The Wellington Mile - Race Report
BrianSharpe
Posts: 9,248 Member
Canada went metric back in the '70s but today saw that classic distance - The Mile - revived with the 1st annual Wellington Mile.
The race was the brainchild of Ottawa Triathlon Club head coach Geordie McConnell, his reasons for bringing back the mile were:
1. A chance for our club to give underprivileged kids in our community an experience of a lifetime.
2. Five km is too long an event to act as an entry point into the running world. 1609m is much more attainable and welcoming.
3. To celebrate the history of what is the running world's classic distance.
4. To challenge all runners to set and achieve goals and break through their own barriers. Can you run a mile in 10 minutes, 9, 8, 7, 6?
5. To be inspired by some of Canada's fastest runners and see them stir the dreams of our youth.
Having never run a 1 mile race I had no idea what to expect and my plan was simple......run as fast a I could until I either reached the finish line or collapsed - whichever came first.
The race was run in heats with a bunch of us from the OTC starting at 8:30. The weather was overcast and cool - perfect for running. Each heat was assigned a leader who took the groups through a good warm up and helped organize the starting line so the faster runners didn't bowl over the slower - my heat included participants from Won for One, a group that works with visually impaired athletes, I am always in awe of those who find ways to overcome adversity.
I found my stride really quickly after the gun (well, for this one cymbals) went and felt surprisingly good considering I'd been in a duathlon on Saturday. Closing in on the finish line I caught a glimpse of another runner challenging me and thought "not today buddy" and surprised myself by stepping on the gas, I haven't seen the photos yet but I'm pretty sure we finished shoulder to shoulder. My unofficial time was 7:23.78
I had to go home for a big family Thanksgiving breakfast so I didn't get to watch the elites.....
While The Mile may not be considered a long distance race it's a nice change, I'll be registering again next year!
If you're in the Ottawa area and are thinking about it for next year you can find more information at themile.ca
The race was the brainchild of Ottawa Triathlon Club head coach Geordie McConnell, his reasons for bringing back the mile were:
1. A chance for our club to give underprivileged kids in our community an experience of a lifetime.
2. Five km is too long an event to act as an entry point into the running world. 1609m is much more attainable and welcoming.
3. To celebrate the history of what is the running world's classic distance.
4. To challenge all runners to set and achieve goals and break through their own barriers. Can you run a mile in 10 minutes, 9, 8, 7, 6?
5. To be inspired by some of Canada's fastest runners and see them stir the dreams of our youth.
Having never run a 1 mile race I had no idea what to expect and my plan was simple......run as fast a I could until I either reached the finish line or collapsed - whichever came first.
The race was run in heats with a bunch of us from the OTC starting at 8:30. The weather was overcast and cool - perfect for running. Each heat was assigned a leader who took the groups through a good warm up and helped organize the starting line so the faster runners didn't bowl over the slower - my heat included participants from Won for One, a group that works with visually impaired athletes, I am always in awe of those who find ways to overcome adversity.
I found my stride really quickly after the gun (well, for this one cymbals) went and felt surprisingly good considering I'd been in a duathlon on Saturday. Closing in on the finish line I caught a glimpse of another runner challenging me and thought "not today buddy" and surprised myself by stepping on the gas, I haven't seen the photos yet but I'm pretty sure we finished shoulder to shoulder. My unofficial time was 7:23.78
I had to go home for a big family Thanksgiving breakfast so I didn't get to watch the elites.....
While The Mile may not be considered a long distance race it's a nice change, I'll be registering again next year!
If you're in the Ottawa area and are thinking about it for next year you can find more information at themile.ca
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Replies
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Great time! I hope you're enjoying Thanksgiving!0
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I love racing the mile. It may be my favorite distance.0
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Sounds fun :-).
I'd probably pace myself horribly in a mile race and slow to a crawl 1/4 into it!0 -
I could totally get into something like this0
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sounds fun0
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I love racing the mile. It may be my favorite distance.
It's easy to see why, that may have been the most fun I've had all season (and I've had a pretty good time this year!)0 -
We have seen a bit of a return in the UK to the mile as a race distance, this is the headline UK race which finishes outside Buckingham palace:
http://www.bupawestminstermile.co.uk/
I've not done a mile event but keep thinking about it so any insight into pacing strategy would be great.0 -
Sounds like a blast!0
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I love racing the mile. It may be my favorite distance.
Mine too! Can't wait for the one year anniversary of my first one mile race this January!0
