The Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield returns to Grand Avenue on Tuesday evening, April 23 and again hosts the national road Mile championships. At the 2023 event, the first official road Mile world records, recognized by World Athletics, were set by Sam Prakel (WA), 4:01.21 and Nikki Hiltz (AZ), 4:27.97.
The 15th edition will award a $25,000 USA Championship prize purse, going 10-deep ($5000 national champion, $2500 national runner-up, $1500, $1250, $1000, $500, $300, $200, $150 and $100) plus $2500 for an event record (see below).
The Grand Blue Mile - Your Race. Your Pace. Your Mile. - is the Midwest’s premier community street run for all ages & abilities, and with 7 heats and 1,600-plus finishers, the event is the 5th largest timed, competitive U.S. road Mile. Held annually in Des Moines, Iowa, since 2010, the Grand Blue Mile has hosted more than 45,000 participants from 47 states, six countries and four continents. Among those participants: Olympic medalists, American & world 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.
The Grand Blue Mile is also a BBTM Featured Event, showcasing America's best Mile races throughout the year.
For the 8th straight year, 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
3:56.97 Vince Ciattei (AZ), 2024
4:27.97 Nikki Hiltz (AZ), 2023, also USA Championship record
2024 USA Road Champions
Vince Ciattei (AZ), 3:57, course record & second road Mile national title
Rachel McArthur (VA), 4:33, first national title
Elite athlete contact, Blake Boldon, Drake Relays Director: blake.boldon@drake.edu
Men's repeat champion crushes course record, just misses road Mile world record; women's champion celebrates debut road Mile
Contributed by Keenan Gray for USATF
DES MOINES, Iowa – Vincent Ciattei set out for redemption, while Rachel McArthur was there to prove her worth at the 15th Grand...
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Past national champions Ciattei, Lipari, Smith headline in the title and $25,000 prize money chase in downtown Des Moines on World Record Way
From Drake Relays
DES MOINES, Iowa – The USA Track & Field 1 Mile Road Championships, hosted as part of the Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue...
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Record event prize money awarded; record four U.S. high schoolers sub-4 in same race; Nuguse blasts U.S. indoor & outdoor Mile records; Kipyegon shatters women’s outdoor Mile record, Hiltz U.S. record; official road Mile world records recognized, inaugural road Mile World Championship and more!
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The inaugural records were set at the 2023 Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines, Iowa
From World Athletics
The winning times from this year’s USA Road Mile Championships – 4:27.97 for Nikki Hiltz and 4:01.21 for Sam Prakel – have been ratified as the inaugural world records for the road Mile.
The...
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Hiltz sets event and USA Championship records at Grand Blue Mile; $27,500 prize purse awarded
From USATF
DES MOINES – It was an evening of big finishes in Des Moines on Tuesday evening, as Nikki Hiltz and Sam Prakel kicked to victory at the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships hosted by the 14th...
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Grand Blue Mile hosts national title tilt for seventh straight year; $25,000 prize purse with $5000 for each national champion
From Drake Relays
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The USA Track & Field 1 Mile Road Championships, hosted as part of the Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue...
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Two-day flash sale $10 registration for 14th edition, a Midwest spring tradition
From Grand Blue Mile / Wellmark
Registration for the 2023 Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® opens today with a two-day, $10 flash sale. Again, this year, registrants have the...
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Nick Willis’ record 20th consecutive year sub-4, annual record of first U.S. sub-4 shattered, annual record of U.S. high school sub-4s (5 individuals, 7 times), event prize money increases 34%, official road Mile world championship & world record category announced and more!
By Ryan Lamppa,...
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National championship race awards $25,000 with $5000 to each USA champion
From Drake Relays
DES MOINES — The Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield returned to downtown Des Moines on a beautiful Tuesday evening, for the first time since 2019, and the event again hosted...
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Past race champions Murphy, Lipari, Follett returning to the streets of Des Moines; $25,000 prize purse with $5000 for each national champion
From Grand Blue Mile
DES MOINES - Grand Blue Mile officials from Wellmark® Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® and the Drake Relays presented by Xtream...
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Three past national champions, Clayton Murphy, Emily Lipari & Katie Follet, are early entrants; $25,000 national championships prize purse available
From Grand Blue Mile
DES MOINES - Grand Blue Mile officials from Wellmark Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® and Drake Relays presented by Xtream...
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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...
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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...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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 &...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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.
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