Pro Tips for Amateur Runners at the Rose City Mile (June 21st)

Mile races are fun. Fun as a participant (faster than a 5k, yet wholly manageable), and fun as a spectator (you can see things unfolding over the 4 laps but it’s long enough for a surprise ending).

The Rose City Mile is scheduled for Saturday, June 21st at Franklin High School. The first heat will step off at 830a, starting with a brand new Middle School competition, followed by Masters (see the registration page for the full 830a-1230p line-up).

Amateur tips for racers:

We are not elite runners at Run Oregon. Personally, my fastest mile (according to Strava) is 6:09. That was back in 2017 and was the closest I have probably ever come to speed pushing a true mile (it was a part of a 1.2-mile section to kick off the now defunct Salem River2Ridge event.

I was winded and my legs were on fire, but I was proud of my effort, my time, and elated at the same time. So if you’re on the fence about racing a mile: take the leap. I can guarantee you that spectators at the Rose City Mile will be cheering for you 100% of the way with all their hearts.

My advice for the race is to break it up by lap. Think of it like college: Freshman lap feels almost easy, fun. Sophomore lap, shit gets real and you start to struggle. During your junior lap you really have to work to maintain pace. But somehow, Senior lap you get a jolt of energy and the finish is so close you can taste it. The mile is a physically hard race but it’s also a damn hard mental race. Fortunately, you’re strong and brave and you can do it.

Pro tips for spectators:

While I’ve never been a pro athlete (and D3 college baseball doesn’t really garner a crowd), I’m an excellent spectator. Here are few suggestions to make the most of your mile-watching:

• Try to get your hands on a heat sheet. This tells you who’s racing in which heat so you can cheer them on by name.
• Cheer them on by name!
• Cheer all of them on. Even the person getting lapped will run stronger and feel more confident with even one person loudly supporting them.
• Use building phrases like, “You got this!” or “You look strong!” Avoid yelling things like, “You can catch her, she’s fading.” That’s just bad sportsmanship. Yes, it’s a race between athletes, but as soon as they cross the finish line, track athletes congratulate each other. No one races alone, and other runners often make a PR possible.
• Bring noisemakers: cowbells, vuvuzelas, thunder sticks … or just yell and clap!
• Bring the little ones! Not only will they have fun, but a cute little kiddo cheering for runners is super motivating. They’ll also get to see “grown-ups” having a great time racing.

Here’s the full schedule (note that there may be multiple heats of any one category if there are too many participants for a clean race in just one heat):

8:30 am girl’s 8–14 heat 1
8:40 am boy’s 8–14 heat 1
8:50 am boy’s 8–14 heat 2
9:00 am youth 8–14 awards
9:10 am masters women heat 1
9:20 am masters men heat 1
9:30 am masters men heat 2
9:40 am masters awards
9:50 am Rose Bud 100 m dash (ages 2–4)
10:00 am Rose Bud 400 m dash (ages 5–7)
10:10 am open heat 1
10:20 am open heat 2
10:30 am open heat 3
10:40 am open heat 4
10:50 am open heat 5
11:00 am women’s open championship heat
11:10 am men’s open championship heat
11:20 am open awards
11:30 am High School girls heat 1
11:40 am High School boys heat 1
11:50 am High School boys heat 2
12:00 pm High School awards
12:10 pm Mixed 4 × 200 m relay
12:20 am Mixed 4 × 400 m relay heat 1
12:30 am Mixed 4 × 400 m relay heat 2 (if needed)
12:40 am Team awards