An ‘ American classic’ in Pittsburgh
This mile race is gaining in popularity — and the city’s is among the top in the country
Larry O’Neill took up running somewhat reluctantly in 2014 when his daughter, Andi, challenged him to sign up for the Pittsburgh Marathon’s 5K event. To his surprise, he quickly fell in love with the sport.
Dozens of races followed, fueled in part by faster chip times.
“It’s a Catch- 22,” says the Hookstown resident. “The more you run, the faster you go, and the faster you go, the more you want to run.”
So last year, he decided to test his athleticism with a distance that’s making a comeback across the U. S. — the mile.
It was so much fun sprinting through Downtown in the road race known as the Liberty Mile, says Mr. O’Neill, 58. And he felt pretty good doing it, missing a secondplace finish in his age group by one ( frustrating) second.
All those cheering spectators were great, too.
“It brings out a nice crowd,” says Mr. O’Neill of the event that’s been a summer standard since 2012. Little surprise, then, he can’t wait to run the race again this Friday. “It’s an American classic.”
Ryan Lamppa of Santa Barbara, Calif., would agree.
Most annual road races organized in the U. S. are measured in kilometers. But the mile — all 5,280 glorious feet of it — is still America’s distance, says Mr. Lamppa, who in addition to co- founding the nonprofit Running USA is the beating heart ( and megaphone) behind the national “Bring Back the Mile” movement.
Up until the 1970s, high school track distances were administered in imperial yards, he says. Sprints were contested over 100, 220 and 440 yards; longer races were run as 880 yards, a mile and 2 miles. A metric push in the mid- 70s, to conform to the European standard of measurement, changed all that.
But the magic of the mile persisted, says Mr. Lamppa, even if some of its luster rubbed off over the years.
That’s because when Roger Bannister ran the first sub- four- minute mile in 1954 ( a record that lasted
just 46 days), he not only etched himself into the history books, but also he carved a place in America’s collective imagination. This is particularly true among runners, who almost always measure their pace and distance in miles.
“It’s our mindset,” says Mr. Lamppa. “We dream, speak and relate in miles.”
He was Running USA’s media director when the idea for a national campaign to elevate and celebrate the return of the mile began percolating. Any time he did a key search on the mile, he says, Roger Bannister’s historic run came up. Clearly the mile wasn’t going away. So why not bring it back?
The initiative launched in January 2012, and that summer, Pittsburgh Marathon organizers held the first Liberty Mile, with GNC as the sponsor. Participation has increased every year since, and it’s among the five top U. S. Mile events on the BBTM Grand Prix Tour 2019, with an elite runner purse of $ 28,200.
This year’s race is sponsored by Fleet Feet, and P3R CEO Troy Schooley expects it to draw at least 1,000 runners. Thanks to the success of the marathon’s Kids of STEEL program, kids should account for about 20% of the field.
Some might be hesitant to run the mile because you can’t hide in such a short race: It instantly tells people how fast ( or slow) you are, says Mr. Lamppa. But it’s the perfect distance for people just getting into the sport or who don’t have time to train for a longer event.
“Who can’t do a mile four or five times a week?” he asks, especially when doing so is so good for your health.
According to a 2014 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, running 10 minutes a day four or five times a week is associated with a reduced risk of death.
It also fits in with P3R’s goal of simply getting people to move.
The 5K is still the most popular distance in the country, with 8.9 million registrations in 2018. But there also has been a steady if modest increase in registrations for one- milers since 2010, said Running USA CEO Rich Harshbarger, adding that the largest one in 2018 was Pittsburgh’s on marathon weekend, with 6,400 participants.
While the distance is most popular with the under18 crowd, a growing number of grown- ups are signing up for road miles.
When Mr. Lamppa launched BBTM in 2012, the number of one- mile races had grown from approximately 330 in 1990 to about 600. There are now more than 800 races, he says, including 25 new races just this year.
“But we still have a long way to go to get Americans off the couch,” he says.
And if you just want to watch? The mile is super spectator friendly because you don’t have to hang around for hours waiting for your friend or family member to cross the finish. Also, there’s something really spectacular about seeing the elites — who start their heats at 7: 50 p. m. — burn up the pavement on the final stretch down Liberty Avenue as the sun sets.
Online registration closes at midnight on Wednesday for the Fleet Feet Liberty Mile. There also will be race- day registrations starting at 4 p. m. in Market Square. The entry fee is $ 30 ($ 10 for 13 and under), and the race features six categories ( fun, pup trot, kids, corporate teams, masters and competitive milers) beginning at 7 p. m.; the pro mile is by invitation only. Participants must be able to finish a 20- minute mile.