ServiceNow West Chester Mile

by Jarrett Felix

Details here: http://www.runccrs.com/event/west-chester-mile/

The mile. Something about this distance is magical. Perhaps it’s because it’s the first event most runners have ever contested. Perhaps it’s because it’s the first event most non-runners ask how fast you contested it. But, for me personally as a United States male, it’s not just the idea of a mile. It’s the idea of a four minute mile. Essentially sixty seconds a lap for four laps. I will never forget the first sub 4 mile I ever witnessed in person. It’s a truly incredible and inspiring event.

Just a year ago, I watched seven runners break four minutes in the mile on an outdoor track on Long Island. It was a local meet that had a strong backing from Hoka One One and Kyle Merber. My friends and I had the opportunity to stand on the track, right next to the athletes and even had the chance to converse with the rabbits as they dropped out right in front of our eyes. I touched on the race with an article on the blog last September.

Almost exactly a month before, the blog’s Paul Hayes had attended a similar event at PA’s own West Chester Henderson High School. Paul recapped his own experience with a piece on the site as well. In this event, three runners broke 4 minutes in the mile, including the champion Jack Bolas of the NJ-NY Track Club. If you read his piece, his sentiments mirror my own. And both of us agree events like this are amazing for the fans: both new and old.

So it only makes sense that when we caught wind of the upcoming 2016 edition of the ServiceNow West Chester Mile, we would be chomping at the bit to spread the word; especially when you consider the potential for this field to make history. As discussed on pa milesplit, this event is setting up to be one of the deepest miles on PA soil in our state’s history.

The projected field for this year’s race will include former NCAA 1500m champions Mac Fleet and Chad Noelle, formerly of the University of Oregon and Oklahoma State respectively. Fleet is also a former indoor mile school record holder at the U of O. He broke Galen Rupp’s school record indoors as just a freshman. PA fans may also remember Mac from the Penn Relays where he won 2 wheels in 2010 (and also ran 1:47 800 leg on Oregon’s runner-up 4x800m relay).

Noelle qualified for the Olympic Trials this year in the 1500 and is now a member of Furman Elite. He boasts a fantastic kick and excellent top end speed, having run some extremely impressive 1200m legs during his final NCAA season this winter.

Also headlining the field is Kyle Merber, the aforementioned create of the Long Island mile I attended last year. Kyle has made the past two US finals in the 1500 and should only see his fitness improve heading into August as he continues to get healthy. Merber holds a PR in the 1500 of 3:34.54 and was a member of the world record setting DMR at last year’s world championships.

The sleepers for a win in this field are likely Colby Alexander and Johnny Gregorek. Both former Oregon runners have excelled this season, qualifying for the final at the Olympic Trials. Alexander has run 3:36 this year and has had an incredibly consistent post-collegiate campaign. It will be interesting to see if he can catch a ride and pop a big PR. Gregorek showed one of the best kicks in the Olympic Trials finals, sprinting away from an elite group of runners in the last 400 meters and finishing 6^th.

You can read an excellent breakdown of the entire field on runccrs.com.

But this event isn’t just about the elite men. The meet directors have gone after some of the best women in the world to take a stab at filling the result sheet with sub 4:30 milers. The 4:30 mark may be the closest equivalent to the 4 minute mile for woman and it’s an incredibly difficult club to join. However, a field that includes defending champ Rachel Schneider battles steeplechase stand out Ashley Higginson, former Olympian Erin Donahue and Nova legends Steph Schappert and Emily Lipari might get the job done.

But wait there’s more. As much as this event is about the elites, it’s just as much about the fans. Not only will spectators have the unique opportunity to flood the track and get an up close and personal view of our nation’s best middle distance runners, but they will also have the chance to compete! The Citizen’s Mile section presents an opportunity for local runners of all abilities to come out and compete in a rare open competition. How often do you get the chance to compete on the same track in the same meet as the elite?

So check out the full details online and reserve a spot on your calendar for August 11^th from 6:30 to 9 at Henderson’s track. Whether you are trying to witness a sub 4 or run your own sub 6, this is the event for you.

In case you missed it, details here: http://www.runccrs.com/event/west-chester-mile/