Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport located in southern New Mexico in the USA, today announced that, in collaboration with relay racing specialists MH Enterprises LLC, the Spaceport America Crew will host and support a two-day, 200 mile, relay race event.

Sanctioned by USA Track and Field (USATF), the Spaceport America Relay Race will begin on April 8, 2017 at the El Paso County Coliseum with teams of twelve or six runners running three of the 36 different race segments (legs) ranging from 2.0 miles to 13.2 miles of the total 200 mile distance.

Traveling from the City of El Paso along the historic Rio Grande river valley, teams will make their way north into New Mexico and run through Dona Ana County and the villages of La Union, Gadsen, Chamberino, Vado, Mesquite and Mesilla. After running across the beautiful City of Las Cruces, daylight will turn to dusk, and teams will run under a full moon with an illumination of 93-97% through Radium Springs, Rincon, Hatch, and into Sierra County and the towns of Arrey, Williamsburg, and Truth or Consequences.

As the sun begins to rise, runners will be heading east along Ted Turner’s stunning Armendaris Ranch as they approach the Jornada del Muerto (Spanish for ‘route of the dead man’) the name given to the valley by Spanish Conquistadors who traveled along the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro trade route between Mexico City and San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, from 1598 to 1882.

A thirteen mile half-marathon leg begins at Engle, New Mexico, once a thriving railroad station now home to the Armendaris Ranch Headquarters. At the end of the half-marathon leg the next runner will take a left turn down Spaceport America Boulevard as they head into the 18,000 acre campus of the world’s first purpose-built spaceport. The final runner will run along the pristine two mile long Spaceway engineered to accommodate all air and spacecraft known to humankind. Unique to any running event, runners will cross the finish line on the ‘Gateway to Space’ apron in front of Virgin Galactic’s futuristic Terminal Hangar Facility.

“The Spaceport America Relay Race is a fun, inclusive race event designed to appeal to everyone, from amateur runners to seasoned athletes,” said Daniel Hicks, Chief Executive Officer Spaceport America. “It is also an opportunity for Spaceport America to work with communities all along the historic Rio Grande river valley and our expert partners MH Enterprises to share our beautiful region and futuristic commercial spaceport with visitors from afar.”

The finish line is located in the middle of Spaceway Village designed to welcome runners, spectators, sponsors and vendors for a day filled with healthy food and drink, yoga, panel discussions, massage, vendor booths, music, a beer garden, family games, and several kid’s dashes, which are sure to be popular.

“When we set out to organize race events with unique finish lines, Spaceport America was at the top of our list. The finish line is completely unique: an actual 12,000 foot spaceway at the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport.  We can’t wait to see teams crossing this one-of-a-kind finish line,” said Marc Heon, Co-founder, MH Enterprises.

“This is a race that everyone can participate in. If you want to run for time, you can do that, but if you want to walk or jog, you can do that too. Our goal is to make sure everyone makes it to the spectacular finish line and they have a great time getting there,” said Marianna Heon, Co-founder, MH Enterprises.

Registration is now open and early bird pricing is now available for a limited time. Teams can currently register for $1200 ($100 per teammate).  A “Captain’s Reserve” is also on offer where the team captain can reserve a team slot with a non-refundable deposit of $120.

About MH Enterprises, LLC

MH Enterprises, LLC is a race organization company specializing in unique finish lines. Races vary from 5K to 200 Mile Relays, and they all share a common thread: a passion for fun. You can expect to experience a variety of terrains, such as road, trails, and urban trails. Whether you are new to running or looking for your next long distance adventure, there is something for everyone on our race schedule. For those who cannot attend a specific race event, there are virtual running options available as well. For more information and our current race schedule visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/urbantrailadventures/

About Spaceport America

Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. The FAA-licensed launch complex, situated on 18,000 acres adjacent to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, boasts 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace, low population density, a 12,000-foot spaceway, and 340+ days of sunshine and low humidity. Some of the most respected companies in the commercial space industry are customers at Spaceport America: Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, UP Aerospace and EXOS. Visit http://spaceportamerica.com and http://gatewaytospace.com for more information.

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