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NASA Invites Media to Racin’ the Station Duathlon Sept. 28

The headshot image of Lee Mohon

Lee Mohon

Sep 24, 2019
MEDIA ADVISORYM19-029

Media are invited to the eighth annual Racin’ the Station duathlon Sept. 28 at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Early Saturday morning on September 28 about 200 athletes will try to finish a specially designed course in the same amount of time that it takes the International Space Station, traveling about 17,000 mph, to complete one circuit around Earth — a little over 90 minutes.

Racers keep track of whether they’re beating the station by tracking the designated pace setter, Stan the Station.
Racers keep track of whether they’re beating the station by tracking the designated pace setter, Stan the Station, second from right, who wore race apparel resembling an astronaut suit, complete with helmet. Those who finished the course before the station completed its orbit were awarded a commemorative “I Beat the Station!” cup. 109 of the 171 individual competitors and 23 of the 32 two-person relay teams beat the station. Credits: NASA/Fred Deaton

The timed course begins at 8:15 a.m. CDT with a 3.14 km run, followed by a 23 km bicycle ride, and finishes with another 3.14 km run, with the start and finish line at Marshall’s Wellness Center, Building 4315. Race organizers arranged the distances to coincide with the number pi or π, approximately equal to 3.14159.

The event is organized by the Team Rocket Triathlon Club in Huntsville and by the Marshall Association, a professional employee service organization at the Marshall Center whose members include civil service employees, retirees and contractors. Proceeds from the registration fee for the event go to the Marshall Association scholarship fund.

News media interested in covering the event should contact Janet Anderson at janet.l.anderson@nasa.gov or 256-544-0034 no later than 4 p.m. Sept. 27.

For details on the race, including course maps and distances, visit the Racin’ the Station Duathlon website:

http://teamrockettri.org/racin-the-station-duathlon/

For more information on the Marshall Space Flight Center, visit:

www.nasa.gov/marshall

Janet Anderson
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
janet.l.anderson@nasa.gov