The Virtual Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield will take place from Saturday, April 17 to Friday, April 30, 2021.
The 2021 USA 1 Mile Road Championship will be contested on Wednesday, April 21 in conjunction with the 111th Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom. The USA Championship prize purse available totals $15,000 and goes 10 deep ($3000, $1500, $750, $600, $500, $400, $300, $200, $150 and $100). Like last year, the pro athletes will race on a point-to-point course, starting on Drake's Painted Street and finishing on Jim Duncan Track inside Drake Stadium. Entrant lists HERE.
The Grand Blue Mile is the Midwest’s premier community street run for all ages and abilities, and with 7 heats and 3,000-plus finishers, the event is the third largest timed, competitive U.S. road Mile. Held annually in Des Moines, Iowa, since 2010, the Grand Blue Mile has hosted more than 40,000 participants from 38 states, 7 countries and 5 continents. Among those participants: Olympic medalists, American record holders, national champions and many of the world’s finest track & field athletes.
The Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Drake Relays partnership event has also been recognized as one of America’s top Mile 
races by Shape Magazine and featured across track & field media. The long U-shaped road course, run in downtown Des Moines, is USATF-certified.
For the fourth straight year and thru 2023, the Grand Blue Mile will host the prestigious USA 1 Mile Road Championships after previously hosting the national championships in 2013-14.
EVENT / COURSE RECORDS
3:59.96 Clayton Murphy (OH), 2017
4:29.7 Nikki Hiltz (CA), 2019
2021 USA Road Champions
Eric Avila (CA), 3:59.0, first national title
Rachel Schneider (AZ), 4:30.3, first national title
Elite athlete contact, Blake Boldon, Drake Relays Director: blake.boldon@drake.edu
First time national titlists pocket $3000 each in Des Moines; $15,000 overall awarded to the top 10
From Drake Relays
DES MOINES, Iowa — In exciting races, rising stars Eric Avila and Rachel Schneider captured the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships presented by Toyota Wednesday night on the...
Read More comments
The USA Championship prize purse totals $15,000 and goes 10 deep with $3000 to each national champion
From USATF
DES MOINES, Iowa – USATF champions, World Championship qualifiers and an Olympic medalist headline Wednesday’s fields at the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships presented by Toyota...
Read More comments
This year, our ability to successfully execute the Drake Relays, the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships again and also the Virtual Grand Blue Mile with a standing LOC ready to host is deeply embedded in our culture.
By Bring Back the Mile
We recently had a chat with Blake Boldon, Franklin P....
Read More comments
Prakel, Lipari to defend titles in Des Moines on Wednesday, April 21; $15,000 prize purse available
From Drake Relays
Once again, Des Moines will host the USA Track & Field (USATF) 1 Mile Road Championships presented by Toyota, with some of the world's most elite runners competing for a...
Read More comments
Complete Your Race - Your Pace - Your Place between April 17 and 25, 2021; an entry fee of just $10 includes bib and GBM event shirt
From Grand Blue Mile
Registration has opened for the 2021 Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark® Blue Cross® and Blue Shield®. Officials from Wellmark and the...
Read More comments
Three men go sub-4; Lipari sets national championship record
Report from USATF
DES MOINES, Iowa – At a rare 2020 USA Championship, thanks to the Drake Blue Oval Showcase presented by Mediacom, Sam Prakel and Emily Lipari won USATF 1 Mile Road Championship crowns, clocking 3 minutes, 58.3...
Read More comments
Drake Blue Oval Showcase presented by Mediacom hosts title tilt with stadium finish; $10,000 prize purse
From Drake Relays
Despite a four-month postponement, Des Moines will reprise its role as the host of the USA Track & Field 1 Mile Road Championship when the nation's best Milers compete...
Read More comments
Past national champions Hurt, Masters, Lipari & Kampf commit to 2020 race on Tuesday evening, April 21; $30,000 prize purse available
From Grand Blue Mile
DES MOINES, Iowa - Grand Blue Mile officials from Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Drake Relays have announced the USA Track &...
Read More comments
Longstanding indoor and outdoor Mile world records broken; Herrera & Kampf BBTM Grand Prix Tour champions and more BBTM Effect!
By Ryan Lamppa, Bring Back the Mile
The Bring Back the Mile campaign was launched in January 2012 to elevate & celebrate the storied distance, and over the past 8...
