What a great day for a mile. While so many are sure it is easier to run a marathon than a mile or feel a mile is not long enough to bother with, over 200 stepped up to the line to test their speed and endurance.

While many races test your endurance, the mile is the combination of your endurance gained from all the miles and speed which is the fun part of running. As many coaches preach, speed is endurance.

The mile began with the open heat and weaved through the age groups to the elite heat at the end. As I watched the races from the rear view mirror of the beautiful Mercedes ML 320 which was provided by Mercedes Benz of Austin, I saw the same pattern, over and over.

The runner’s came off of the Capitol steps like a Skier out of the chute. The first quarter mile ranged from 52 second to 65 seconds for most runners. The next quarter mile, not quite as fast, but still a very pleasant, effortless experience. As the runner’s past 6th Street and made their way to the 3/4 mile mark, their world was changing. Time for the payback. Their times were starting to resemble their repeats on the track.

Their facial expressions changed as they saw their 3/4 mile time and saw the task ahead. The Bridge. As they say about paybacks, the final stretch lurking ahead. The race against the clock had just begun. Would they be able to keep any of the seconds they had put in the bank on the front half of the race or were they spent.

The last quarter mile, like the marathon’s last 10K, is the last half of the race.

Congrats to all those who took the plunge, you are a miler.

2001 results

• Elite Men – Splits
• Photos – Kreutz Photography
• Women’s Results
• Men’s 19 and under
• Men’s 20 to 39
• Men’s 40 to 49
• Men’s 50 and over
• Clydesdales
• Men’s Elite Race