INDIANAPOLIS -- USATF announced Thursday morning that the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships will remain a part of the Drake Relays’ annual Grand Blue Mile through 2023. The 2020 edition will be contested on April 21st, starting on Locust Avenue with the finish on Grand Avenue in Downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The prestigious USATF 1 Mile Road Championships elevate the elite-level competition of the Grand Blue Mile attracting Olympians and world championship Team USATF members to battle for a national title and a share of the $30,000 prize purse. Early entrants for the 2020 USATF 1 Mile Road Championships at Grand Blue Mile include Heather Kampf, the 2019 Grand Blue Mile Women's runner-up and three-time champion (2014-2016), Emily Lipari, the 2018 Grand Blue Mile Women’s Champion, defending Grand Blue Mile Men’s Champion with a mile PR of 3:56, Tripp Hurt and Riley Masters the 2018 Grand Blue Mile Men’s Champion with a mile PR of 3:56. In 2019, more than 30 track and field stars competed for the national title and share of the prize purse at the Grand Blue Mile. Tripp Hurt won the men’s championship with a time of 4:04. The women’s championship, and new women’s course record, was captured by Nikki Hiltz in a time of 4:30.
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the country's No. 1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org
The Grand Blue Mile is an annual one-mile fitness run/walk sponsored by Wellmark® Blue Cross® and Blue Shield®, in partnership with the Drake Relays, to engage individuals at all stages of fitness, encourage healthy habits and empower positive change. The annual wellness event includes recreational, competitive and invitational events featuring a field of elite male and female track and field athletes from around the world. Proceeds from the event benefit Iowa Kidstrong, Inc., an organization dedicated to promoting healthy, active lifestyles among youth. For more information about the Grand Blue Mile, visit www.grandbluemile.com.