Read More comments
Four Mile maniacs also win Tour presenting sponsor Running Warehouse $50 gift cards and BBTM swag
Bring Back the Mile, the campaign to elevate & celebrate the iconic distance, has announced the BBTM Grand Prix Tour 2019 two "Best Moments" winners per gender. Click on the athlete name below for...
Read More comments
6th edition presented by Running Warehouse featured 5 stops awarding more than $110,000 plus a $10,000 GP purse
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – At the BBTM Grand Prix Tour 2019 finale, The Navy Mile, on a cloudy Sunday morning in Washington, DC, Daniel Herrera, 26, from New Orleans, LA, won the men’s...
Read More comments
At Grand Blue Mile, event and championship record for Hiltz, men's photo finish; $27,500 prize purse awarded; also first stop on BBTM Grand Prix Tour presented by Running Warehouse
Contributed by Scott Bush, USATF, and Drake Athletic Communications
DES MOINES, Iowa – Deep fields led to...
Read More comments
Event again hosts USA 1 Mile Road Championships as well as BBTM Grand Prix Tour opener; Drake Relays event director Blake Boldon discusses its 10th anniversary, marketing innovations, elite fields, his pups and more!
By Bring Back the Mile
The USATF 1 Mile Road Championships return to...
Read More comments
10th edition, first stop on the BBTM Grand Prix Tour 2019, offers $25,000 Open purse with $5000 for each national champion
Grand Blue Mile race officials have announced preliminary fields for the 2019 USATF 1 Mile Road Championships set for Tuesday, April 23, in downtown Des Moines. A world...
Read More comments
6th Tour edition presented by Running Warehouse showcases 5 leading U.S. Mile races and top Mile athletes; total Tour prize purse exceeds $110,000
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Bring Back the Mile, the national campaign to elevate & celebrate the iconic distance, has announced the 6th edition of its...
Read More comments
Defending champions Riley Masters, Emily Lipari headline 10th event edition in Des Moines; $30,000 overall prize purse to be awarded
Grand Blue Mile (GBM) officials from Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Drake Relays announced the national Mile road championships will be returning in 2019...
Read More comments
Record annual prize money awarded exceeds $650,000; Herrera & Lipari BBTM Grand Prix Tour champions, greatest women’s Mile ever, BBTM Effect continues and more!
By Ryan Lamppa, Bring Back the Mile
Bring Back the Mile, since its first year in 2012, has compiled an annual highlight summary of...
Read More comments
Grand prix tour with 6 stops awarded more than $125,000 plus $10,000 #Tour2018 GP purse; Eric Avila & Shannon Osika earn Tour Performance-of-the-Year bonus; fifth edition also featured Running Warehouse’s “Pick-the-Winner” online contest at every stop
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – (September 30,...
Read More comments
5th Tour edition features 6 stops offering a guaranteed Tour prize purse of $135,000; Running Warehouse’s fan engagement online contest at each Tour event
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Bring Back the Mile, the national campaign to elevate & celebrate the iconic distance, has announced that the Ed...
Read More comments
9th event edition awards $25,000 national championship purse; first stop on the BBTM Grand Prix #Tour2018
From Drake Relays
DES MOINES, Iowa – In down-to-the-wire exciting finishes, Riley Masters and Emily Lipari bested their respective fields to win the 9th Grand Blue Mile, the USATF 1 Mile...
Read More comments
Event again hosts USA 1 Mile Road Championships as well as BBTM Grand Prix #Tour2018 opener; Drake Relays event director Blake Boldon discusses 2018 fields, shares what's new for this year and more!
By Bring Back the Mile
The USATF 1 Mile Road Championship returns to Des Moines for the second...
Read More comments
Katie Mackey to defend women’s national title; $25,000 guaranteed national championship purse with $5000 for each national champion; also the Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix #Tour2018 season opener
From Grand Blue Mile
DES MOINES, Iowa - Grand Blue Mile race officials have announced the fields...
Read More comments
5th Tour edition with 5 stops offers total Tour prize purse of more than $110,000; Grand Blue Mile opens 2018 racing season on Tuesday, April 24 in Des Moines; Running Warehouse’s fan engagement online contest again tied to each Tour event
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Bring Back the Mile, the...
Read More comments
Record prize money awarded exceeds $500,000, Blankenship & Lipari win BBTM Grand Prix Tour titles, one more U.S. HSer sub-4, the brothers Ingebrigtsen make history, greatest women’s Mile ever and more highlight year
By Ryan Lamppa, Bring Back the Mile
Since the Bring Back the Mile launch in...
