December 23, 2013
But most of all, for the first time as a professional I feel like I achieved the goal I had set out to accomplish without any possibility of a better result.
From Macklin Chaffee's blog
Another race I wish I had written about immediately afterward, but never had the opportunity to do so, was the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile in Pittsburgh last August. Fortunately, I have much stronger memories of this event than of most I’ve run.
I went into this race pretty pumped with my fitness level, specifically my raw speed (not many times have I been able to crack 25 in the 200m, but I was cruising multiple reps as a precursor to this event). The competition was going to be stiff, but my strategy was simple. Whereas in Charlevoix I was trying to blow out my tubes, and in Michigan I was shooting for time goals, here it was all about that finish line. Who was first and who wasn’t. (Somehow, that perfectly innocent line, while appropriate if I didn’t win, seems to take on an arrogant and egotistical twist in light of the result. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I hope to have this problem more frequently in the future). The truly interesting note, for me, is that I swear I felt the same way going into USAs, tuned up and confident. Fortunately, the weather this time around was more to my liking, 60s and cloudy. And I continue to wonder if the weather truly makes that much of a difference for me. It’s something that’s definitely worth taking note of in preparation for future championships.
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Highlights of national promotional tour of iconic distance include thrilling races and numerous meet, U.S. Junior, NCAA, course and State records; $120,000 awarded to top Milers
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – (September 12, 2013) – The inaugural Bring Back the Mile Tour 2013, showcasing 14 events nationwide, produced exciting Mile racing throughout the year including the Tour finale at the Minnesota Mile on Sunday, September 8 where Americans Ben Blankenship and Gabriele Anderson shattered course records, clocking 3 minutes, 52.7 seconds and 4:21.3, respectively, and running the fastest Miles ever in Minnesota. Bring Back the Mile (BBTM), launched in January 2012, is a national campaign to elevate and celebrate the iconic distance.
“The first Bring Back the Mile Tour exceeded our expectations, with numerous thrilling Tour event finishes and record or near record number of participants for virtually every Tour event as well as many national, NCAA, state and event records were set,” BBTM Founder Ryan Lamppa said. “The Tour events, which awarded $120,000 in prize money, and the top Milers inspired, engaged and entertained runners of all ages and abilities, the media, fans and the general public, and we look forward to bringing back the Tour in 2014 to create more Mile magic.”
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August 9, 2013
Olympian Lewy Boulet and local Berra win USA Masters titles; event record 1,200-plus participants; 11th stop on the inaugural BBTM Tour 2013
By David Monico, The Mile wire
PITTSBURGH – (August 9, 2013) – A near perfect Friday evening in downtown Pittsburgh for the 2nd GNC Live Well Liberty Mile welcomed a superb professional Mile field as well as athletes from across the United States competing in the USA Masters 1 Mile Road Championships. When the dust settled from the Mile thoroughbreds it was Heather Kampf (MN) who defended her title in an event record 4 minutes 32 seconds, while Macklin Chaffee (CO) was a surprise winner, clocking 4:01 in the Men’s race and edging race favorite Jordan McNamara. In the Masters races (40 and older), Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 40, CA and Nick Berra, 44, PA, ran away from the fields in 4:50 and 4:28 respectively.
At 7:50pm, the professional women took to the downtown streets where Kampf, 26, was the clear pre-race favorite with her nose for the finish line that has given her the nickname, “Queen of the Road Miles”. However, she would be challenged by 2012 Olympian Geena Gall (OR) and 3000m USA Indoor champion Chelsea Reilly (CA).
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August 8, 2013
Jordan McNamara headlines men's field; downtown road race 11th stop on inaugural Bring Back the Mile Tour
By Karen Price, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Heather Kampf was passing the leader approaching the final lap of the 600 meter dash at the Big Ten Indoor Track Championship. Then she was flat on her belly.
But as quickly as it happened, Kampf was back up and running.
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August 8, 2013
Jordan McNamara is the 18th-fastest American of all-time at 1500 meters.
By Jesse Squire, The Daily Relay
On Friday night, the eve of the World Championships, the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile will be run in the streets of downtown Pittsburgh. The race is in its second year and is part of the inaugural Bring Back the Mile Tour.
This race is part of a broader movement towards road Mile races and other stand-alone Mile competitions. This movement may do more for the professional, spectator-oriented end of track and field as a whole than we might now realize.
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August 7, 2013
"It truly is America's premiere distance race."; GNC Live Well Liberty Mile draws top professional and Masters (40 and older) runners for Friday evening event
By Nick Veronica, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In the world of corporate 5Ks, half-marathons, fulls and ultras, one group is attempting to revitalize a neglected distance in the running community: the classic one-Mile race.
