It may not have been midnight, but the runners had already lined up.

The Ames annual road race Midnight Madness returned for its 55th year of 5K fun last Friday, bringing folks back to its summer Ames tradition.

Standing as the oldest road race in Iowa, Midnight Madness began in 1972.

This year, under the guidance of former All-American and Iowa State runner Brett Carney, the race brought together a crowd of 500 people in downtown Ames at Torrent Brewing, all to enjoy a rare night jog and an afterparty for all ages.

“It’s just the nostalgia of finishing and starting a race in downtown Ames,” said Carney, who is also the Midnight Madness race director. “There’s not a lot of races that do that anymore — kind of a bonus to be able to do that, but I think it’s the whole ‘you’re getting the opportunity to run in one of the oldest standing races in Iowa.’”

The race night and afterparty experience

Race activities began at 7:30 p.m. with Captain Midnight’s Kids Run. A free out-and-back 600M for children. Kids are given colored capes and masks in an emulation of previous Midnight Madness Director Roman Lynch’s Captain Midnight, a character of his own creation.

Lynch served as race director for 33 years before retiring from his role in 2018. That’s when Brett Carney took over, and though he doesn’t don the cape, he keeps Captain Midnight alive.

“Captain Midnight is now retired, and so it’s kind of ‘he’s iconic,’” Carney said. “Everybody knew Roman as Captain Midnight; that[s what he’s been known for after 30 years, and he was great at it. People are like, ‘Hey, why don’t you put a cape and a mask on and run around?’ That’s what people know Roman as.”

After the flood of kids left, the street runners began assembling at the starting line for the 5K race at 8 p.m.

The Midnight Madness road race comes with few restrictions. Participants are welcome to take the race as they like, with running and walking or a mix allowed, reminding people of the flexible nature of what it means to be a runner.

“Running is something everybody can do,” Carney said. “Obviously, not everybody can win, but with running, a win is if you are getting better, if you’re running longer, if you’re running faster, if you’re feeling better; those are all wins.”

After hitting the finish line, racers were welcomed into the lively afterparty zone. Those who ran or walked received a medal and a t-shirt for their effort.

The afterparty featured free food from locations like Macubana, Pizza Ranch and Great Harvest Bakery. The Faculty Lounge, a 10-piece funk band from Des Moines, provided live music, with festivities lasting till 11 p.m.

“When people are finishing the race, it’s just a fun time from the second they cross the finish line,” Carney said. “The band’s playing; people are excited, obviously, because they’re done. This whole atmosphere of a very festive finish line — that’s one of my other favorite parts of the race.”

Keeping the Madness close with the changing times

Midnight Madness first began in 1972 and was strictly held at midnight, giving it its notable name.

The first race only had six participants and was a marathon rather than a 5K. In the following years, race directors added additional lengths and races, moving away from the marathon into a 25K, 10K and 5K.

Participant numbers and race lengths would continue to shift over the following decades. At its peak, Midnight Madness had 2,540 runners. Unfortunately, in the 2010s, the COVID-19 pandemic stepped in, and the race was canceled for 2020.

Since then, the race has felt the pressure to regain momentum, adding new activities and afterparty options to bring it attention.

“Obviously, it’s a lot of pressure too, because we’re trying to maintain the standards, but you know, with the changing of the world, a change of people, we’ve had to change the race with that,” Carney said.

Though a lot has changed, one thing has remained consistent: the timer.

For the past 46 years, Midnight Madness has been timed by one individual: Cal Murdock. Since 1989, Murdock has timed over 1,100 races, primarily in Iowa.

Midnight Madness has become almost a tradition for him.

“I still get a little bit of a thrill when people get to the start line,” Murdock said. “It takes a lot of effort to get to that point.”

Midnight Madness will continue next year, its 56th year. Interested parties are welcome to sign up.