Records were broken, history was made, fun was had and funds were raised for a deserving group of athletes on Thursday, June 1 at St. Louis University High School at the 15th annual HOKA Festival of Miles. The mission of the Festival of Miles Foundation is two-fold – to promote the sport of track and field and to give back to athletes in need. Not only does the Foundation promote the sport by putting together an entertaining event that is full of non-stop action in a compressed time-frame, but allows kids – the future of the sport – to participate via the kids races. More than 200 kids were able to race a mile around SLUH’s campus and experience the excitement of this event and the thrill of running to kick off the event.

The Final Surge Junior High Invitational Miles were the first races on the track. In the girls race, 8th grader Angela Cottone who was a first timer at Festival of Miles led from the get go and took the win with a time of 5:14.18 over last year’s race winner Ella Messner. In the boys race, an epic battle ensued between Landon Harris and Jackson Miller for the first three laps of the race. Miller started pulling away with 400 to go and dropped the hammer finishing in an astonishing time of 4:22.33 which was a new meet record for the race and according to our research a new National Record as well!

Next it was time to introduce the beneficiaries of this year’s event, which were the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience (Collegiate) Cross Country and Track Teams. The teams include students from Collegiate and Central Visual and Performing Arts High School (CVPA), both magnet high schools in the Saint Louis Public School District (SLPS) that experienced a tragic school shooting in October of 2022. A CVPA student of dance and a beloved teacher were killed. The teacher was Jean Kuczka, who served as both the CVPA PE teacher and Collegiate cross-country coach. In her honor, Collegiate Principal Frederick Steele and Athletic Director Heather Kristof thanked the running community for their support.

Back to racing, in the Spewak Training High School Development Miles, Berlyn Schutz of Lincoln East (NE) was patient during the first half of the race and used a fast last lap to separate herself from the field, winning with a time of 4:46 – fast enough to earn a spot on the Festival of Miles All-Time list! Twelve girls in the field ran sub-5 minutes.  On the boy’s side, junior Ethan Hogan of Columbia (IL) was at the back of the pack for the first half of the race but worked his way through the field to get to the lead at the bell. He worked hard to shake the field and came away with the win in a time of 4:08. It’s was essentially a hometown meet, albeit a super competitive one, for Hogan who is from just across the river and had a lot of fan support in the crowd.

The Design Aire Heating & Cooling Mascot 400m lived up to its bill of chaos, fun and entertainment. Mascots of all shapes, visibility levels, props, head sizes and foot speed participated. The large field even included Hootie the Owl of event beneficiary Collegiate. It was Hickman High’s Kewpie (pronounced like the letters QP) who took the lead on the backstretch and never looked back, probably because he was permanently in a side-eye gaze. The Kewpie with his big head and big diaper ran a new meet record of 56.18 – pretty fast for a baby. The Webster Groves’ Statemen, last year’s winner and previous record holder, was this year’s runner up. Four mascots joined the loosely acknowledged sub-60 second club at Festival of Miles in this race, bringing the total to six.

Inching back up in distance, the Final Surge 800m races were next on the docket. In the high school girls race, the field went out blazing fast with the majority of the group together at lap 1. It was Becca Heitzig, a junior from Lincoln High (IL), who kept pushing the pace up front. Elyse Wilmes (MO) challenged with 200m to go, but Heitzig held her position in the inside lane and found another gear or at least hung on the best after the hot pace to start the race. Heitzig finished with a time of 2:09.17 and brought Ahry Comer (IL) with her under 2:10. Both were returning athletes to Festival of Miles and improved their places this year.

The Final Surge High School Boys 800m saw an electric battle. Defending champion and top seed Daniel Watcke of Hinsdale Central (IL) was shoulder to shoulder with Alexander Waldie (KS) at the first lap. Patrick Hilby (IL) pulled up alongside so they were running 3 across on the back stretch. Hilby made a move at 200m to go, but Watcke stayed close. An intense battle down the home straightaway resulted in Watcke winning, just a few steps ahead of Hilby. Watcke ran a personal best, a meet record and a US #1 time! Watcke’s 1:48.59 broke Brandon Miller’s meet record of 1:50.03 set in 2018 and brought two other athletes with him under 1:50 – Hilby of Aurorora Central Catholic (IL) and Alexander Waldie of St. Thomas Aquinas (KS). All three now top the Festival of Miles All-Time 800m list. Fourth place finisher Tommy Tyynismaa of South Tama County (IA) secured the #9 spot with his 1:51.32.

A deep field with athletes from 9 different states took to the track in the Big River Running High School Girls Championship Mile. The group stayed fairly bunched through two laps with Ali Ince of Normal (IL) keeping the pace honest up front. Charlotte Bell of Cuthbertson High School (NC) who had been hanging mid-pack made a move to the front with 500 meters to go, but Ince surged again to lead on the back stretch of the last lap. It was Bell, however, who had the legs in the end to take the win in 4:41.33 which was a new meet record, breaking the record Tatum David (IL) ran last year in this race. Samantha Humphries of Flower Mound (TX) (4:41.93) and Leah Stephens of Our Lady of Good Counsel (MD) (4:42.19) used strong kicks to round out the podium finishers. Ten runners in the 15 person field etched their name onto the All-Time list with 4 of those runners in the top 10. Talk about a fast group!

The third edition of the Drury Hotels Women’s Mile took off with Alex Teubel (Tracksmith) falling into step right behind the pacer from the start. Halfway through the race, the HOKA NAZ Elite athletes – Abby Nichols and Krissy Gear – filed into second and third place. Teubel continued to look strong, but the NAZ Elite teammates chased hard and closed a 15 meter gap in the last 50 meters of the race. Nichols had enough in the tank to hold off Gear for the win in a new meet record time of 4:26.08. Gear’s 4:26.52 was also under the previous record. Teubel hung on for 3rd place in 4:27.67, her second year in a row on the FOM podium.

High schooler Tatum David of Richmond County (IL) who has graced Festival of Miles with her running talent 4 times was part of the women’s field. Her 4:37.79 (6th place) was a PR and the fastest mile time run at Festival of Miles by any high school female. Fun fact: she still holds the junior high girls record!

The Big River Running High School Boys Championship was another one for the record books. An insanely deep field of top runners from 12 different states lined up behind world renowned pacer Erik Sowinski. Connor Burns (MO) who ran sub-4 at last year’s Festival of Miles led the way for nearly three laps with Simeon Birnbaum (ID), Jackson Heidesch (IA) and Rockey Hansen (NC) in tow. With a lap to go, Heidesch and Birnbaum made moves and Tinoda Matsatsa (MD) also put himself in the mix. Birnbaum had a slight lead with 300 meters to go and continued to push forward for a record breaking win.

