2019 Summer of Miles series kicks off with sold out, inaugural Raleigh Half Marathon
February 1, 2019 – Raleigh, North Carolina – Sir Walter Running’s annual “Summer of Miles” series returns in 2019 with the inaugural Raleigh Half Marathon on Sunday, April 14th. The first year event is sold out, with a capacity of 750 runners. The Raleigh Half Marathon is held mostly on the Neuse River Greenway Trail, starting and finishing at Buffaloe Road Athletic Park. The event was created to fill the void left by the departure of the Rock ‘n’ Roll series, and will serve as the USATF North Carolina State Championship. More information can be found at RaleighHalfMarathon.com
The Pop Up Miles series returns again on Tuesdays in June. The popular, free Tuesday night series will be held at different tracks around the greater Raleigh area, with an over 5:30 and and under 5:30 mile each week, as well as a bonus individual event (5k, 400, 800) and a relay. The Championship will again take place at Meredith College on Tuesday, June 25th, with the Mens and Womens winners gaining a spot in the elite field of the 2019 Sir Walter Miler. More information can be found at PopUpMiles.com
The fourth Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile returns on Friday night, June 14th. The event will once again host a Mens and Womens Mile that starts at the top of Centennial Parkway, and ends near the back of the State Farmers Market, dropping 130 feet from start to finish. A post race party will again be held at Trophy Brewing Co. on Maywood Avenue. Registration is now open. More information can be found at RaleighRunDown.com
July will bring the return of the “Tour de Walter,” a free Strava Challenge series that pays tribute to Le Tour de France. Each week, runners will compete in a different course virtually for prizes, the King of the Mountain, and the Yellow Jersey, which is based on cumulative time. The Official Sir Walter Running Strava Club page can be found at SirWalterStrava.com
Finally, the Sir Walter Miler will return for its sixth running on its traditional First Friday spot in August of Friday, August 2nd at Meredith College. The 2018 event saw Charlene Lipsey take the win in the Women’s race (4:27.28) narrowly over Sara Vaughn (4:27.31), as both Women bested 4:30 for the first time. Cory McGee took third, following closely in 4:27.78. The Mens race saw a record thirteen American men run under the 4-minute barrier, highlighted by Multi-time Olympian Lopez Lomong’s meet record 3:53.86. More details will be available on the event will be available soon at SirWalterMiler.com
Sir Walter Running is a Raleigh-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to “bring the Greater Raleigh running community together through innovation, activation, and inclusivity.” Sir Walter Running is a USATF club that also produces the Summer of Miles podcast. The 2019 Sir Walter Running Internship application is now open through March 31st. On February 16th, Sir Walter Running will participate in the annual Kay Yow Cancer Fund Celebration Run/Walk. You can join, or make a donation in Sir Walter’s behalf here: support.kayyow.com/sirwalterrunning
2019 Summer of Miles Schedule
- Sunday, April 14 – Raleigh, NC – Raleigh Half Marathon (RSVP)
- Tuesday, June 4 – Raleigh, NC – Pop Up Miles – Week 1
- Tuesday, June 11 – Raleigh, NC – Pop Up Miles – Week 2
- Friday, June 14 – Raleigh, NC – Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile (RSVP)
- Tuesday, June 18 – Raleigh, NC – Pop Up Miles – Week 3
- Friday, June 28 – Raleigh, NC – Pop Up Miles – Championship Miles
- All July – Raleigh, NC – Tour de Walter (4 week Strava Challenge)
- Friday, August 2 – Raleigh, NC – Sir Walter Miler
For more information, sponsorship information, or interview requests, contact Pat Price via Singlet Public Relations at [email protected] and 919.260.8013