Read More comments
Grand prix tour with 5 stops awarded more than $100,000 plus $10,000 #Tour2017 GP purse; Clayton Murphy & Emily Lipari earn Tour Performance-of-the-Year bonus; Running Warehouse’s “Pick-the-Winner” online contest at every stop for fourth edition
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – At the Bring Back the...
Read More comments
2016 Olympic medalist Clayton Murphy also crushes course record with sub-4, earns $2500 bonus; first stop on the Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix #Tour2017
By Scott Bush for USATF
DES MOINES - Close finishes defined the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships Tuesday evening in Des Moines, Iowa, as...
Read More comments
USA 1 Mile Road Championships returns to Des Moines, IA under the leadership of new Franklin P. Johnson Drake Relays Director Blake Boldon; $30,000 overall prize purse welcomes the country’s best Milers to the BBTM Grand Prix #Tour2017 opener
By Bring Back the Mile
One of only four sub-4...
Read More comments
Event also kicks off the Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2017 in Des Moines; $25,000 national championship purse with $5000 for each national champion
DES MOINES - Grand Blue Mile race officials have announced the elite fields for the 2017 USA 1 Mile Road Championships set for Tuesday,...
Read More comments
4th Tour edition includes 5 stops; total Tour prize purse exceeds $110,000; Grand Blue Mile opens 2017 season on Tuesday, April 25 in Des Moines; Running Warehouse’s fan engagement contest also tied to each Tour event
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Bring Back the Mile, the national campaign to elevate...
Read More comments
Annual April event, part of historic Drake Relays, offers $25,000 national championship prize purse with $5000 for USA champion
From Drake Relays
DES MOINES, Iowa – Grand Blue Mile (GBM) officials from Wellmark and the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee announced the USA Track & Field 1 Mile...
Read More comments
Noelle wins men's race; pair lead more than 3,500 runners through downtown course
From Drake Relays
DES MOINES, Iowa – Heather Kampf successfully defended her Grand Blue Mile title for the second straight year on Tuesday evening, winning the women's Mile invitational race in 4 minutes, 37.52...
Read More comments
Top American middle-distance runners on display in Des Moines for $30,000 prize purse with $5000 for each race champion
From Drake Relays
Grand Blue Mile race officials announced a prestigious field of invitational championship participants in addition to the expected 3,500 recreational and...
Read More comments
Matthew Centrowitz and Heather Kampf picked up $5000 for their road Mile wins, event record 5,000 participants at 6th edition event.
By LetsRun.com
DES MOINES, Iowa - (April 21, 2015) - The Drake Relays kicked off in grand style with the Grand Blue Mile Tuesday night in Des Moines. Matthew...
Read More comments
Defending champions Manzano, Kampf to face formidable field including Lagat, Centrowitz, Leer, McNamara, Grunewald, Sifuentes and more; $30,000 overall prize purse for 6th edition
By Drake Athletics
Grand Blue Mile race officials today unveiled a prestigious field of invitational championship...
Read More comments
By Katie Branham, USATF
INDIANAPOLIS – Grand Blue Mile (GBM) and USA Track & Field (USATF) officials today announced a two-year agreement that will bring the USA Men’s & Women’s 1 Mile Road Championships to Des Moines, Iowa, in 2013 and 2014 as part of the USA Running Circuit. The championships...
Read More comments
Peter van der Westhuizen takes first GBM crown
Courtesy: Drake Athletics
DES MOINES, Iowa - 2011 Pan Am Games gold medalist Sara Hall (far right) became the first two-time winner in the three-year history of the Grand Blue Mile on Tuesday evening, outkicking Heather Kampf to repeat as...
Read More commentsReturn the Mile to prominence on the American & worldwide sports and cultural landscape by elevating and celebrating the Mile to create a movement.
ELEVATE
Bring Back the Mile as the premier event in the sport, and increase interest in and media coverage of the Mile for both those who love the distance as well as the general public.
CELEBRATE
Bring Back the Mile to celebrate the storied distance and to recognize the people who made and make the Mile great and to promote Mile events and the next generation of U.S. Milers.
NATIONAL MOVEMENT
Bring Back the Mile to create a national movement for the Mile as America’s Distance, to inspire Americans to run the Mile as part of their fitness program and to replace the 1600 meters at High School State Track & Field Meets across the country.
Become a Mile Maniac member or a BBTM sponsor today! Join us, and go Mile!