The scene at an intimate event space on Ludlow Street last Saturday was what you would expect on a typical weekend night: beer, music, and lots of good looking people.
What may not be as obvious is that the majority of these people have just ran 13.1 (or more…) miles as part of the 5th annual Midnight Half.
Orchard Street Runners / Via
Organized by Orchard Street Runners and Trimble Racing, this truly unique, unsactioned half marathon attracts avid runners who are not afraid to race on open city streets without a designated route or course marshals. There are no rules other than that each runner has to visit five separate checkpoints - by foot, obviously - that span from Vinegar Hill to Red Hook before returning to the finish line in LES.
And this year, I got to be a part of Midnight Half.
Da Ping Luo / Via
“When the light turns red, the race starts!” shouted David Trimble, who, together withJoe DiNoto, created Midnight Half.
When the streetlight turned red, over a hundred people darted from the start line, ready to explore the new terrain at an unlikely hour of the evening. Because the race doesn’t have a set route, each runner was responsible for mapping the shortest possible route for a chance at victory.
Because I had only found out about Midnight Half the morning of the race, the extent of my preparation was inserting the checkpoints via Google Maps and attempting to memorize the route in my head. I wasn’t too familiar with Brooklyn where all the checkpoints were, so I was absolutely fearful of getting lost.
Da Ping Luo / Via
As we crossed the Manhattan Bridge, I decided to pick a “target” - another runner who is slightly faster than I am - and simply chase after him or her for the duration of the race. This strategy worked for the first couple miles when the runners were in pack. However, the gap between the runners became wider as the race went on, and it became increasingly difficult to rely on other people to find my way to the checkpoints.
David Trimble / Via
In addition to the difficulty of do-it-yourself navigation, the race added other layers of challenges, such as running on open streets with cars and enduring the humidity of summer nights in NYC. Yet, both the vibrance of volunteers at each checkpoint and the illuminating lights of the cityscape gave me energy to persevere.
The first four checkpoints were relatively closed to each other, and I naively thought, “This race is going to end in no time.”
The fifth and final checkpoint was the real test of my physical and mental stamina. Not only was it located at the very end of Columbia Street in Red Hook about 3 miles away from the fourth checkpoint, but I also really, really had to use the restroom because I - not knowing I would be running a half marathon that evening - stupidly ate a big bowl of fibrous bran cereal for breakfast.
After running across the Interstate 278 (yes…this really happened) with three other daring runners, I finally reached the fifth checkpoint and got marked on my arm. At that point, my priority was finding the quickest route NOT to the finish line back in the Lower East Side, but to the nearest bathroom. By then it was past midnight. I was in a sleepy neighborhood in Red Hook. I had no idea where anything was.
Da Ping Luo / Via
As I was sweating profusely - both from the humidity and from the anxiety - I saw a dimly lit deli from the corner of my eyes. The nice man at the store let me use the “EMPLOYEES ONLY” bathroom in the back, and I was back on my feet again in about three minutes.
Feeling much happier, I cruised to Manhattan and crossed the finish line after about 90 minutes on the unfamiliar streets of Brooklyn.
Graham Macindoe
Back at the race HQ on Ludlow Street, people on “runner’s high” discussed their route, race strategy, and mishaps while replenishing their fuel with beer, coconut water, and Chinese food. Top 5 finishers for men and women were also awarded cash prizes of up to $300. Despite my bathroom incident, I managed to wiggle my way to a 5th place finish as well.
Midnight Half is definitely not for the faint-hearted. As Dave Trimble once said in a previous interview, “This is not a jogging race. This is a running race. We designed the course to be as painful as possible.”
But will I be back again next year? Absolutely.
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