For the first time in US running history, four high schoolers ran sub-4 in the same race with Simeon Birnbaum, a senior from South Dakota, winning with a 3:57.53 – a new PR, #4 on the US all-time list and the fastest time a high schooler has ever run at Festival of Miles. Rocky Hansen, a senior from North Carolina bettered his PR running 3:58.23. Tinoda Matsatsa, a senior from Maryland, became the 19th US high schooler to break four and the first Black high schooler to run under 4 minutes. Jackson Heidesch, a senior from Iowa, became the 20th US high schooler to break four. Eight US high school boys have now run sub-4 minutes in the mile at this event! Ten athletes in this field added their names to the Festival of Miles All-Time list as well.

With the firework-hot energy from the high school race still lingering on the track, the St. Louis Track Club Mens Mile sought to bring its own heat. Brett Meyer (Altra), a Festival of Miles veteran, glued himself to pacer Craig Nowak for the first 2 laps and created a gap on the field through the third lap with the chasers in a big bunch running two and three wide. It was Olin Hacker (HOKA NAZ Elite) who decided to see if he could catch Meyer. With a fantastic kick, Hacker got closer with each stride and moved up on the outside of Meyer with 100 to go and powered to a first place finish and new personal best of 3:56.59 (#7 on the All-Time list for Festival of Miles). Meyer earned his third podium finish at this event (2nd place with a 3:57.06). Out of the chaos behind them, Jake Gillum (unattached) finished third in 3:59.26.

All told, FOM has produced 56 sub four-minute-miles, making SLUH one of the fastest high school tracks in the country!

The spectators and participants at the 2022 edition of the HOKA Festival of Miles enjoyed beautiful weather with lower than usual temperatures and humidity for St. Louis. Good weather combined with the deepest fields ever assembled led to a fast night on the track on Thursday, June 2 at St. Louis University High School.

Hundreds of kindergarten through 8^th grade runners of all speeds helped us kick off the event in the Dillon Family Kids Race and Middle School Race. Part of the mission of the Festival of Miles Foundation is to promote the sport of track and field by getting kids interested in running while offering a competitive and welcoming environment for everyone to enjoy. The other part of the Foundation’s mission focuses on giving back to an athlete in need. The beneficiary of this year’s meet was Emma Reece, a 2 year old battling leukemia. Emma’s family is embedded in the Festus, MO running community with her dad as a coach of the Festus High School track team and one of her sisters a member of the Festus cross country team. Although the atmosphere was a bit loud for little Emma, her family was grateful for the opportunity to be at Festival of Miles and for all of the support.

The Junior High Invitational Miles were the first races on the track. Sixth grader Ella Messner from Academie Lafayette (MO) made her way through the pack during the first 400 and then worked herself into the lead. Messner held off a strong push from Mae Walker (MO) over the last lap to win in a time of 5:23.53. In the boys race, Caleb Ten Pas of XLR8 Track Club (IA) lived up to his top seed time. He went straight to the lead and ran away from the field for the win in 4:31.37.

In the Spewak Training High School Development Miles, Cami Crouch of Nerinx Hall (MO) defended her 2021 win with similar tactics running mid-pack most of the race and using a fast last lap along with a strong kick to win in 4:57.75, her first time sub-5 minutes. On the boy’s side, Jacob Meyers of Festus High School, was in 8^th place with a lap to go but found a way to be first to the finish line with a time of 4:10.73. Meyers had previously run at Festival of Miles in 8^th grade in 2018 and had a goal to earn a spot as a high schooler. He certainly made his mark by winning as a senior.

In the fan-favorite Mascot 400m, a large field of birds, big cats, horned animals and more stepped to the line. The Webster High School Stateman, who was unencumbered by a full animal head, strided out and went straight to the front. With tux tails flapping and a top hat remaining in place on his head, the Statesman crossed the line in a new meet record of 56.79! The Cougar from St. Charles Lutheran also dipped under the record, finishing in second place with a time of 59.17. They were the first two mascots ever to have run sub 60 seconds at Festival of Miles.

In the Eric Fernandez High School Girls 800m run, Makayla Clark of Lee’s Summit West High School (MO) defended her 2021 title with a definitive kick and new PR of 2:07.97 just barely missing the meet record. This fast field produced 4 sub-2:10 times and the three podium finishers broke 2:09 and made the Festival of Miles All-Time 800 list: Makayla Clark now holds the 4^th and 5^th fastest 800m times at Festival of Miles, Brianna Rinn (NE) second in the race and now #8 all-time with a 2:08.95, and freshman Elyse Wilmes (MO) third in the race and ninth all-time with a 2:08.99.

The Eric Fernandez High School Boys 800m saw top seed Daniel Watcke of Hinsdale Central (IL) lead from the gun and fend off a late push from Nicholas Pizarro (DE) to win. A first timer at HOKA Festival of Miles, Watcke ran a 1:50.81 to earn the third all-time fastest 800 run at FOM. Pizarro’s second place time of 1:50.9 puts him 4^th on the all-time list and Gabe Nash of Iowa finds himself 5^th all-time with his third place finish time of 1:51.23. A nod to the depth of this fast field, the fourth place finisher, Garrett Wilmes (MO), also found himself on the top 10 all-time list in the #9 slot.

A stacked Big River Running High School Championship Girls Mile field was led by Camry Wennersten (NJ) through three laps when a pack of four broke away at the bell. Tatum David (IL) used a surge at 300m to create some separation and cruise to the win. David not only smashed her personal best, but also an eight year old meet record with her time of 4:42.15. Second and third place also ran under the previous record with Samantha Humphries (TX) running a 4:45.11 and MaryEllen Eudaly (FL) running 4:45.55. Thirteen girls in this race ran under 5:00! Fun fact: Tatum David now holds two meet records for Festival of Miles, adding to her Junior High Invite Girls Mile record which she set in 2019.

A loaded field took the line for the second edition of the Drury Hotel Women’s Mile. Susan Ejore with Cascadia Elite quickly set up behind the pacers, but a big group remained together through three laps. Alex Teubel (Northern Iowa Track) pushed the pace at the beginning of the last lap, but it was Ejore whose slingshot around the curve allowed her to move into first in the last 100m and take the win with a time of 4:32.33. Teubel was second in 4:32.77 and Jenn Randall of Cascadia Elite/Tracksmith rounded out the podium with a time of 4:33.81. Natalie Cook, a high schooler from Flower Mound High School in Texas and high school 5k record holder, was part of the field but was spiked pretty badly during the race and ended up finishing 12^th in a time of 4:42.33.

