# Area 51 Naruto Run Area 51 Naruto Run refers to a viral moment from the September 20, 2019 Storm Area 51 event, where an attendee named Elia Elixir photobombed a live KTNV newscast by performing a Naruto run behind reporter Joe Bartels[2]. The clip spread across Twitter, Reddit, and YouTube within hours, turning Elixir into a folk hero of the internet's most absurd collective action event[1]. The moment became the defining image of the Storm Area 51 phenomenon, spawning object-labeled image macros and reaction memes across platforms[2]. ## Origin The backstory starts with Matty Roberts, a Bakersfield, California vape kiosk clerk who created the Facebook event "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us" on June 27, 2019[3]. Roberts got the idea after watching Area 51 conspiracy theorist Bob Lazar on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast[3]. The event was framed as a sardonic shitpost, asking people to meet in Amargosa Valley on September 20 and rush the heavily classified Air Force facility[3]. Roberts said the event sat at about 40 responses for three days before unexpectedly going viral[3]. Eventually, more than 2 million people marked "going" and 1.5 million marked "interested"[3]. On September 20, 2019, only about 150 people showed up at the two entrances to Area 51 itself, with none getting inside[3]. Two music festivals ran alongside the event: Alienstock in Rachel, Nevada, and Storm Area 51 Basecamp in Hiko, Nevada, drawing an estimated 1,500 attendees total[3]. During KTNV's live coverage from the scene, reporter Joe Bartels was delivering a segment when Elia Elixir sprinted behind him performing the Naruto run[2]. KTNV uploaded the clip to YouTube, where it picked up over 1,600 views in its first four days[2]. - **Platform:** KTNV live broadcast (source video), Twitter (viral spread) - **Creator:** Elia Elixir (runner/photobomber), Matty Roberts (Storm Area 51 event creator), Joe Bartels (KTNV reporter in video) - **Date:** 2019 ## Overview The Area 51 Naruto Run meme centers on a clip of a man sprinting through the Nevada desert behind a live TV reporter, arms flung back and torso tilted forward in the signature style of anime character Naruto Uzumaki[1]. The running style, which features a person leaning forward with arms stretched behind their back, was directly referenced in the original Storm Area 51 Facebook event description: "If we Naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Let's see them aliens"[3]. Screenshots from the broadcast became widely used as object-labeled image macros, with the runner and reporter assigned different roles to fit various jokes[2]. ## How It Spread The clip took off on Twitter first. User @palmerdebra shared the video and pulled in more than 26,000 likes and 9,700 retweets within four days[2]. A post by @MunaNawabit1 with the caption "#LiveFromTheArea51Raid the kid that runs behind the reporter is going down in history" hit 176,000 likes, 56,000 retweets, and 5 million video views[2]. Twitter reactions ranged from awe to affectionate mockery. One widely shared tweet read: "We live in such a great times we can witness a dude Naruto-running his way to Area 51. Now folks I'm not usually sentimental but that shit's beautiful"[1]. Another called it "highkey the dumbest greatest thing our generation is doing"[1]. KTNV interviewed Elixir later that day, revealing his identity. The interview racked up over 9.2 million views in four days[2]. On Reddit, the moment blew up simultaneously. User cafecl0pe posted an object-labeled version where the runner personifies the creation of a rainbow, earning over 70,000 upvotes[2]. A GIF of the moment posted by user Hoggord hit 120,000 upvotes and 2,500 comments[2]. User Tutankhhamun shared an object-labeled version using a screenshot from The Office, pulling 136,000 upvotes and 500 comments[2]. Media outlets including TIME and CNET covered both the video and the memes it generated[1]. ## How to Use The Area 51 Naruto Run format typically works as an object-labeled image macro. Users take a screenshot from the broadcast showing Elixir running behind Bartels and label each figure to represent a humorous dynamic. The reporter usually represents something serious, stable, or authoritative, while the Naruto runner represents something chaotic, reckless, or exciting charging past it. Common setups include labeling the runner as an impulsive decision and the reporter as rational thinking, or using the runner as a representation of something unexpected disrupting a normal situation. The GIF version is also used as a standalone reaction clip to express enthusiasm or reckless abandon. ## Cultural