Magic of the Mile

Time to lace up the shoes and head to the track with RunGR for the 2023 Magic of the Mile! We will again be back at Grand Rapids Christian's Eagle Stadium, which will be open & FREE for spectators to cheer everyone on. We have day of registration, online and onsite (cash, check, or credit card). 

The Magic of the Mile will be chip timed. We used last year's data to adjust the heats and add an additional heat for both genders. We will watch registrations to keep the starting line a nice field size. We are excited to announce that this year's Mile is a part of the Michigan Runner's Series & the Road Runners Club of America Michigan 2023 Championship Series event.

As in the past, our Youth 200 Meter/400 Meter & Youth Coed Mile are FREE for future track stars to go out and have FUN! It is also FREE for spectators. Anyone who is 20 or younger on race day will automatically receive a $10 entry when they register. 

Awards

Thank you to Gazelle Sports for their continued support of this event, they will be providing gift certificates for the age group and heat winners.

Youth 200M & 400M | Coed Youth Mile

• Popsicles at the finish!

Heat Awards

• Gazelle Sports Gift Certificates: $20 for 1st, $15 for 2nd, & $10 for 3rd

Elite Mile

• Cash Prize from RunGR: $100 for 1st, $50 for 2nd, & $25 for 3rd
• The top 3 finishers will not be eligible for Age Group awards

**College & high school participants, we recommend you consult with your parents, coaches, and schools to determine if you are able to accept any prizes.

How It Works

This event will flow similar to a high school track meet, where the start times associated with each heat are an approximation. The emcee will alert you to when your particular heat needs to be at the starting line. Register for the heat that represents your projected finish time (see below).

-Track Opens for Warm Ups (5:00 PM)
-Bib Pickup (5:00 PM)
-Late Registration (5:00 PM)

-Kids 200 meter fun run!  (6:00 PM) 
-Kids 400 meter fun run! 
-Youth Coed 1 Mile*
 
-Women: 8:00 pace - + (6:50 PM) 
-Men: 7:30 - + pace 
 
-Women: 7:15 to 7:59 pace (7:10 PM) 
-Men: 6:30 to 7:29 pace 
 
-Women: 6:45 to 7:14 pace (7:30 PM) 
-Men: 5:30 to 6:29 pace 

-Women: 5:45 to 6:44 pace (7:50 PM) 
-Men: 4:45 to 5:29 pace 
 
-Elite Women: under 5:45 pace (8:10 PM) 
-Elite Men: under 4:45 pace (8:20 pm) 

*the Youth Coed Mile is designed for anyone who wants to participate in the Mile, but this might be one of their first times running the distance. We designed it to be less intimidating and more relaxed compared to the heats that are slotted by specific paces. That being said, all heats are open to any age. 

If you have any questions, ASK us at lmcubridgerun@gmail.com. We have opportunities for sponsors and day of vendors to join in the Magic of the Mile fun, simply email us to learn more.

About Our Charity Partner

We are excited to work with Van Andel Institue (VAI) Purple Communities this year.  VAI has more than 500 scientists, educators, students and staff members working to understand diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s and metabolic disorders. With 100% of every donation going directly to VAI’s biomedical research and K–12 and graduate education programs, every contribution is truly making an impact. 

We encourage our participants to make a donation or become a fundraiser! Anyone who makes a $100+ donation to VAI or RunGR will receive a free entry. Feel free to email us for more information, lmcubridgerun@gmail.com.