Go! til Midnight New Year’s Eve Run

I’ve ushered in a few holidays doing something I enjoy, running. Why not bring in the New Year in the same fashion? From the same energetic and passionate people who brought you the Go! Mile, the Go!bbler Turkey Trot, and many other fun events, comes the Go! til Midnight New Year’s Eve Run. I figured it would be a great way to bring one year to a close and to start the next in a positive direction.

As many times as I’ve run on the River Trail, I don’t recall ever doing so at night. I may be crazy, but I’m not an idiot. Well, maybe I am, but that is no reason to flirt with the possibility of what could happen by running in a very dimly lit area by myself. Scared? No, I prefer to think of it as being cautious.

The event started at the River Trail Station in North Little Rock. We’d head west enjoying the trail, company, and view before turning around at 1.5 miles to head back to the finish. The clock would start its countdown an hour before midnight. All we had to do was make sure we got back before 2013. With starting times ranging from 45 to 16 minutes, your fate was in your own hands legs.

That’s simple! You know some people added an extra challenge to this, right? It was by no means warm making the temperature play a role and although I know ALL runners are brilliant people, drinking adult beverages before or during the run may not be the best idea. Exactly whom would that prevent from doing it?

If you had something that glowed or lit up at night, this was a good place to let your light shine! A toasty fire was nice to stand by before you took off. It was good to see runners from outside of Little Rock come to participate in the fun. That’s one of the many reasons I love my running community.

I started with my buddy “Skip To My Lou” Smith. I wasn’t sure if he had a beer in his hand in case we didn’t make it back in time or if it was to celebrate our return before the clock hit zero. Either reason was fine with me as long as he wasn’t drinking and running. No one wants any running under the influence charges. That would be a bad way to bring in the New Year.

On our way out we noticed ladies in blinking tutus in our group. Alas, I forgot mine. Maybe next time! Although I’ve never run the River Trail at night, it provides a calming atmosphere. You get to bear witness to the lights of the cities reflected on the Arkansas River. The buildings that hug the shore on the Little Rock side are seen in the distance, as is the State Capitol in its festive arrangement of lights.

We finished under the Go! Running arch with time to spare, friends cheering, and Gary spraying champagne on us as if we had just won the pennant. It was a fitting finish to a productive year. The madness and mayhem that ensued after the clock struck twelve can’t be described. You really had to be there for this one. James “Rock Star” Manners rocked in the New Year at 50 years young. Maybe I can be awesome like he is at 50! Did he ever celebrate his birthday on that night!

With New Years come new beginnings. You wipe the slate clean in hopes that it doesn’t get dirty once again. Resolutions, goals, and promises are made. How will you make this year count? Without going into much detail, I’m going to take Chuck Engle’s advice and, “Run more!”