The inaugural Mine Run 5k was held at the Strataca Salt Mine Museum on February 20, 2016. It was the first of its kind, as the race was held 650 feet underground in salt mine tunnels carved out in the 1950's. The museum group would host this event, and would be their first attempt at a running event (keep that in mind).

Arrival and parking: This was easy. The time slots were setup for a max of 30 runners to go down every 20 minutes. This meant that not everyone was arriving at the same time. Parking was very sufficient as well.

Registration: The online registration was done through signup.com, and was very simple. The signup process let you select a time slot you preferred to race in.

Packet Pickup: There was no expo or special events. You picked up your packet when you arrived to race. The swag bag had a standard cotton t-shirt, medal for the first 200 participants, and a coupon for the museum train ride (to be used at a later date).

The Race: This race was unique for sure. Each runner was required to wear a helmet and light before they could run. Everyone in my group brought along a bike helmet with a light, so nobody had to wear the tour helmets. First we had to watch a safety video, then we headed down the elevator to the museum. The course started out in the museum, which is nice and smooth concrete. Once we made the first turn, we were headed out into the mine tunnels. This is where it got quite dark. You needed to pay attention to where you were running, as the ground was much like a trail path. It was solid, but still contained some loose material, and it was uneven in spots. We were meant to follow a rope on the ground, which had an occasional reflective strip. For turns, there was a small cone with reflective arrows. However, these were a bit hard to see at times. There were plenty of folks around the course to keep you from getting lost, but no water stops that I recall.

Race Management: Considering this was a first attempt, I thought they did a very good job of organizing a race in such a difficult locale. They were very welcoming of ideas for next years race in order to make it better. The most repeated request was for better reflective rope and cones, as they were hard to see at times. Others noted that water and food weren't RIGHT at the finish line. Personally, I was paying attention when they told everyone it would be in the banquet room (with signs leading the way). I'm not sure how so many people missed that though.

Overall: This is a race everyone should try if they can. It is truly unique, and I have no doubt that the race crew will make improvements to the event in year two. I for sure will be back.

See more about my experience, and some video at http://runningwithrolos.com/2016/02/20/running-650-feet-underground-mine-run-5k/