A fast and talented group lined up for the Big River Running High School Boys Championship Mile. A series of lead changes kept the pace hot throughout the race. It was Jackson Heidesch who made a big move with 300m to go. He sprinted down the homestretch with a big smile on his face and his lucky donut socks on his feet to win in a time of 4:06.14. Tanner Talley (MO), who won the 800m at Festival of Miles last year, moved up from the back of the field to finish second (4:08.34) and Dawson Welch of Iowa finished third in 4:08.96. Ten boys in this field ran 4:10 or faster and the entire field of 15 was 4:12 or better.

The culminating race of the evening – St. Louis Track Club Mens Mile – featured a slew of talent in Paul Ryan of Golden Coast/Adidas, Wesley Kiptoo (multiple time NCAA champion) of HOKA NAZ Elite, and Jack Antsey of Dark Sky Distance among others. But a lot of attention was paid to the three high schoolers in the field including Gary Martin, a senior from Archbishop Wood High (PA) who had recently broke 4-minutes in a record breaking time as the fastest mile run in an unpaced high school only race (3:57.98), Connor Burns, a junior from Southern Boone High (MO) who holds the Missouri state record in the 3200m and Daelen Ackley, a senior from Eldorado Springs High (MO), the Missouri Class 3 1600m State Champion. At the gun, it was high schooler Gary Martin who went straight to the front with Wesley Kiptoo settling into second, the rest of the field close behind. Jack Antsey moved into second at the bell lap and made a move to first with 200m to go. Paul Ryan ran a fast curve and pushed to the win with a time of 3:55.95 to take the #3 spot on the Festival of Miles All-Time list. Jack Antsey hung on for 2^nd in 3:56.87 (#8 FOM all-time) and Caleb Webb finished third with a 3:57.54.

The finishers just behind the top three were just as exciting. For the first time in U.S. running history, two high schoolers ran sub-4 in the same race with Gary Martin, bettering his PR to 3:57.89 and Connor Burns, running sub-4 for the first time with a 3:58.83. Burns is the first Missouri runner to break 4 and the first junior since Jim Ryun! He’s the 15^th U.S. high schooler to go under 4 minutes and the 4^th to do so at Festival of Miles.

With 7 sub-4 finishers, this race ties the 2018 record of highest number of sub-4’s in one race at Festival of Miles. The tally of sub-4 minute miles at Festival of Miles now stands at 48.

After last year’s hiatus from our live event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was uplifting and energizing to have athletes and fans back at St. Louis University High School for a memorable night on the track. Running tends to bring people together and Festival of Miles has always facilitated that in spectacular fashion. 

In early 2021, we announced HOKA ONE ONE as the title sponsor of the event. HOKA’s partnership has allowed us to continue to elevate the event and their alignment with our mission is a perfect match. Part of our mission is to support an athlete in need and this year our deserving beneficiary was Lakeshia Finch. Lakeshia was a standout track and field athlete in high school and college who was the victim of random gun violence last year and is battling life-altering injuries.

As is tradition at Festival of Miles, the Healthy Kids Mile and Middle School Mile races kick off the event. This year the race times were spread out and the kids started their races in small waves, but the joy of watching kids work hard on their way to the finish line was the same!

The Junior High Invitational Miles were the first races on the track. Marley Turk (IA), chased down an XLR8 teammate for the first win of the evening in a time of 5:06.57. The junior high boys field had a start re-do after an early fall and a fist bump from Olympic Silver Medalist Leo Manzano to the fallen competitor. The race had several lead changes and a nice pack through 800m, it was Preston Stensland of Gilbert Middle School (IA) who took the lead at 200m to go and didn’t look back for the win in 4:51.66.

In the Spewak Training High School Development Miles, Cami Crouch of Nerinx Hall (MO) ran patiently behind early leaders and used a definitive kick to win in 5:05.09. On the boy’s side, Declan McDonnell of the Tatnall School (DE) took the lead with 800m to go and fought off charges by Ian Schram and Jade Deaton at 200m to go and a slew of runners down the home stretch to win in 4:14.24.

Next up was the fan-favorite Mascot 400m with a historic field size! It was all fun and games until the Parkway North Viking strided out to the front at about 200m to go passing PJ the Panther from Fort Zumwalt North. Kirkwood’s Pioneer Pete dug deep to try to reclaim his championship belt with a sprint down the outside lanes of the home stretch but came up short. The Viking’s blistering 1:00.91 just missed the meet record.

In the High School Girls 800m run, we were treated to a phenomenal battle between Cheyenne Melvin of STEAM Academy at McCluer-South Berkeley (MO) and Makayla Clark of Lee’s Summit West High School (MO). Clark had just enough power at the line to edge out Melvin for the win in a time of 2:08.18. Clark and Melvin’s times were the 4th and 5th fastest (respectively) we’ve seen in the history of Festival of Miles.

The High School Boys 800m saw Tanner Talley of New Covenant Academy (MO) go from dead last at the bell to first place winning in a time of 1:52.8. Talley spoke to the fact that he’s never run his first lap that fast (57.87) and has never closed that fast (54.93), but “that’s what Festival of Miles does to you!” Talley’s time snuck in the FOM 800m all-time top 10 list in spot #9.

In the Big River Running High School Championship Girls Mile, the rabbit went out quite fast with only Grace Tyson of Lafayette (MO) going with her gapping the field. Lauren Pansgregrau of Middleton High (WI) caught up and passed Tyson after two laps and took off. On the final lap, Mya Trober of Blue Springs South (MO) ate away at Pansgregrau’s lead, eventually pulling even and spending the last 80m of the race shoulder to shoulder with Pansgregrau out leaning her at the line. Trober’s winning time of 4:54.16 was just .01 faster than Pasgregrau’s.

This year, we added the mile distance for the professional women’s field. The competitors of the Drury Hotel Women’s Mile included Amanda Eccleston representing Brooks who raced the 800m at Festival of Miles in 2018 and hometown darling Taylor Werner representing Puma who raced at Festival of Miles back in high school. Eccleston stayed on the rabbits’ heels and ran from the front. Werner gave Eccleston a run for her money, but Eccleston’s final surge secured her win in 4:30.06 setting a the meet record. Lauren Paquette Paquette of HOKA NAZ Elite beat out Alexandra Lucki at the line for third place.

Nine states, plus the District of Columbia were represented in the Big River Running High School Boys Championship Mile in one of the best fields assembled in the country. The pack stayed tight through one lap, then Damian Hackett from St. Albans (DC) took the lead with Miles Ally of Martin Luther King High School (TN) tucked behind. At the sound of the bell lap, Ally took off with authority and never looked back, winning in commanding fashion with a 4:06.42 earning him 6th on the all-time list for this race. Drew Rogers of Herscher High School (IL) pushed through for 2nd place (4:08.02) and Hackett finished 3rd (4:08.11). Ten athletes ran 4:10 or under with the top three plus Nathan Mueller (IA) finding themselves on the all-time list.

