NITE LITES (Brooklyn - 2019 - 5K)

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  Nite Lites 2019 Photos

53 Mile Drive



The 2019 Lite Nite's Run was a one of a kind event!!! It's uniqueness is unmatched. I was very ignorant and only knew of the Milan Dragway in Michigan. I did not know Michigan had an International Speedway until I registered for this run. 

The drive to Brooklyn was a beautiful 43 mile sunset drive on Michigan Avenue. For being a night light run it was shocking that the entrance to the speedway had only one light. It was so dark I passed it twice. 😂😂 I think something, even a stand alone snowman could have been put out to help guide people. Once I made the right turn in we immediately went under the most claustrophobic light tunnel to get into the V.I.P parking area for runners and spectators. The tunnels were very cool. They were right under the speedway track and were built small for that reason. 

Upon exiting the tunnels there were a lot more lights to guide us. It was a good walk to registration/pick-up past the towering speedway seating. I’ve never seen seats that high. They looked higher than Michigan Stadium.  If Michigan Internsational Speedway can hold 135,000 people and Michigan Stadium 200,000, I would think the speedway is taller.  The speedway’s seats are not around the entire oval. 

This was not a timed run, something I haven't done in awhile. I got an awesome Santa hat and a long sleeve shirt but no bib. I welcomed the race not being timed with my hip acting funky and wanting to once again stop to take pictures. I kept a nice pace that didn’t overdo it and stopped a lot, even for really cool short videos this time!  My phone very strangely died at 1.5ish miles even though it had a 30% battery. Jason’s died at 30% after I crossed the finish. Alien activity? 🤟👽 I didn’t get a finish time on Map My Fitness.  I was hoping to see the course map to see if at any point I ran on the actual speedway and it looks like I did not. I ran right alongside it at points. It was very hard to see at night. The pavement we ran on was not incredibly smooth like a speedway would have been. Thankfully my phone died right after I got the Michigan International Speedway light. There was a few things I wanted to get after that but nothing so bad that I needed to go back.

Santa and Mrs. Claus were at the finish line cheering us on!  That was a first!!! Santa told me, “Great Job!” I managed to run an under 30 minute 5K. I know that from my Fitbit clock. The cookies post-race were the best store bought M&M cookies I've ever had. I made sure all the walkers had a chance to get one and then got a second. Unfortunately, the hot chocolate was expensive and cash only. This was the second run I missed out on hot cocoa. I am so thankful for the very warm indoor area they had where I was able to stretch after running. 

We ate at three different restaurants in Brooklyn after leaving the speedway. We had to try JR’s in town for an authentic Brooklyn experience and because it was Jason's nickname in middle school. We got a single appetizer to-go from JR's. Luke got a gluten free pizza at Brooklyn’s Hungry Howie’s and we got a regular pizza to split from Home Town Pizza. I dropped our debit card outside JR’s and we spent 30 minutes looking for it.  A very nice person found it and gave it to restaurant staff. 

It was a beautiful drive home. The stars were amazing. We looked for opossums but Jason's mating call wasn’t accurate and they didn’t like blaring 80’s music. I tried to draw them out from the depths of the woodlands. 😂😂👌 

Things I take from Nite Lights are: 

  1. The amazing lights over every square inch of the course. There were times when we didn’t have big displays but every square inch of fencing would still have twinkle lights. Miles of it! They also had a 12 Days of Christmas theme! 
  2. Santa and Mrs. Claus at the start and finish. Santa saw us off! 
  3. The quant and beautiful village of Brooklyn. I loved all their shops. Their bank, theater and little gazebo were awesome. 
  4. You could legally cut the course!!! See my picture!
  5. The take-your-breath away moment you get when you see Michigan International Speedway (even at night!) I couldn’t have made a better choice in my race across Michigan. Stopping at such an amazing and absolutely huge 2,400 acre speedway couldn’t be more Pure Michigan. I am so thankful for this opportunity. It was a hidden gem in a small Michigan town!

Brooklyn Page

Location: 12626 US-12, Brooklyn, MI 49230, USA

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