B.A.A. Invitational Mile Features Rising Stars
Top local talent also showcased at Scholastic Mile races; $14,500 Open prize purse
BOSTON - The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced an elite field of world class competitors for the 2019 B.A.A. Invitational Mile, to be held on Saturday morning, April 13, two days before the 123rd running of the iconic Boston Marathon.
Following the B.A.A. 5K, top Milers from near-and-far will gather to take part in the 11th B.A.A. Invitational Mile finishing at the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street. The event will also include Middle School 1K races and Scholastic Mile races featuring youth athletes from the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon course.
The women’s B.A.A. Invitational Mile field is highlighted by veteran Heather Kampf, a 4-time USA road Mile champion, and Shannon Osika, runner-up at last year’s event. Rising stars Emily Lipari, 2018 national road Mile champion & BBTM Grand Prix Tour champion, and Helen Schlachtenhaufen are also entered, along with former Arkansas Razorbacks Nikki Hiltz and Therese Haiss.
The men’s field also features young, emerging talent with German national champion Sam Parsons, World Indoor Championships finalist Julian Oakley, 3:54-Miler Robert Domanic and Eric Avila, who finished runner-up at the recent USA Indoor 2 Mile Championship. The B.A.A.’s signature unicorn uniform will also be racing as Mike Marsella and John Simons vie for the title. Simons placed second last year in 4:09.
Ben Groleau, a native of Framingham and the course record holder for the B.A.A. Scholastic Mile, will race the B.A.A. Invitational Mile, becoming the first athlete to have competed in both levels of the event. Groleau won the B.A.A. Scholastic Mile twice while attending Framingham High School; this past January he broke the coveted 4 minute Mile mark, clocking 3:58.93. See professional Mile fields below.
B.A.A. Invitational Mile offers a $14,500 Open prize purse that goes top 5 places deep per gender ($3000, $2000, $1500, $750 and $500).
The men’s & women’s event records for the B.A.A. Invitational Mile are 4:03.3 (Nick Willis, 2013) and 4:33.7 (Nicole Sifuentes, 2017).
Following the Middle School 1K races is the Scholastic Mile, which features girls’ & boys’ races for high school students from the eight cities and towns of the Boston Marathon course. The Scholastic Mile follows the same three-lap, USATF-certified course the professional Mile athletes run, finishing at the famed Boston Marathon finish line.
For more on the 2019 Boston Marathon weekend, including full schedule of events, go to: BAA.org