The finale of the evening – St. Louis Track Club Mens Mile – featured Nick Willis, two-time Olympic silver medalist of New Zealand representing Tracksmith and several Festival of Miles alum including Jon Davis of the University of Illinois who holds the High School Boys Mile meet record (set back in 2016) and another former High School Boys Mile champ (2015) Bryce Richards. When the gun went off, it was Davis who followed closely behind the rabbit. It was on the 2nd lap that the field bunched up again and it was anyone’s race. Davis and Richards were battling on the back stretch of the last lap, but it was Brett Meyer swinging wide on the curve leading the charge down the homestretch and coming away with the win in 3:56.71. He is also a Festival of Miles veteran with his 2018 race marking the first time Meyer broke the 4 minute barrier. Jon Davis, wearing the same Big River Running uniform he wore at the 2016 meet, hung on for 2nd and Bryce Richards finished 3rd in 3:57.61 edging out Nick Willis by .01!

This was arguably the fastest field finish in Festival of Miles history with 6 sub-4 times all ranking in the top half of all the sub-4 miles run at Festival of Miles, including Meyer’s 3:56.71 which ranks 6th and Jon Davis’ 3:57.29 which ranks 8th. The tally of sub-4 minute miles at Festival of Miles now stands at 41.

Festival of Miles has been a hub for showcasing national running talent while giving back to the community and supporting an athlete in need for a dozen years now. The 2019 event was extra special because the Athlete in Need was a person close to the hearts of the meet organizers. Margaret Lyons, the 2019 athlete in need, and her family have a deep history with Festival of Miles. Her husband, Brian has been instrumental in organizing and implementing the event from the beginning. Margaret even participated in the women’s mile back in 2010. All three Lyons’ kids have been participants in the kids races. Crowds poured into St. Louis University High School on a beautiful May night in overwhelming support of Margaret as she battles colon cancer.

Leo Manzano, a past Festival of Miles participant and 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the 1500, was present to support the event and Margaret. Leo acted as a guest starter for a record number of kids participating in the Children’s Hospital Healthy Kids Mile and Middle School Mile. The smiles from this next generation of runners were the perfect symbol for what this meet is all about.

The Children’s Hospital Junior High Invitational Miles were the first races on the track, and the girls race started things off in a record-setting way. Tatum David, an 8^th grader from St. Joseph Olney in southern Illinois, ran away from the field from the moment the gun went off. Her long stride tearing around the track finishing with a new meet record of 4:57.21! The junior high boys field was a bit antsy and physical, taking three tries to get the race started cleanly. It was Dawson Welch of Springdale, Arkansas who broke away from the pack with a lap to go and earned the win (4:38.15) and redemption having finished second last year.

In the Spewak Training High School Development Miles, Ally Kruger of Liberty broke away from a pack of four with a lap to go, but it was Alexis Barber of Ozark who took over the lead with 100m to go and hung on to win in 5:04.90. On the boy’s side, the tightly seeded field went out hard, but a smart Jack Warner hung toward the back of the pack. While others ran out of gas, Jack Warner of Staley stepped on the pedal to squeak out the win in 4:19.71 over Michael Rebello of Chadwick.

Next up, the crowd-favorite Moneta Mascot 400m grabbed every fan’s attention. Out of one of the largest fields ever assembled for Festival of Miles, it was the Farmington Knight who got things moving quickly. It was only Pioneer Pete of Kirkwood who could catch him and in a near photo finish, eked out the win by three hundredths of a second. Don’t worry, the crowd was still on its feet encouraging the host mascot, SLUH’s Junior Billiken, to finish strong albeit in last place.

In the Four Sisters High School Girls 800m run, a strong Daphne Matthews of Heritage Hill lead most of the way. But it was Madison Hulsey of Lee’s Summit West who came out on top of a down to the wire finish with a winning time of 2:12.63.

The Dakota Grizzly High School Boys 800m saw Martin Strong of Kirkwood battle with Harrison Witt from Mountain Vista and leave it all on the track to secure the win with a time of 1:52.49. Fans will most likely remember his on-field interview post-race which was done with his hands on his needs as he tried to recover enough to answer the questions. Both Strong and Witt’s times earned them spots on the FOM 800m all-time top 10 list!

In one of the deepest fields assembled for the Big River Running High School Championship Girls Mile, a total of 10 girls went sub-5. The fast field was lead by Samantha Schadler of Rio Rico, AZ who pulled off the win with a 4:48.33, which was good for 7^th on the all-time FOM high school girls mile list.

It was dusk as the Drury Hotel Elite Women’s 800m field stepped on the track. At the gun, it was Lindsay Butterworth chasing the rabbit. New Balance’s Butterworth led from wire to wire holding off a charge from Hannah Segrave (also New Balance sponsored). A three-time participant at Festival of Miles and a two-time winner, Butterworth said she loves the event because of the fans and young athletes.

The SLUH track stadium was buzzing with excitement as the Big River Running High School Championship Boys Mile lined up. The formidable field stayed pretty tight through three laps. Then Christian Baker of Kirkwood made a huge move on the backstretch taking off like a rocket and holding off the field. It was a goosebump-inducing race that earned Baker the victory and a PR with a time of 4:08.59. Kirkwood fans in the crowd were ecstatic and Baker’s fan base seemed to grow evidenced by a photographer capturing kids asking Christian Baker to sign their shoes, shirts and hands! Baker and runner-up Carter Cheeseman of Fort Worth Christian both landed on the Festival of Miles all-time list. A nod to Camren Fischer as well who won the Elite Development Mile last year and came back this year to finish third in the Championship Race.

The marquee event of the evening – St. Louis Track Club Elite Mens Mile – featured two local products, Jordan Mann and Amos Bartelsmeyer, both graduates of MICDS. Both banking on home crowd advantage and MICDS drum beats, it was Jordan Mann leading the way through two laps with Bartelsmeyer on his shoulder. With 200m to go, Bartelsmeyer surged and pushed through the finish line for the win in 3:58.18. Bartelsmeyer isn’t a stranger to the podium at Festival of Miles, but his last win happened to be back in 2011 in the boys high school mile! Josef Tessema finished second with his first ever sub-4. The tally of sub-4 minute miles at Festival of Miles now stands at 35, keeping the reputation of the SLUH track as one of the fastest in the Midwest firmly in-tact.

