Official press release from the Guardian Mile - full start lists announced on the race Instagram page (@guardianmile)
Mark your calendars for the return of the Guardian Mile to the Hope Memorial Bridge on Saturday, July 23rd! The fourth annual running of “Cleveland’s fastest road race” expects over six hundred runners between its community and elite divisions across Cleveland’s most iconic bridge. The fun begins at 7 p.m. with the GOH Run High School and Youth Heat, presented by Second Sole Lakewood. Kids 8 and under may run with a parent, while runners ages 9 to 18 race for awards and prizes. Middle and high school runners may enter their clubs and teams in a scored challenge. Starting near the West Side Market, Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream and Georgio’s Oven Fresh Pizza await runners at the finish line near Progressive Field!
Next up is the Fleet Feet Cleveland Community Heat and Team Challenge at 7:20. New this year, the Community Heat also features a scored team challenge for area adult running clubs and training groups. Bragging rights are on the line! Finally, the Tom C. Loepp Law Offices Competitive Masters Heat and Nordonia Dental Stroller Division conclude the community races at 7:40. The Masters Heat is for runners 40 and older who can run a 10:00 mile or faster. Masters division records were shattered last year, while the stroller division has seen an explosion in popularity since 2019. For more information on the community races, or to register, visit www.gohrun.org/register.
The community heats build excitement for the Monticello Associates Elite Heats. By the time the Elite Women toe the line at 8:00. throngs of runners and spectators line the bridge in anticipation. The Elite Men follow at 8:15. Last year, ASICS athletes Grace Barnett (4:21) and Johnny Gregorek (3:49) electrified the crowd by shattering the Guardian Mile and all-time Ohio soil records. Only the prestigious Fifth Avenue Mile in New York produced faster elite times.
The Guardian Mile is presented by GOH Run, a 501(c)(3) founded in 2018 by Rae and Don Alexander of Strongsville. GOH Run provides community running programs for Northeast Ohio throughout the year, with a special focus on expanding access to youth running. 2022 has seen the continued growth of these programs, currently offered in Cleveland, Olmsted Falls, Strongsville and Sandusky. In July, GOH Run will provide its second annual running day camp at the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Ohio’s Broadway club location, which is free for club members. GOH Run is excited to continue to expand its year-round programming in the future!
The Guardian Mile is GOH Run’s flagship event. The race was the brainchild of Rae and Don, who had watched their son Colby run elite road miles in numerous cities. Driving across the Hope Memorial Bridge the summer of 2017, the Alexanders wondered whether Cleveland could host a similar event. Almost five years later, their vision is a reality, as the Guardian Mile continues to grow into one of the most exciting community road miles in the country thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of a dedicated planning team!
Quote from GOH Run founder / Guardian Mile race director Rae Alexander:
“The goal of the Guardian Mile has always been to present an amazing race. We want to be a great community event featuring the top local, national, and international runners, and to give the crowds on the bridge something they may have never seen before. The experience of racing across an iconic Cleveland landmark and then seeing some of the best runners in the world in-person is a truly unique. This year we will award a nationally competitive prize purse of $22,500 to our elite fields, with an additional $1,000 in prize money and numerous awards for community heats. We hope to continue to step up our game to grow the event and make it more enjoyable for both runners and spectators.”
Mark your calendars for the return of the Guardian Mile to the Hope Memorial Bridge on Saturday, July 23rd! The fourth annual running of “Cleveland’s fastest road race” expects over six hundred runners between its community and elite divisions across Cleveland’s most iconic bridge. The fun begins at 7 p.m. with the GOH Run High School and Youth Heat, presented by Second Sole Lakewood. Kids 8 and under may run with a parent, while runners ages 9 to 18 race for awards and prizes. Middle and high school runners may enter their clubs and teams in a scored challenge. Starting near the West Side Market, Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream and Georgio’s Oven Fresh Pizza await runners at the finish line near Progressive Field!
Next up is the Fleet Feet Cleveland Community Heat and Team Challenge at 7:20. New this year, the Community Heat also features a scored team challenge for area adult running clubs and training groups. Bragging rights are on the line! Finally, the Tom C. Loepp Law Offices Competitive Masters Heat and Nordonia Dental Stroller Division conclude the community races at 7:40. The Masters Heat is for runners 40 and older who can run a 10:00 mile or faster. Masters division records were shattered last year, while the stroller division has seen an explosion in popularity since 2019. For more information on the community races, or to register, visit www.gohrun.org/register.
Monticello Associates Elite Heats Preview
The community heats build excitement for the Monticello Associates Elite Heats. By the time the Elite Women toe the line at 8:00. throngs of runners and spectators line the bridge in anticipation. The Elite Men follow at 8:15. Last year, ASICS athletes Grace Barnett (4:21) and Johnny Gregorek (3:49) electrified the crowd by shattering the Guardian Mile and all-time Ohio soil records. Only the prestigious Fifth Avenue Mile in New York produced faster elite times.
This year’s elite fields may be the event’s best yet. Elite athlete coordinator and 3-time Olympian Nate Brannen previews the races: “This year's Guardian Mile features some of the best Ohio runners ever. The men's field is led by 800m specialist Clayton Murphy as well as Colby Alexander and Sam Prakel. These three own the fastest 800, 1500 and mile times ever run by Ohioans respectively. The men's field has 15 sub-4-minute milers and 4 Olympians. It will definitely be a tight race up front, and you can expect to see runners packed together with less than 200 meters to go. The women's field is equally as impressive upfront, led by Josette Norris, who has broken 4 minutes in the metric mile. Norris is the first sub-4-minute 1500m runner ever to race the Guardian Mile. It will be a close race between Norris, 2019 World Championship qualifier Nikki Hiltz, Taryn Rawlings (4:05 1500m personal best), and 2018 champion Emily Lipari. We could see both course records go down this year. Either way you can expect two very exciting races by some of the best milers in the world!”
About GOH Run and the Guardian Mile
The Guardian Mile is presented by GOH Run, a 501(c)(3) founded in 2018 by Rae and Don Alexander of Strongsville. GOH Run provides community running programs for Northeast Ohio throughout the year, with a special focus on expanding access to youth running. 2022 has seen the continued growth of these programs, currently offered in Cleveland, Olmsted Falls, Strongsville and Sandusky. In July, GOH Run will provide its second annual running day camp at the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Ohio’s Broadway club location, which is free for club members. GOH Run is excited to continue to expand its year-round programming in the future!
The Guardian Mile is GOH Run’s flagship event. The race was the brainchild of Rae and Don, who had watched their son Colby run elite road miles in numerous cities. Driving across the Hope Memorial Bridge the summer of 2017, the Alexanders wondered whether Cleveland could host a similar event. Almost five years later, their vision is a reality, as the Guardian Mile continues to grow into one of the most exciting community road miles in the country thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of a dedicated planning team!
Quote from GOH Run founder / Guardian Mile race director Rae Alexander:
“The goal of the Guardian Mile has always been to present an amazing race. We want to be a great community event featuring the top local, national, and international runners, and to give the crowds on the bridge something they may have never seen before. The experience of racing across an iconic Cleveland landmark and then seeing some of the best runners in the world in-person is a truly unique. This year we will award a nationally competitive prize purse of $22,500 to our elite fields, with an additional $1,000 in prize money and numerous awards for community heats. We hope to continue to step up our game to grow the event and make it more enjoyable for both runners and spectators.”