Alien Nation

Set aside those Independence Day fantasies. When the aliens invade, our technological achievements will look primitive and pitiful next to their superior technology. Resistance will be futile: When they come for you, you’re going to have to run or die. Train for our eventual race against extinction in the Area...

By Cory Casciato

September 12, 2013

Audio By Carbonatix

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Set aside those Independence Day fantasies. When the aliens invade, our technological achievements will look primitive and pitiful next to their superior technology. Resistance will be futile: When they come for you, you’re going to have to run or die. Train for our eventual race against extinction in the Area 13.1 race, a half-marathon with an alien-invasion theme.

“A close friend of mine passed away, and I had a dream a week or two after [that] I was sitting in a UFO ship with extraterrestrial creatures, actually watching a marathon,” explains race founder Mike Buckelew. “When I woke up the next morning, I knew I wanted to do something for my buddy. That was the inception of Area 13.1.”

Like any good invasion, it’s going to happen at night (alien abductions generally don’t occur during daylight hours). Costumes, of course, are welcome, so have that Starfleet uniform ready to get sweaty. Not in the kind of shape a half-marathon requires? There’s also a lower-impact 5K race that runs along the same course, so you can peel off early and party with E.T.

The race starts at 7 p.m. at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 500 Fairgrounds Drive in Castle Rock. Registration is $75 for the half-marathon, or $25 for the 5K option. For more info and to register, visit alienhalf.com.
Sat., Sept. 14, 7 p.m., 2013

Cory Casciato is a Denver-based writer with a passion for the geeky, from old science fiction movies to brand-new video games.

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