Although storms were in the forecast, the running gods smiled on the 11^th edition of Festival of Miles and just brought humidity instead of thunder and lightening. Per tradition the kids kicked things off with the GO! St. Louis Healthy Kids & Middle School Miles. Their determined faces and smiles made for a perfect start to a night of racing.

The 2018 Festival of Miles’ athlete-in-need was Murelle Plotner, a running-obsessed 18-year-old who has a bone marrow disorder and underwent a double lung transplant last year. Unfortunately, Murelle could not be at St. Louis University High School because she just went through a second bone marrow transplant, but she watched the event live on FloTrack from her room at Children’s Hospital and her dad, Corey, represented her at the track.

Perhaps fittingly, the Children’s Hospital Junior High Invitational Miles were next on the schedule. Ainsley Erzen from Charlisle won the race last year and came back to win it again this year as an eighth grader. She just missed the meet record, but dropped 5 seconds from her PR which she set at FOM in 2017! On the boys side, Connor Henson from Nashville beat out Dawson Welch for the win.

In the Spewak Training High School Development Miles, Mazie Larsen lead early in the girls race, but Sarah Murrow of St. James Academy in Kansas took the lead just before the last lap and held on to win. Camren Fischer a junior from Fayetteville, had the 9^th fastest seed time, but that didn’t stop him from pushing the pace in the boys race. He made a bold move at 800m and held on to PR and win the race.

As usual, the Smoothie King Mascot 400 entertained and delighted the crowd. Although Eddie the Eagle from Liberty High School quickly flapped his way down the home stretch, the race ended closely with another bird of prey – Rockwood Summit’s Freddie the Falcon – swooping in for the win.

The High School Girls 800m field was possibly one of the deepest in Festival of Miles history. Ally Ryan of Jenks (OK) was the early leader, but Marlena Preigh, a Colorado State Champion from Fairview took it in the home stretch bringing both girls under the previous meet record. Preigh’s new PR and winning time of 2:07.56 smashed Hannah Long’s record of 2:09.03 from 2014. The High School Boys 800m race featured local standout Brandon Miller of John Burroughs who recently won the Missouri State Title in the 800 with a time of 1:49.55 breaking a 31 year old Missouri State Record in the event! While Miller wasn’t able to go sub-1:50 again, his smooth stride dominated the field and his 1:50.03 broke the FOM meet record set by Carlton Orange back in 2015.

The Big River Running High School Championship Miles have become marquee races of their own. In the girls race, Tori Findley of Blue Springs South held off a late charge from Pittsburg’s (KS) McKenzie Wilks to earn the win and a new PR with a time of 4:49.35. On the boys side, two teammates from St. Anthony’s in New York went 1-2. Mason Gatewood, whose father attended SLUH, finished hard to break the tape with a winning time of 4:07.00.

The professional races are always highlights of Festival of Miles. To see athletes at a level of this caliber in St. Louis is a treat. The women’s 800m field was one of the best compiled and Lindsey Butterworth ran a strong race, pouring it on in the homestretch to extend her lead over Kendra Chambers (Oiselle) and break the tape. Butterworth (New Balance) was thrilled to run a PB and break 2:02 with her winning time of 2:01.13 which is the second fastest ever run at Festival of Miles.

At 8:50 p.m., the fans were sticky with sweat both from the famous St. Louis humidity and from running across the field as they cheered on racers. The crowd was excited to watch Brooks Beast Garrett Heath and Jordan Mann (Ocean State Track Club and product of MICDS) battle a talented field. Boy did the field put on a show! The St. Louis Track Club Men’s Mile came down to a photo finish and a record breaking number of sub 4s in one race at Festival of Miles. Tripp Hurt out-leaned Sam Atkin for the win with a time of 3:58.54. Last year, Hurt ran a 4:00 at Festival of Miles, so it was sweet redemption to get the win this year, his second sub-4 and a new PB (by almost a second!). Seven men went sub-4 in the race, many for the first time including second place finisher Sam Atkin who credited the fans for his fast time and said they should let fans get close at every single track meet. There have now been 33 sub-4-minute-miles run at Festival of Miles.

In the last on-field interview of the night, Garrett Heath made a comment that Festival of Miles was like track and field’s version of the Tour De France. The dedicated Festival of Miles crowd certainly earned the compliment!

In 2017 we celebrated a decade of Festival of Miles. Over the last 10 years, Festival of Miles has grown to be one of the most high energy, exciting and generous track meets in the Midwest and arguably in the nation. A big thanks goes to out our sponsors, planning committee, volunteers, athletes and fans for making Festival of Miles one of the best nights of the year in St. Louis.

True to Festival of Miles Foundation’s mission of giving back to an athlete in need, the 2017 event benefitted Cassie Gorecki, a courageous new mom battling cancer and paralysis. Fulfilling a secondary but just as important part of the Foundation’s mission – promoting the sport of track and field – more than 100 grade schoolers took to the track in the GO! St. Louis Healthy Kids Mile races.

The Children’s Hospital Junior High Invite miles came next. These races, along with the high school races, have been highly motivational to young athletes throughout their seasons because they are hoping to achieve a qualifying time and earn a spot in these competitive races. On the girls side, Ainsley Erzen from Carlisle was the victor with a time of 5:12.60. In the boys race, Aniey Akok from Ames, IA crushed the competition by nearly 10 seconds, finishing with a time of 4:36.24.

In the Spewak Training High School Elite Development Miles, Mazie Larsen from Nebraska took the win in the girls race with a super fast time of 5:01.54. On the boys side, it was a tight one with Jed Helker from Edmond Memorial in Oklahoma having to work his way to the front and just barely beating a fellow Oklahoman Daniel Mazzei (Berryhill) with a time of 4:13.77 to Mazzei’s 4:13.94.

The mascot race is always a fan favorite. This year’s edition also taught fans a lesson. The Parkway North Viking thought he had the win in the bag and started celebrating just a bit too early. Eddie the Eagle from Joplin took advantage of the mistake and flapped across the finish line first!

The high school girls and boys 800 meter races saw local runners take the top spots. Senior Lizzie DeJoie from Parkway Central (St. Louis, MO) ran like she had something to prove and took the win with a 2:13.66. In the boys race, John Burroughs freshman Brandon Miller made his Festival of Miles high school race  debut after wowing the crowds for years as a youngster. He didn’t disappoint bringing home the win with a time of 1:52.42.

The Big River Running Championship miles have become ultra competitive over the years and draw student athletes from across the country. Last year, Colorado’s Madison Mooney won the elite development mile. This year she was the fastest runner in the championship mile improving her time by 5 seconds and winning with a time of 4:50.66. For the boys, it was teammates from Brentwood (TN) who went 1-2 with Brodey Hasty taking the win with a time of 4:06.81.