Impact The Storm Area 51 event and the Naruto runner clip drew attention at every level. The U.S. Air Force acknowledged awareness of the event, with spokeswoman Laura McAndrews warning that "Area 51 is an open training range for the U.S. Air Force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area"[3]. The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service posted a now-deleted tweet showing military personnel and a B-2 bomber with the caption "The last thing #Millennials will see if they attempt the #area51raid today," later issuing an apology[3]. Lincoln County, Nevada drafted emergency preparations in August 2019 to handle the potential influx of visitors[3]. The FAA posted temporary flight restrictions over areas near Area 51 during the event weekend[3]. The FBI also confirmed they were monitoring the situation[3]. Rapper Lil Nas X released a music video for the Young Thug and Mason Ramsey remix of "Old Town Road" themed around the planned raid[3]. Copycat Facebook events popped up proposing to storm locations ranging from the Bermuda Triangle to the Vatican archives[3]. The event itself, while far smaller than 3.5 million RSVPs suggested, produced real gatherings with attendees wearing tinfoil hats and carrying Infinity Gauntlets from the Avengers films[1]. ## Fun Facts - Matty Roberts created the original Facebook event as a shitpost after watching a Joe Rogan podcast about Area 51 conspiracy theories. He was working at a vape kiosk at the time[3]. - The event got only about 40 RSVPs in its first three days before suddenly going viral[3]. - Despite 3.5 million RSVPs, only about 150 people actually showed up at Area 51's gates. Around 1,500 attended the associated music festivals[3]. - Attendees at the Rachel, Nevada festival could get free tinfoil hats made by volunteers Justin and Christopher[1]. - Someone showed up to the event carrying a North Korean flag, which confused other attendees[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the Area 51 Naruto Run? The Area 51 Naruto Run is a viral clip from September 20, 2019, showing a man named Elia Elixir Naruto-running behind KTNV reporter Joe Bartels during a live broadcast from the Storm Area 51 event in Nevada[2]. ### Where did the Area 51 Naruto Run come from? It originated during the real-world Storm Area 51 gathering on September 20, 2019. Elixir photobombed a KTNV live newscast by running through the shot with the anime-style run referenced in the original Facebook event[2]. ### What does the Area 51 Naruto Run mean? The meme represents the absurd spirit of the Storm Area 51 event. In image macro form, the runner typically symbolizes something reckless or chaotic passing by something serious or orderly[1]. ### How do you use the Area 51 Naruto Run meme? Take a screenshot from the broadcast clip and label the runner and reporter to represent contrasting concepts. The runner is usually something impulsive or exciting, and the reporter is something stable or sensible[2]. ### Is the Area 51 Naruto Run still popular? The meme saw peak usage in September 2019 but is widely recognized as one of the defining internet moments of that year. It still gets shared when Area 51 or Naruto running comes up in conversation[1]. ### Who is the Area 51 Naruto Runner? The runner was identified as Elia Elixir after KTNV interviewed him on the same day. That interview received over 9.2 million views[2]. ### What was Storm Area 51? Storm Area 51 was a satirical Facebook event created by Matty Roberts on June 27, 2019, proposing that people rush the classified Air Force facility. Over 2 million people marked "going" and 1.5 million marked "interested"[3]. ### Did anyone actually storm Area 51? About 150 people showed up at the gates, but no one entered the facility. Around 1,500 attended associated music festivals in Rachel and Hiko, Nevada[3]. ### How did the U.S. military respond to Storm Area 51? The Air Force warned against attempting to enter the facility. The DVIDS posted a since-deleted tweet joking about millennials trying the raid, which prompted an official apology[3]. ### What is a Naruto run? A Naruto run is a running style from the anime Naruto where the character sprints with arms stretched behind the body and torso leaning forward. The original Storm Area 51 event description joked that Naruto running would let people "move faster than their bullets"[3]. ## References 1. [Area 51 memes: Watch a guy Naruto run behind a reporter on live TV - CNET]() 2. [Area 51 Naruto Run - Know Your Meme]() 3. [Storm Area 51]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/area-51-naruto-run Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library