What: On Saturday, Sept. 28, nearly 200 hundred people will try to race — and beat — the International Space Station as it completes one orbit around the Earth. The second annual Racin’ the Station Duathlon will begin at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Building 4316 at 8:30 a.m. Participants will run for 1.95 miles, bike for 14.3 miles and run again for 1.95 miles. The space station circles the Earth every 91 minutes, 12 seconds. The duathlon committee will track the station’s location at the race start time and those who beat the laboratory before it orbits the world will win a small prize. Astronaut Karen Nyberg of the Expedition 36/37 space station crew in orbit will provide a pre-recorded welcome statement from space to be played at the opening ceremony.
Who: The event is open to U.S. citizens and those young and old will try to rival the speed of the station. Kids between ages 6-13 will compete in a separate race — a bike-run-bike. Distances vary by age group. The goal of the event is to inspire young people to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as they pass by NASA hardware during the race and to be motivated by the message from the astronauts aboard the space station.
When/Where: Saturday, Sept. 28, 8:30 a.m.
Activities Building 4316
To attend: News media interested in attending should contact Angela Storey in Marshall’s Public & Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034 by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27. Media should arrive at the Gate 9 Visitor Center parking lot at 8 a.m. Sept. 28. The Visitor Center is closed during weekends, so please follow the escort through Gate 9. Be prepared to show driver’s license, car tag receipt and insurance.
