Anyone who happened to look up toward the Mesa on Saturday morning might have seen some unusual lights bobbing along near Mount Airy. No, we did not experience a space invasion, just a minor influx of crazy runners willing to spend the night running along the two tracks with their headlamps on.
The inaugural Midnight on the Mesa trail relay race was put on by Friends of PAC and brought 128 participants from 15 states to hit the starting block at midnight on June 18 and take turns running through the night, finishing at noon on Saturday. A total of 32 4-person teams ranging in age from ## to ## participated, with half of the runners being local. The winning team, the Coloratah Tigers, completed a total of 21 laps of the four-mile course. Prior to the race start competitors enjoyed viewing the night sky with Wyoming Stargazing’s telescope, toasted s’mores and warmed up with a high energy dance party. The course was lit up with glow in the dark markers, and participants received glow in the dark Nalgene water bottles. The Midnight on the Mesa event was a fundraiser for Friends of PAC, in support of the Pinedale Aquatic Center.
Event sponsors included: Platinum sponsor: PureWest.; Gold sponsor: Union Wireless; Silver sponsors: M & M Transfer & Nested West; Bronze sponsors: Rio Verde Engineering, Jorgensen Associates, Jonah Energy, Kate’s Real Food Bars. Additional partners: Pinedale Lions Club, Lakeside, Snow Explorers/Altitude Off-Road, Sublette County Centennial, Sublette County Recreation Board, and Pinedale Travel and Tourism. The event was operated under a special use permit with the Bureau of Land Management.