New Year's Eve run under a blue moon
By Alex Wilson 01/14/2010
About 250 people rang in the New Year at Naval Base Ventura County by participating in a 5K foot race just as the clock struck midnight.
The Year 2 Year race is one of many annual events that allow the public onto the scenic, but normally restricted, oceanfront base. Others include a challenging Mud Run in May, and the popular Point Mugu Surfing Contest held each August that draws over 6,000 people.
Year 2 Year runners bathed in the glow of a rare New Year’s Eve blue moon, which hasn’t happened since 1990. The next time a second full moon of the month will fall on Dec. 31 will be in 2028.
Even though there was bright moonlight at midnight, many runners wore headlamps, glow sticks and even battery-powered Christmas lights. Some also celebrated the race’s tropical theme by donning grass skirts and colorful flowered shirts.
We heard whoops and hollers from residential areas at the Point Mugu part of the base when 2010 began, and runners cheered without missing a stride.
About 70 percent of the participants were civilians attracted to the opportunity to visit the base and take part in the unique event. Ojai resident Bonnie Sessions strives to maintain a healthy lifestyle, so it was the perfect way for her to celebrate. “My experience was awesome. It’s the only way to start the New Year,” says Sessions. “It’s healthy and it’s active, and you wake up in the morning and you feel good.”
Justin Kleiner of Santa Ana says it’s the best way to start the New Year if you’re making a resolution to get in shape. “I really enjoy it. I think a lot of people do put a lot of pressure on New Year’s, especially with the resolutions. And I think nothing seals a good resolution to exercise more than actually doing it when the clock turns midnight,” says Kleiner.
Naval Base Ventura County Athletic Director Kent Blankenship helped organize the fourth annual event and says it gives them a chance to share a good time with the larger community and teach people about the Navy’s mission. “It’s a community engagement event for Naval Base Ventura County,” says Blankenship. “We get a lot of families; there are lots of kids, moms and dads that run it together. So they get to go out and enjoy a really different experience.”
Blankenship also encourages people to join them for the May 15 Mud Run at the Port Hueneme section of the base.
“You start out with a two-mile run, and then you get to a training course that Naval Construction Training Center builds, with hills, tunnels, over logs, under logs, mud pits. It’s a fun event,” says Blankenship. “You get filthy, except at the end you get washed off.”
There’s also a public triathlon held every June, including an ocean swim from the beach, and a September half-marathon.
The sprawling base is home to protected wetlands with rare plants and birds, and the surfing contest features an outstanding point break.
Blankenship says the public athletic events the base sponsors provide an opportunity to enjoy natural beauty and wildlife since the property lacks typical coastal commercial development.
“We have a very strong environmental department, and they work hard to preserve it,” says Blankenship. “A lot of people wouldn’t know how well they do with environmental protection, and this base has always been a frontrunner. The snowy plover is protected, a lot of plant life, the brown pelican; you can see them in abundance here.”
Please contact Outdoor Observer with details and contact information about environmental events, volunteer opportunities and adventure sports at outdoors@vcreporter.com.
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