Made famous by Roger Bannister's first sub-4-minute Mile in 1954 and perpetuated by grade school physical education classes, the Mile represents an easily recognizable and relatable -- if cantankerously American -- unit of distance.
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August 6, 2013
Kampf faces formidable competition from 2012 Olympian Geena Gall and USA 3000m Indoor champion Chelsea Reilly; 11th stop on the inaugural Bring Back the Mile Tour
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – With a solid summer race season, defending women’s champion Heather Kampf is looking for another win at the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile. Kampf, 26, recently won and set the course record at the Ryan Shay Mile with a time of 4 minutes, 30.9 seconds. Earlier this summer, she also set a 1500 meter personal record at the Memorial Leon Buyle in Oordegem, Belgium, clocking 4:08.37.
“I'm looking forward to coming back to the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile,” Kampf said. “I've been having my best season of running. It would be a dream come true to defend the title and maybe even lower the women's record a little bit, though I always prepare for it to be a tough battle.”
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August 1, 2013
Olympic marathoner Magdalena Lewy Boulet celebrates 40th birthday by competing in first Masters national championship at GNC Live Well Liberty Mile
PITTSBURGH – Olympic marathoner Magdalena Lewy Boulet will celebrate her 40th birthday by debuting in her first Masters national championship at the USA Masters 1 Mile Road Championship. Along with her, several American and World 40-and-older record holders will compete for a Masters Championship prize purse of $8800 at the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile on Friday evening, Aug. 9 in downtown Pittsburgh.
Lewy Boulet, who turns 40 a day before the race, and competitor Sonja Friend-Uhl, 42, of Brentwood, Tenn., have their eyes on breaking the American women’s Masters road Mile record of 4 minutes, 47 seconds set at last year’s event by Friend-Uhl , who is also the U.S. Masters 1500 record holder. She is already a 2013 three-time USA Masters champion, winning the 1500 meter, 800 meter and 4x400 meter relay titles.
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July 25, 2013
Top contender Jordan McNamara to face formidable men’s field in Pittsburgh; $31,000-plus prize purse with $4000 for race champion; 11th stop on the inaugural Bring Back the Mile Tour
PITTSBURGH – A prize purse of more than $31,000 has attracted some of the country’s top Milers to Pittsburgh on Friday, Aug. 9 for the 2nd GNC Live Well Liberty Mile. At least nine sub-4 minute Milers will compete for the $4000 champion’s prize in this unique, nighttime 1 Mile road race.
Jordan McNamara returns to the race after finishing a close second in the inaugural edition to Craig Miller. After a successful summer on the European track circuit and setting a 1500 meter personal record of 3:34.00, McNamara, 26, is ready to improve his time and go for the win here.
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July 22, 2013
McNamara using social media to connect with youth as Honorary Coach of the Summer Dreamers Academy
PITTSBURGH - As Jordan McNamara sets new personal records and impresses fans in European races this summer, he shares his excitement through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He will use these same social media channels to inspire young runners in Pittsburgh, Pa. who are training for the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile on Friday, August 9.
Last year’s runner-up in 3 minutes, 59.1 seconds, McNamara, 26, will serve as the honorary coach for the Summer Dreamers Academy, a Pittsburgh Public Schools program that includes a youth summer running component. Nearly 180 elementary and middle school students in the program will receive coaching, training plans and running gear. As McNamara travels throughout Europe, he will send instructional and motivational videos to the students who will complete a 5-week training program.
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June 11, 2013
Highlights of national promotional tour of iconic distance include meet, U.S. Junior, NCAA, course and State records; Footloose Freedom Mile on Thursday, July 4 next stop
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – (June 11, 2013) – The inaugural Bring Back the Mile Tour 2013, which features 14 events nationwide and one end-of-the-year gala, has reached the halfway point with plenty of highlights and Mile action. Bring Back the Mile (BBTM), launched in January 2012, is a national campaign to elevate and celebrate the iconic distance.
“To-date, the Bring Back the Mile Tour has generated some thrilling racing and also produced numerous Mile records in several categories,” said BBTM Founder Ryan Lamppa. “Without a doubt, the Tour events have engaged and entertained runners of all ages and abilities, the media, fans and the general public, and we look forward to the second half of the BBTM Tour 2013 and more Mile excitement.”
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May 21, 2013
Pittsburgh will host America’s best 40 and older Milers on Friday, August 9; Masters prize purse exceeds $8000
PITTSBURGH – (May 21, 2013) – The City of Champions is adding one more to its list – the 2013 USA Masters 1 Mile Road Championship to be contested at the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile on Friday, August 9. The Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. is looking forward to hosting the nation’s top 40 and older runners as they take to the streets of downtown Pittsburgh. This is the first time since 1989 that the USA Masters 1 Mile Road Championship has been held.
