Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour Announces 2018 Schedule
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 national campaign to elevate & celebrate the iconic distance, has announced the 5th edition of its grand prix tour, featuring 5 leading U.S. events from across the country. The Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2018, with more than $110,000 in guaranteed prize money, kicks off at the Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday, April 24. The BBTM GP Tour 2017 titles were won by 2016 Rio Olympian Ben Blankenship and rising star Emily Lipari.
“We look forward to another year of exciting racing action on the BBTM Grand Prix Tour that shines the spotlight on five premier U.S. Mile events and top Mile athletes,” said BBTM Founder Ryan Lamppa. “Our Tour partner, the Running Warehouse, will again award shoes and more for our fan engagement contest winners at each Tour stop.”
Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2018 Events
► 9th Grand Blue Mile: USA Road Championships
Des Moines, IA, Tuesday, April 24, $25,000 plus $2500 course record bonus
► 13th Medtronic TC 1 Mile
Minneapolis, MN, Thursday, May 10, $25,000 plus $10,000 event record bonus
► 7th GNC Live Well Liberty Mile
Pittsburgh, PA, Friday, July 20, $25,000
► 12th Minnesota Mile
Duluth, MN, Friday, September 7, $17,000
► 4th The Navy Mile
Washington, DC, Sunday, September 30, $15,000
The Tour athletes will vie for a guaranteed events’ prize purse of $107,000 plus a $10,000 Grand Prix payout. Per Tour event per gender, the top 6 will score points (10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1) with the top 4 scorers earning Grand Prix money ($2500, $1000, $750 and $500) plus a $250 bonus per gender for the Tour Performance-of-the-Year.
In addition, at each Tour stop, the online contest presented by Running Warehouse returns to engage Mile fans with the winners receiving Running Warehouse product as well as BBTM swag.
BBTM Grand Prix Tour Champions (2014-17)
2014 Jack Bolas & Heather Kampf
2015 Jack Bolas & Heather Kampf
2016 Riley Masters & Heather Kampf
2017 Ben Blankenship & Emily Lipari
Visit bringbackthemile.com/tour or contact media@bringbackthemile.com for more BBTM Grand Prix Tour news and information. #Tour2018
Below #Tour2017 GP Champions: Ben Blankenship & Emily Lipari
