Folks In Millinocket Will Be Running During The Eclipse, But Not For Their Lives…Hopefully!

If you haven't already heard, consider yourself warned: the first total solar eclipse since 1963 will be taking place in just a few months, and they say the best place to see it will be Millinocket, Maine!

The date the eclipse will take place is Monday, April 8th, 2024. And while it's still some time away, and the weather in Maine being what it is, there's always a chance we won't be able to see much of it, that's not stopping folks from getting excited about it.

It's anticipated that flocks of folks will head to the Katahdin region, for the best eclipse gazing. So many are expected that the Rangers at Baxter State Park are saying that people may want to find other spots than the Park to peruse this particular happening.

One place where folks will be welcome to go and sun-gaze, especially if they want to run around, is the Golden Road. It's actually being encouraged. There's an entire event surrounding the eclipse that day called the "Millinockeclipse!"

According to the Millinockeclipse event page online, organizer Gary Allen says the event is a race of sorts, to see how far you can run while the eclipse is taking place.

He says the race will start promptly at the beginning of the total eclipse, which is scheduled to take place at exactly 2:20:53 PM.

"The route will go out the Golden Road and at 3:34:15pm (total eclipse ends)all runners turn around wherever you are, and head back. Whoever goes furthest wins! In other words, everyone will run out for 1 hour 13 minutes, and 22 seconds before turning around...Must have a Garmin and a headlamp to race! "

There are already over a thousand people who have responded as planning to attend the Millinockeclipse event. The town of Millinocket is no stranger to large crowds of runners as it just hosted the Millinocket Marathon.

Allen says this will be an event for both those who want to try to be competitive and fit in 12 miles in the duration the eclipse takes place and those who just want to run and watch the skies.