Honoring the first sub-four minute mile, “My most memorable mile”
By Tim Layden, Sports Illustrated
As part of his quest to restore the mile run to its proper place in track and field, Running USA's Ryan Lamppa created the website www.bringbackthemile.com. (Described here by SI's David Epstein in January). Most recently, Lamppa has asked visitors to his website to submit essays of 359 words or less, outlining their most memorable Mile. Here's mine, checking in at exactly 359 words, although it should be 421:
All the miles were important back then. The ones accumulated as part of long runs. The ones built through intervals. Early in the morning and late at night. Bundled up in February and stripped down in July. Alone and with friends. Races: Too many to count, because this was the 80s and people ran for PRs, not for causes (not saying this was wise or kind, it just was). But one mile defines all the others.
It was run on the evening of June 20, 1983 at a high school track in upstate New York. I was a 27-year-old newspaper reporter, single and beholden only to deadlines and workouts...
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