You may have read some of my earlier posts in praise of street miles, those rare opportunities to give it all you’ve got over 5,280 feet on a road course. Well, street mile fans have another chance to let it rip on Saturday, July 23rd in downtown Bend! The Bend Classic Mile will take place right before the Cascade Cycling Classic professional class Twilight Criteriums. The organizers predict crowds of 14,000 spectators lining the streets, so the atmosphere should be amazing.
The race will follow a loop course, so it should be a fast one. Elite women will start first, with a head start to be determined. The elite men and the community entrants will then start together. In order to squeeze the mile in between bike races, runners must be able to complete the course in 9:00 minutes or faster.
Prize money and elite time standards should make for a very fast field up front. The top five men and women will receive $1,000, $500, $400, $250, and $100. There will also be a $500 “equalizer bonus” presented to the first runner, male or female, to cross the line (that’s where the staggered start comes in!) The prize money is donated by Hoka One One.
The qualifying standards for elite seeding are no joke either, as entrants will need to provide proof of a finish under the following times within the past year: Men must have run an 800 in 1:55, a 1500 in 3:55, a mile in 4:15, or a 5k in 15:00. The standards for women are 2:18, 4:45, 5:12, and 18:00, respectively.
With large crowds of spectators, a fun and fast course, a blazing fast field, and the chance to watch some cycling races before and after, this sounds like an amazing event for street milers!
What: The inaugural Bend Classic Mile
When: Saturday, July 23rd
Where: In front of the Downtown Bend Library, on NW Wall St., between Kansas Ave, and Louisiana Ave.
What time: 6:30p
Registration: $25 online HERE. Limited to 100 community entrants, so sign up soon!
