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Pro runner crushes a mile outfitted as Boba Fett in a galaxy not so far away

American professional runner Nick Arciniaga ran a 5:01 mile in Flagstaff, Ariz. wearing a Boba Fett costume from the Star Wars series (photo: Martos Hoffman).

Nick Arciniaga
Nick Arciniaga
Photo: Martos Hoffman.

Running a fast mile is tough to begin with. Especially at altitude. And even more difficult (obviously) with a Boba Fett costume from the Star Wars series.

Enter professional runner Nick Arciniaga, a 2:11:30 marathon runner from the United States, who ran a ridiculous 5:01 mile (1,609 metres) on Monday wearing the Star Wars-themed costume. The event, known as the Downtown Mile, hosted by Team Run Flagstaff, was held in Flagstaff, Ariz., which is located 2,106 metres above sea level.

RELATED: Runner re-creates Star Wars characters and symbols on Nike+.

“Downtown mile finished up,” Arciniaga wrote on Instagram on Monday. “Lost the race, lost the costume contest, but ran a 5:03 mile [5:01 officially] in my brand new Boba Fett costume. Some say it wasn’t very patriotic, but I say what could be more American than Star Wars.”

The event, held on the Fourth of July, also had a costume contest though he admits that he didn’t win that honour. The 33-year-old wore Under Armour Apollo 2s for the race, which he “really likes for tempo runs.” Arciniaga is an accomplished runner having run 28:29.71 for 10,000m. He represented the United States in the marathon at the 2011 world championships.

He finished tenth at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials in Los Angeles in February.

Boba Fett is a male bounty hunter in the Star Wars series and is part of the Galactic Empire. There were other unique costumes at the race including a runner in a dinosaur outfit. According to a Facebook comment, Arciniaga says that a family dressed in American flag outfits won best costume.

RELATED: Must see: This man won a half-marathon wielding a lightsaber.

Arciniaga is clearly a big fan of the fantasy series as he crossed the finish line at the Star Wars half-marathon in the winter with a lightsaber. He “cut” the tape when he crossed the line in true Jedi fashion on that occasion.

Many Canadians call Flagstaff home for parts of the year as the city is an ideal location for training camp because of its abundance of trails, altitude and small-town vibe.

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