Neil Armstrong’s hometown “Moon Series Challenge 2022” medal, held by Jim Crist, that was given to individuals completing a trio of races, concluding with Saturday’s race, two days before NASA’s scheduled Artemis launch. Participants celebrated the past with the 1969 Moon Landing with Neil Armstrong while looking forward to a future return of four humans back to the surface of the moon in 2025.
WAPAKONETA — Two days before NASA’s first scheduled launch of its unmanned Artemis spacecraft in the first recent American attempt to return to the moon on August 29, Neil Armstrong’s hometown of Wapakoneta hosted an event called “Back to the Future 1969,” reflecting back in time to July 20 of that year when Armstrong became the first person to plant his boot on the lunar surface.
Successfully demonstrating American technological prowess and military strength, NASA’s Apollo program culminated with Apollo 11, which was arguably the pinnacle of NASA’s historic achievements during the Cold War space race.
Saturday’s themed 5K race was the brainchild of Amy Kentner, the race’s director, who said that the goal was to honor Neil Armstrong’s historic moon landing while at the same time to capture the spirit of NASA’s manned moon landing. What better film to capture the futuristic advancements of technology that mastered not just space, but also time, than the popular 1985 film “Back to the Future,” starring Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett Brown, who built a time machine out of a DeLorean, and Michael J. Fox who played time-traveler Marty McFly.
The 5K race started and ended at the courthouse (which is as close to a clock tower as possible in Wapakoneta) and along its course passed by Armstrong’s boyhood home and the Wapa Theatre, which offered a free showing of “Back to the Future,” and in front of which was parked a line of DeLoreans on display.
“I can’t say enough good things about Wapakoneta,” said Jim Crist, assistant to the race director, who worked on the operations, procurement and financial aspects of the event. Some of his responsibilities included setting up the vendors and ordering supplies for all the runners to have water, yogurt, bananas, and chips.
Roughly 300 runners registered to participate. Everyone who completed the 5K received a medal.
This is the first year the “Back to the Future” race was held. It was the final of three races that comprised this year’s Moon Challenge Series. The first was “Fly Me to the Moon” at the Armstrong Airport, where the airport shut down so participants could run along a lighted runway at night for the race. That event was followed by fireworks. The second race was called “Run to the Moon.” It started and finished at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum. This year was also the museum’s 50th anniversary.
Those who ran all three races received a Moon Challenge Series medal.
Andrew Stepleton (18:09), of Lima, won Saturday’s race. Two Wapakoneta residents followed. Jacob Chontos (19:00) took second place and Fred Miller (20:00) finished a minute later in third place.
Aaron Rex, of Wapakoneta (20:38), who placed fifth overall, said he felt a “camaraderie” with the same runners from the series’ earlier two races.
Ryan Lenhart (22:55), age 8, finished first for his age group and 12th overall. He also participated in each of the three Moon Challenge races. Lenhart said he prepared for this race by participating in Wapakoneta Elementary School’s running program where he logged 125 miles of running practice. This was his sixth 5K race to date.
All of the other racers’ times are posted online here.
Cheryl Best-Wilke, of Sandusky, brought her 1982 DeLorean. She commented on the number of curious people fascinated with the vehicle whenever she drives it.
Larry DePasquale, of Indian Lake, brought his modified 1981 standard shift DeLorean with just 31,000 miles. “The standard shifts are a lot of fun because they are very, very maneuverable.”
DeLoreans, with their distinctive shape and gull-wing doors, were catapulted into the spotlight and became indelibly linked to the family-friendly movie. The film arguably helps spur interest in science and technology and celebrates inventors who dared to dream the impossible that is also necessary for spaceflight.
Reach Shannon Bohle at 567-242-0399, by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @Bohle_LimaNews.