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August 18, 2012
By Karen Price, Trib Live
The inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile was billed as a race for everyone, a one-Mile run through the heart of the city Friday night that was open to ages 5 through 100.
Until recently, however, Christina Schuliger, 19, could only dream of being included among the mong the estimated 1,200 to 1,500 participants. The North Allegheny High School graduate underwent surgery in October 2010 to remove a brain tumor and part of her cerebellum and, for a while, she couldn’t even walk. Doctors said she’d never run again.
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August 17, 2012
Inaugural event in Pittsburgh brings out fast times, three sub-4 minutes Miles and post-race festivities in Market Square
By David Monico, The Mile wire
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – With rain and thunder threatening to slow down the inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile, sunshine and a windless evening welcomed the those tackling Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. Craig "Rowdy" Miller and Heather Kampf, both the reigning U.S. road Mile champions, claimed the professional titles and a $4000 cash prize to kick-off Friday night festivities in the Steel City.
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Results: Liberty Mile - Friday, August 17, 2012
|
MEN |
1) Craig Miller (TX), 3:58.4, $4000
2) Jordan McNamara (OR), 3:59.1, $2500
3) Jeff See (OH), 3:59.8, $1500
4) Christian Hesch (CA), 4:00.1, $800
5) AJ Acosta (CA), 4:00.9, $500
6) Donald Cowart (VA), 4:01.4, $325
7) Cory Leslie (OH), 4:02.4, $150
8) Abiyot Endale (ETH / NY), 4:02.8, $100
9) Daniel Clark (MI), 4:07.5, $75 |
|
WOMEN |
1) Heather Kampf (MN), 4:35.8, $4000
2) Gabriele Anderson (MN), 4:36.3, $2500
3) Sarah Bowman (TN), 4:36.6, $1500
4) Kellyn Johnson (AZ), 4:39.8, $800
5) Karly Hamric (WV), 4:41.3, $500
6) Chemtai Rionotukae (KEN), 4:43.4, $325
7) Stephanie Charnigo (OH), 4:46.1, $150
8) Jamie Cheever (MN), 4:46.8, $100
9) Karaleigh Millhouse (PA), 4:49.3, $75 |
August 17, 2012
Organized by the Pittsburgh Marathon, the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile is a road race designed for runners of all ages and ability levels.
By Sam Werner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
For the past four years, the Pittsburgh Marathon has given runners a chance to face the challenge of tackling 26.2 or 13.1 miles. Tonight, there will be a shorter challenge.
Between 1,200 and 1,500 runners will race down Liberty Avenue, taking part in the inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile.
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August 16, 2012
By Rita Michel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Getting the runners to the starting line in the spring of 2009 was a monumental task.
"It was all-encompassing," said Dee Stathis, who remembered the team joking about "our 60-hour part-time jobs. We had less than a year to put it together," Mrs. Stathis recalled. The reward was more than 10,000 runners entering the race the first year it was back.
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August 8, 2012
2012 USA 1 Mile road champions Miller, Kampf headline; $25,000 prize purse with $4000 for each Open race champion
PITTSBURGH – Runners in inaugural races have no race records to break or past champions to beat. At the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile on Friday, August 17, top American milers, known for chasing big dreams one mile at a time, are guaranteed to make history in Pittsburgh in the country’s newest Mile race.
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July 26, 2012
By Bring Back the Mie
PITTSBURGH - We sat down with Patrice Matamoros, Race Director for the inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile, a Bring Back the Mile Featured Event Partner. A passionate Steel City resident and road race promoter extraordinaire, she discusses the road to launching the Liberty Mile, the uniquness of the distance, supporting professional athletes and challenging anyone and everyone to run fast. Patrice has served as the race director of the Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon since 2008, successfully re-launching it after a 5 year hiatus.
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June 11, 2012
By Katie Zak, Essential Public Radio
PITTSBURGH, Pa . - The Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon is partnering with a health and nutrition company to host the first GNC Liberty Mile run. It is expected to be the third largest competitive one-Mile road race in the United States.
The event will take place on August 17 and will begin at 7:00pm on Liberty Ave. Runners will line up on 17th Street in the Strip District and cross the finish line on 6th Street downtown. The male and female runners who come in first will each take home $4000.
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June 6, 2012
$25,000 prize purse with $4000 for each Open race champion; part of Bring Back the Mile national campaign
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – GNC Holdings, Inc., the nation's largest specialty retailer of health, wellness and sports nutrition products, is proud to partner with Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. to host the inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile. The race is expected to be the third largest competitive, one-mile road race in the U.S., where world class milers will compete for a $25,000 prize purse with both the male and female winners taking home $4000 each.
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