From Shutter to Snacks: A Night at the Full Moon Run

This year’s race night was a bit of a switch-up for me.

Usually, I make my way a mile or so up the gravel road from the start, set up camp with my camera, and catch the runners as they pass by. After that, it’s a dash back to the finish line for a full evening of shooting finishers in the quickly fading light—a tricky game of chasing shadows before they vanish.

But this time? This time, I traded shutter clicks for snacks and sports drinks.

We were in charge of the North Fork Pinnacle aid station—the first oasis runners hit on their way out, and the last one they see before the home stretch. It’s a big responsibility, and setting it up was no small feat: tents pitched, tables loaded, snacks unwrapped, drink coolers filled, lights rigged. Once we were all set, I stole a few moments to hop onto the road and grab as many shots as I could while the early waves rolled in. Huge thanks to Chris and Brandon for hanging back during the first wave of chaos so I could play photographer.

The race kicked off in waves, starting with the slow-burn 50K runners, those tough souls who know they’ll need every available minute to cross the finish line. Next came the competitive 50K folks, pushing the pace, and finally, the speedsters tackling the 25K. But once we got about halfway through the 25K group, it was lights out—literally. If runners didn’t have headlamps, I had no clue where to point the lens. And if they did have headlamps, their faces looked like exploding stars in the dark. So I holstered the camera and pivoted fully into aid-station mode.

From then on, it was all about slinging food, ladling soup, and making sure the generator kept humming along.

Lisa summed it up best:
“Absolutely could not have taken such good care of our runners without…Misty and Lester who worked tirelessly all night long, Chris Baldwin and Brandon who in addition to marking the entire course, stayed with us thru the outbound slinging ice and Gatorade, and the intrepid team from Ozark Outdoor Supply: Michael & Brennon. Without them, their fans, and their overflowing ice chests, the night would have been hotter. All because we on this side of the table have at some point been on the other side, and we know.”

So while this year I wasn’t chasing runners down the trail with a camera all night, I got to experience the other side of the race—the one that keeps everyone going. And trust me, it was just as rewarding.

You’ll find a few photo highlights in this article, but don’t forget to check out the full album on our Flickr site.

This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!