Last summer I was in Fairbanks awaiting the birth of my first grand twins, Lucas and Sam. The Midsummer Sun Run was a virtual one because of the COVID pandemic, which has been so for the past two years. I ran it alone all over Moose Mountain where my son lives.
This year I came back to see my son, Tim, his wife, Ju-Lin, and their children, our gran-twins. I ran the 40th 10K Midnight Sun Race in person, starting at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and ending at the Pioneer Park on June 18th. 2326 runners, forty-four states and five countries, including New Zealand, participated. I was among a few interviewed by KTVF news. The best part of the route was along the Chena River where the communities cheered us on, blasting us with balloons of cold water, and hosing us down. It was 73 degrees.
There were festivities in downtown Fairbanks and at the starting line, the costumers competed. My favorite was the pilot and airline attendant, towing roll-on luggage along the route. Several couples pushed baby carriages on the race, what a feat.
The Midnight Sun, the Air attendant, and the Pilot,
Cruella and the Damantian
The sun shone brightly all day and it seemed never to set around midnight. I ran wearing my Boston Red Sox cap and my Boston Marathon shirt from 2008. At the finish line, I heard the announcer say, “Boston Red Sox, #1615”.
At the Starting Line at UAF
At the Finis Line at Pioneer Park
My race results:
