As American as apple pie: Anchorage brings back the Mile
Following national trend, this new race should draw a crowd
By Rebecca Coolidge, Alaska Coast magazine
Lately it seems as though you can’t pick up a running publication or visit a running website without seeing articles or chatter about the Mile run. The Bring Back the Mile campaign has been gaining momentum since it was launched in January of 2012. Race directors and running clubs are joining the movement and holding Mile runs in their cities. Currently there are 14 official stops on the 2013 Bring Back the Mile Tour, a series of track & road races to be held across the nation.
The buzz is spreading, and Americans are turning their attention back to the Mile. Alaskans have never been the sort to sit idly by so they too have joined the Mile movement. The inaugural Anchorage Mile is set for Saturday, Aug. 17 at the Delany Park Strip, immediately following the Children’s Hospital at Providence 2K Kids’ Run.
The idea to put on a high profile one-Mile race has been in the back of the Kids’ 2K race coordinator Wally Wilson’s mind for several years. In 2012, the Big Wild Life Runs moved the Kids 2K to the Saturday before the rest of the BWLR races in order to create a fun running/fitness event that was kid-centric. The Kids’ 2K has been an incredible success and for Wilson, hosting The Anchorage Mile immediately following the Kids 2K seemed like a great fit. There were several reasons to hold the Mile event on the same day as the children’s run. First, it would give children the opportunity to see adults enjoying running and fitness participation; second, it would create a fun and festive atmosphere as well as a fantastic cheering section for the Mile runners; and third, the event would showcase the Delany Park Strip, an important part of the Anchorage history and landscape.
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