic commercial spaceport with visitors from afar.”

The finish line is located in the middle of Spaceway Village designed to welcome runners, spectators, sponsors and vendors for a day filled with healthy food and drink, yoga, panel discussions, massage, vendor booths, music, a beer garden, family games, and several kid’s dashes.

“When we set out to organize race events with unique finish lines, Spaceport America was at the top of our list. The finish line is completely unique: an actual 12,000 foot spaceway at the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport. We can’t wait to see teams crossing this one-of-a-kind finish line,” said Marc Heon, Co-founder, MH Enterprises.

“This is a race that everyone can participate in. If you want to run for time, you can do that, but if you want to walk or jog, you can do that too. Our goal is to make sure everyone makes it to the spectacular finish line and they have a great time getting there,” said Marianna Heon, Co-founder, MH Enterprises.

Registration is now open. Teams can currently register for $1200 ($100 per teammate). A “Captain’s Reserve” is also on offer where the team captain can reserve a team slot with a non-refundable deposit of $120.

For more information, click here.