In the professional races, it was high schoolers who basked in the spotlight. High school middle distance phenom Caitlin Collier from Florida found herself first across the tape in the professional women’s 800 with a personal best time of 2:03.32.

In the St. Louis Track Club Men’s Mile, Morgan McDonald, a Wisconsin junior, won in 3:57 and pulled three other competitors under the 4 minute mark. Making history yet again, one of those competitors happened to be high school senior Reed Brown from Texas who finished 3rd in the race and ran a 3:59.30 making him the 10th high school boy to break four minutes in the mile. Per FloTrack, his time “is the fastest outdoor mile by a high school boy since 2001, when Alan Webb ran the still-standing national record of 3:53.43. Only Webb, Jim Ryun (3:55.3 in 1965, the first high schooler to break 4), and Drew Hunter (3:57.81, indoors) have ever run faster than Brown as a prep.” Having run the fourth fastest high school boys mile of all-time, Brown tops the Festival of Miles high school best list. The four sub-4s run at FOM in 2017 bring the total number of athletes who’ve broken the mark to 26. It was a great meet to celebrate the 10th year of the event.

The ninth edition of the Festival of Miles was most certainly one of the very best.

A record number of participants competed in the GO! St. Louis Youth Races to kick off the evening. Then the 2016 FOM athlete-in-need, 4-yr-old Triston Walls, was introduced to the crowd at 7pm to a huge ovation. The meet was off to a perfect start.

As has become tradition, the Jr. High Invitational Girls race kicked off the night’s track races. Eighth-grader Niquelette Fazekas took home top honors with her 5:20.16, leading four young ladies under 5:30. But the big show was next as FOM fan favorite Brandon Miller wowed the crowd with a 4:25.02, smashing his own meet record by more than seven seconds and establishing himself as one of the nation’s top eight-graders.

The meet records continued with the Spewak Training Elite Development HS Miles where Colorado’s Madison Mooney ran 4:55.58 to take the victory in the girls race. On the boys side Tennessee’s Joshua Bell ran a smoking 4:11.01 for the win. With beautiful weather (70s, no wind and low humidity) it was clear there were more fast times to come.

The U.S. Marine Corps 800s were next and these HS 2-lap races have become two of the most exciting races at FOM. In the girls race Missouri State Champion Allison Bailey got the win in 2:09.87, keeping the streak alive of a sub 2:10 HS 800s at FOM. For the boys it was Eugene Grayson (OK) who tore up the SLUH track with his 1:51.49.

Next up was the Big River Running Company High School Girls Championship Mile where Iowa’s Stephanie Jenks would be going for her fourth straight FOM title. The deepest field in meet history had other ideas however. In the end it came down to a sprint finish/lean-at-the-tape between Kansas State Champ Cailie Logue and Missouri State Champ Anna West. Logue got over the line first in a near meet record of 4:46.89 with Jenks finishing up her FOM HS career in fifth (4:50.61). All told, 13 girls broke five minutes.

The Saint Louis Injury and Rehab Womens 800 then provided the crowd one of the all-time FOM moments. The sixth year of this particular event, only one athlete had competed in every edition. That would be native Saint Louisan Shannon Leinert (Brooks/Speed Factory Athletics). Facing a monster field that included defending champion LaTavia Thomas, Leinert moved through the field on the backstretch before taking the lead with 100 meters to go and never looking back. The crowd roared as the Eureka HS grad broke the tape in 2:03.19, proving that the sixth time was a charm.

The Big River Running Company High School Boys Championship Section was once again the night’s penultimate event and featured a national level field with athletes from as far away as New York and Wyoming. Fordham Prep senior Conor Lundy (NY) broke the race wide open with a 58-second third lap, forcing the rest of the athletes to chase him down. It took a 57-second final lap from Jon Davis (IL) to overtake Lundy and secure the win in a new meet record of 4:05.29. Lundy ended up a well-earned fifth in 4:09.64. All told, nine boys broke 4:12.0 to once again make FOM one of the top post-season miles in the nation.

And the crowd at FOM knows what comes last. The Saint Louis Track Club Elite Men’s Mile has become a must-see for the St. Louis sports fan. This year’s race featured three-time FOM champ Jordan McNamara (Nike OTC Elite) going for his fourth title but he’d have to fend off challenges from Cristian Sorates (adidas) and Frezer Legesse (Under Armour). The three sub-4 milers hit the one lap to go mark at 3:00, needing a sub-60 to break the mark once again. They did that and more with McNamara rolling a 56.5 to get his fourth win in 3:56.39. Legesse (3:57.24) and Soratos (3:57.39) trailed just behind. Those marks were the 20th, 21st and 22nd sub-4 miles in FOM history.

Despite a shaky forecast earlier in the day the rains went south and the weather ended up perfect for fast middle distance running. And that’s exactly what happened!

The Jr. High Invitational Girls race kicked off the track races with a meet record, 5:07.26, set by Jennifer Weaver of the Saint Louis Blazers Track Club. She just edged out Grace Ping who traveled to FOM all the way from Minnesota. Not to be outdone, Brandon Miller of the Ultimate Speed Academy Track Club shattered the FOM meet record for the Jr High Boys with his 4:32.66.

The Saint Louis Injury and Rehab Elite Development Miles were FAST with Grace Klausen (Mo) winning the girls race in 5:02 and Jonathan Davis (IL) stunning the field with a 4:11. Davis led five boys under 4:15 and Klausen led eight ladies under 5:12.

By this time it was clearly a fast night and the First Bank 800s kept the ball rolling. There are certain marks in high school running that have a big time meaning. Going sub 2:10 for 800 meters on the girls side is a huge deal and Larkin Chapman (IL) busted out a four-second PR to win the race in 2:09.90. With nine total ladies under 2:15 this event was clearly a meet highlight. And the boys race was just as memorable. Memphis University High School’s Carlton Orange ran the nations’ third leading time with his 1:50.45. Orange went wire-to-wire to lead six boys under 1:54.

Next up was the Big River Running Company High School Girls Championship Mile where Iowa’s Stephanie Jenks completed the hat trick, securing her third straight FOM win. Jenks’ 4:47 was just a tick off her own meet record. All told, seven ladies broke the five-minute barrier with Anna West (MO), Callie Logue (KS) and Lexi Reed (CO) going 2-3-4. The race was a microcosm of what FOM has become on a night in which 14 different states were represented at the high school level.

