Virginia City’s Brave 5K Experiment

Virginia City, that proud little patch of dirt that has somehow survived history’s attempts to forget it, has decided to add a new form of public spectacle: the kilted 5K.

Yes, you read that right.

A race in which grown adults dash, sprint, or occasionally hobble through the streets wearing skirts their grandmothers would have confiscated, all in the name of Scottish heritage and, presumably, personal embarrassment. The Nevada Society of Scottish Clans, whose members look like they wandered off a battlefield in a history book, announced that the race began at 10 a.m. sharp on Saturday, April 11. Registration opened at 8:30 a.m., giving participants just enough time to wonder why they ever agreed to wear wool in April.

After the athletic agony concluded, the city graciously offered a whiskey tasting at 2 p.m. at the Firehouse Grill and Saloon. It is either a reward for surviving the course or an attempt to dull the memory of it; opinions vary.

All proceeds benefit the Great Basin Highland Games, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the ancient tradition of running in a kilt for future generations.

So, if you have ever wanted to see a man in a kilt sprint past historic saloons, nearly tumble into horse-drawn carriages, and then sip whiskey like a civil-minded Viking, hopefully you did not miss the spectacle.

The goal is to ensure the art form continues, at least until someone decides that watching reruns of 'Braveheart' would be a suitable alternative.