01/02/2026
Ask AI...Sabetha New Years Eve Midnight Run/Walk Edition
As we enter 2026, it only seemed "natural" to ask Artificial Intelligence (AI) to weigh in on the
Top 10 Reasons for Doing The Sabetha New Years Eve Midnight Run/Walk
#10. Because “running at midnight in winter” sounds like a great idea...eventually. Mostly after it’s over and you’re warm again.
#9. It’s the only time running through town at midnight is encouraged. No questions asked. No explanations required.
#8. You can say you “worked out” before January 1st even started. Which technically puts you ahead of most New Year’s resolutions.
#7. It’s cheaper than a gym membership and requires zero sign-up. Just show up. No app. No waiver. No monthly fee you’ll forget to cancel.
#6. You get to see who else is awake and willing to do this. A fascinating mix of runners, walkers, optimists, and people who lost a bet.
#5. Walking two miles makes you feel better about whatever you ate earlier. Science probably backs this up. Probably.
#4. You earn bragging rights for the entire next day. “Oh, I was out running at midnight.” Instant personality upgrade.
#3. It’s a perfectly reasonable excuse to wear way too many layers. Fashion rules do not apply at midnight on December 31.
#2. You’ll remember this more than another night on the couch. No one reminisces fondly about “that time I fell asleep before midnight.”
#1. Because it’s weird—and that’s kind of the point. Small-town traditions thrive on doing slightly ridiculous things together.
That's a nice list, but the real question is, "Why would anyone want to participate in the Sabetha New Years Eve Midnight Run/Walk?"
AI answered with "People join the Sabetha New Years Eve Midnight Run/Walk to combine fitness, fun, community, and celebration in a distinctive way that makes starting the new year memorable and meaningful."
Now, AI has a reputation for flattering us humans and telling us what we want to hear, as well as giving very suspect advice. In fact, when asked if it would like to participate, it responded with, "If I were a human? Yeah, I probably would."
And that's where we get the term, "artificial" intelligence.
This year, 24 people, one canine (and technically a police officer and the car they pulled over) gathered for a picture under the United Bank & Trust Bank Sign at midnight before participating in the traditional event and proving for the 49th year that any "intelligence" claimed by these folks is also purely artificial, because real intelligence (and common sense) would have kept them at home, where it was warm and comfortable.
Now, if this sort of thing sounds fun (and you are not encumbered by real intelligence):
1. Please get that checked out,
2. Do not use AI to make decisions, and
3. Join us next year for the 50th anniversary of this tradition.