Then, if not for something very special that happened later, the UMB Bank Womens 800 meters would’ve stolen the show. Not one, but two ladies went under the old FOM record. LaTavia Thomas became the first FOMer to run under 2:01 (and win an extra $1,000 for our 2 flat bonus). Her 2:00.99 led three athletes under 2:02 with Oiselle’s Lauren Wallace running 2:01.13 and Shannnon Leinert going 2:01.62. The marks were personal bests for both Wallace and Leinert. And…as if all that wasn’t enough, high schooler Hannah Long (MO) finished fifth in 2:04.23– the number one time in the nation.

The Big River Running Company High School Boys Championship Section was the night’s penultimate event and the young men did a great job setting the table for the pros. A hard-charging Bryce Richards (IL) stunned the field with a mad dash to the finish that saw the 15th seed take the win in 4:09.47 over an incredibly deep group. All told, nine athletes broke 4:13 for the full mile and FOM cemented its position as one of the country’s top post-season HS miles.

And then there was the Saint Louis Track Club Elite Men’s Mile. The crowd was at a fever pitch as former FOM champs Jordan McNamara and Jack Bolas took to the track against top U.S. Marathoners Aaron Braun and Tyler Pennel, among others. Oh yeah…and high schooler Grant Fisher (MI) was in the field, trying to become the seventh U.S. high schooler to break four minutes in the mile. McNamara went with the early pace only to fall back to the pack after 1,000 meters. With 200 meters to go Fisher moved into second behind Pennel and it looked like the HS phenom might just win the whole thing. With 50 meters to go, McNamara came out of seemingly nowhere to pass both Fisher and Pennel for the win and then there was only one more thing to look at and that was the clock. And he did it! Grant Fisher ran 3:59.38 and did indeed break the four-minute-mile, becoming the third fastest American high schooler of all time.

The night was incredible. The fans and athletes had a great time. 2015 will go down as one of the best FOMs in history.

A record crowd of more than 2,000 watched the fastest edition yet of the Nike Festival of Miles. Temperatures in the 70s with little to no wind made for perfect racing conditions at Saint Louis University High School and the athletes did not disappoint.

The night’s premier event, the Saint Louis Track Club Men’s Mile, featured Jordan McNamara (Nike OTC Elite) who addressed the crowd before the race and asked them for their help as he was going after the meet record of 3:55.29.

“These guys all want to break four and I want to go 3:54,” McNamara said. “We’re going to need you to be going absolutely crazy the whole entire time to do it.”

The crowd obliged and so did McNamara, running a blistering last lap to finish in 3:54.27, ahead of Duncan Phillips (3:56.10) and Tommy Schmitz (3:56.45). Chris Gowell also broke four minutes in 3:58.90.

Just before the Men’s Mile the high school boys had already stunned the crowd with the deepest high school mile of the year. All told, seven boys broke 4:10, led by Glendale (MO) senior Spencer Haik who ran a US#2 4:05.98. At the bell (3:06), eight boys were still in contention with Thomas Pollard (IA) and Haik at the front. With 200 meters to go though, it was all Haik as the Columbia-bound miler laid down a 59.14 last lap to get the huge win.

Other stars on the night included Heather Kampf (Asics) who won here for the third straight year in the Speed Factory Athletics Women’s 800 with a new meet record, 2:01.48 over Lauren Wallace (Oiselle) and Erica Moore (Brooks). In the Athletics Sports Medicine High School Girls Mile it was defending champion Stephanie Jenks (IA) running a US #9 to win in 4:46.67. The mark bested her own meet record from 2013. Michael Wells (MO) won the boys 100 in a sizzling 10.52 while winners in the boys and girls 800 races were Daniel Chan (IA) in 1:53.17 and Hannah Long (MO) in 2:09.03.

Sponsors for the 2014 Festival of Miles include Big River Running Company, the Saint Louis Track Club, GO! St. Louis, Speed Factory Athletics, First Bank, UMB Bank, Athletics Sports Medicine, Saint Louis Injury and Rehab, EnviroPAK, Dr. Hydrate, Saint Louis University High School, Xerox, TRXC Timing and Drury Hotels.

The threat of thunderstorms had the athletes, fans and meet organizers worried as high winds and dark clouds rolled through Saint Louis on May 30, 2013. A ten minute downpour just as the GO! St. Louis Healthy Kids Mile ended gave way to a rainbow however, and the meet was underway!

Things got kicked off in style with Farmington’s Ryan Parson smashing the meet record in the Junior High Boy’s Mile with his 4:40.18.  On the girls’ side it was Jennifer Jenks who took the win, foreshadowing what her sister would do later on in the high school mile. After the middle schoolers left the track it was time for the FOM’s newest event, the Saint Louis Injury and Rehab 100 meter dashes.  With fields that included State Champions from both Missouri and Illinois the sprints were a huge hit…and they were fast! A’Ieasha Irvin-Muhammad from St. Elizabeth’s Academy won the girl’s title in 11.87 with Cleveland NJROTC’s Michael Wells blazing a 10.43 for the boy’s victory.

The fields for the evening’s other high school event, the MoMileSplit All Star Miles, were among the best of any post-season meet in the country. They lived up to their hype as well with three girls breaking the 4:50 barrier led by Iowa’s Stephanie Jenks who ran 4:47 to best Missouri superstars Hannah Long (4:48) and Taylor Werner (4:49).  The boy’s race was even more exciting, if that’s possible, with four boys finishing within four tenths of a second led by Glendale’s Spencer Haik in 4:12.23. Patrick Perrier (IL), Noah Kauppila (MO) and Alex Riba (IL) followed him across the line with nine boys breaking 4:20.

The Speed Factory Athletics helped make the case that the Women’s 800 is one of the most exciting events in track and field today with three ladies besting the previous meet record led by defending champ Heather Kampf in 2:01.96. She was able to pass hometown favorite Shannon Leinert in the last 50 meters with Shannon coming across in 2:02.14, just ahead of Canadian Olympian Jessica Smith in 2:02.22.

The rain returned in the form of a light drizzle just before the start of the Saint Louis Track Club Elite Men’s Mile but it didn’t seem to bother the competitors or the crows, all 1200 of them. The deepest field in meet history produced one of the tightest races in meet history with three runners breaking the four minute barrier and eight men under 4:03.  In the end it was New Balance’s Craig Miller who had the best kick, avenging his runner-up finish from 2012. He edged Daniel Clark, who notched his first ever sub 4 (3:59.45) and Mexican record holder Pablo Solares (3:59.49).

Proceeds for the 2013 event went to local runner and young father Brad Eastman who had recently underwent surgery to remove a cancerous baseball-sized tumor in his brain. Brad, his wife Sarah, and their daughter were able to attend the meet and thank the crowd for their support. Brad even helped hand out ribbons to the Kids Mile participants! All told the event raised $6,000 for the Eastmans.

The Saint Louis University High School stands were once again packed for the 2012 Festival of Miles presented by Under Armour. The fifth edition of the event brought its deepest fields ever as the event saw record numbers in the GO! St. Louis Healthy Kids Mile and meet records in the Yurbuds Masters Men’s Mile and the SLIR Corporate Relay.

The MoMileSplit High School All Star Miles, in only their second year, quickly became a “must-run” for all of Missouri’s top milers and even attracted top athletes from Illinois and Arkansas. MICDS star Amos Bartelsmeyer won the boy’s race in 4:11 and Eureka freshman Hannah Long notched another FOM win in the girl’s mile in 4:56. Long had previously won two Junior High titles.

The AppWorldSolutions Women’s 800 saw Team USA Minnesota’s Heather Kampf tie the meet record of 2:03.09 and hold off local favorite Shannon Leinert from Big River Running Company. Kampf also won the “Battle of the Sexes” $1,000 Bonus which went to either the men’s mile winner or the women’s 800 winner, depending on who had the superior time according to IAAF scoring tables.

The Saint Louis Track Club Elite Men’s Mile was run under unusually cool, misty and windy conditions with temps dropping into the 50s by night’s end. Still, the stellar field was able to produce yet another sub 4, the ninth all-time at FOM, when New Balance’s Jack Bolas kicked home ahead of teammate Craig Miller to win in 3:59.75.

Proceeds from the evening went to local runner Chris Lister who had been badly injured while running a road race in early January. The event raised $6,000 for the Lister family.

More than 1,200 enthusiastic spectators, participants and track fans gathered at St. Louis University High School for the fourth annual Big River Festival of Miles presented by Under Armour on Wednesday, June 1. Things kicked off with more than 100 first to eighth graders running the GO! St. Louis Kids Mile, providing an awesome start to the evening.

The featured event, the Saint Louis Track Club Elite Men’s Mile, dazzled the crowd with three competitors breaking the four-minute barrier. Jordan McNamara, Oregon Track Club, took home the win with a time of 3:57.84. John Jefferson, Brooks Team Indiana Elite, barely edged out McNamara’s OTC teammate and hometown favorite, Stephen Pifer for second place with a time of 3:58.54. Pifer, who raced in front of his hometown (Edwardsville) crowd for the first time as a professional ran a 3:58.55.

Team USA Minnesota teammates Gabriele Anderson and Heather Kampf battled down the home stretch of the AppWorldSolutions Elite Women’s 800 with Anderson coming out on top with a time of 2:03.09.

One huge highlight of the evening came during the boys Juice Plus High School Boys All-Star Mile when Daniel Everett of Westminster Academy ran a blazing fast 4:07.68, one of the fastest times in the nation in 2011. Colleen Quigley of Nerinx Hall led the girls field with a winning time of 4:52.83.

St. Louis University High alum and world-renowned road racing/track announcer Toni Reavis entertained the crowd throughout the night and more than $6,000 was raised for the Rathmann family.

The success of the 2009 event propelled the Festival of Miles to a whole new level in 2010. Under Armour stepped up as the presenting sponsor and Flotrack brought its number one track reporter, Ryan Fenton, to cover FOM for the whole nation to watch. The new event on the FOM schedule, a special kids one mile race for all-comers (not just the speedsters) was a big hit. The race started and finished on the track with the kids running out onto the school campus for the middle of the race.

Other highlights early in the night included meet records in both junior high races with John Esswein running 4:47 for the boys and defending champ Hannah Long running 5:09 for the girls. Adam Hylan broke the masters mens mark as well, running 4:45.

The women’s mile featured Missouri High School star Emily Sisson who was coming off a top 20 finish at the IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships earlier in the spring. Sisson wowed the crowd with a 4:48 mile to win going away from the field of collegiate and post-collegiate athletes. Later that summer Sisson set the US High School Record for 5,000 meters, running 15:48 at the IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships.

The Saint Louis Track Club Men’s Elite Mile capped off the evening once again and the athletes gave the crowd the closest race in meet history. Former University of Arkansas star Andy McClary battled Saucony’s Tommy Schmitz all the way to the line with McClary holding on for the win in 3:58.16 to Schmitz’ 3:58.40.

Just two months after the inaugural Festival of Miles tragedy once again struck the Saint Louis track and field community when Mike Rathmann, an All-State high jumper from Saint Louis University High School was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident while on vacation. To make matters worse his mother was going through chemotherapy treatment for her own battle with cancer. It was an easy decision to hold the event again in 2009 and to raise money for the Rathmann family this time. The 2009 Festival of Miles really brought the event to a whole new level. We added two crowd-pleasing events; the 10-and-under 100 meter dash and the celebrity 100 meter dash where local sports and media celebs battled it out for the unofficial title of “St. Louis’ fastest celebrity.”

We held the event on a Saturday evening in late May to avoid the cold weather and we brought in an absolute first-class field of elites that included sub 4 milers Derek Scott, Jordan Fife, Dan Strackeljahn, Tommy Schmitz and Olympian Leo Manzano. The event was a huge success with more than 1,000 spectators filling the bleachers and the backstretch of the track. Leo gave them what they came to see with a 3:55.29 mile, the third fastest time in the world at the time as well as the fastest time ever run in Missouri, indoors or out. The event was covered by Flotrack, once again made the Letsrun.com front page and was covered pre and post-race by the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch. We raised $5,000 for Mike’s family.

The Festival of Miles began in 2008 as a way to raise money for the family of Brigette Schutzman, a standout cross country and track runner for Saint Louis University who had been badly injured in a car accident on New Year’s Eve 2007. Brigette spent several weeks in a coma and doctors gave her a pretty slim chance of recovery but slowly that spring she began to make progress. We held the event in April of 2008 on a Monday evening after a junior varsity track meet at Saint Louis University High School.

The highlight of the evening was to be an attempt at a sub four minute mile; it would have been the first outdoor sub 4 in Missouri since the 1960s. We preceded the marquee event with a moving tribute to Brigette, who was able to attend the event; her first trip since the accident. She actually walked a few steps for the crowd to a standing ovation. There were four races before the mens elite mile; a junior high boys and junior high girls mile, a masters mile and an open womens mile. The sub 4 attempt drew a very solid field but with temps in the 40s and lots of wind they fell short with Mizzou grad and Olympic Trials Qualifier Neville Miller running 4:08 for the win. The event received a ton of media attention in Saint Louis, including a full page article and photo in the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch. It also made the front page of letsrun.com. Most importantly it raised $8,000 for the Schutzman family in their time of need.