Grand Blue Mile

Grand Blue Mile

Tues, April 25, 6:00pm

Des Moines, IA

2017 USA 1 Mile Road Championships / #Tour2017

The Grand Blue Mile is the Midwest’s premier community street run for all ages and abilities, and with 7 heats and 4,000-plus finishers, the event is the third largest U.S. road Mile. Held annually in Des Moines, Iowa, since 2010, the Grand Blue Mile has hosted more than 27,000 participants from 25 states, 6 countries and 4 continents. Among those participants: Olympic medalists, American record holders, national champions and many of the world’s finest track & field athletes.

The 8th edition kicks off the Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2017 and offers $30,000 in prize money overall, and the long U-shaped road course, run in downtown Des Moines, is USATF-certified. The event has also been recognized as one of America’s top Mile races by Shape Magazine and featured across track & field media.

The Grand Blue Mile sees the return of the prestigious USA 1 Mile Championships in 2017 and 2018 after previously hosting the national championships in 2013-14. The 2017 USA Championship prize money totals $25,000 and goes 10-deep ($5000 national champion, $2500 national runner-up, $1500, $1250, $1000 $500, $300, $200, $150 and $100) plus a $2500 bonus for establishing a new course record (see below).

COURSE RECORDS
3:59.96 Clayton Murphy (USA / OH), 2017
4:32.62 Heather Kampf (USA / MN), 2014

2017 Grand Blue Mile Champions / USA Road Champions
Clayton Murphy (USA / OH), 3:59.96, course record!
Katie Mackey (USA / WA), 4:37.00

Elite athlete contact, Blake Boldon, Drake Relays Director: blake.boldon@drake.edu

Event Website




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News

Blankenship, Lipari Win Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2017 Titles

October 01, 2017

Grand prix tour with 5 stops awarded more than $100,000 plus $10,000 #Tour2017 GP purse; Clayton Murphy & Emily Lipari earn Tour Performance-of-the-Year bonus; Running Warehouse’s “Pick-the-Winner” online contest at every stop for fourth edition

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – At the Bring Back the...

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Murphy, Mackey Win USA Titles at Grand Blue Mile

April 25, 2017

2016 Olympic medalist Clayton Murphy also crushes course record with sub-4, earns $2500 bonus; first stop on the Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix #Tour2017

By Scott Bush for USATF

DES MOINES - Close finishes defined the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships Tuesday evening in Des Moines, Iowa, as...

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Making the Most of Your Mile: Grand Blue Mile

April 21, 2017

USA 1 Mile Road Championships returns to Des Moines, IA under the leadership of new Franklin P. Johnson Drake Relays Director Blake Boldon; $30,000 overall prize purse welcomes the country’s best Milers to the BBTM Grand Prix #Tour2017 opener

By Bring Back the Mile

One of only four sub-4...

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USATF 1 Mile Road Championship Fields Announced for Grand Blue Mile

April 19, 2017

Event also kicks off the Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2017 in Des Moines; $25,000 national championship purse with $5000 for each national champion

DES MOINES - Grand Blue Mile race officials have announced the elite fields for the 2017 USA 1 Mile Road Championships set for Tuesday,...

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Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2017 Events Announced

February 16, 2017

4th Tour edition includes 5 stops; total Tour prize purse exceeds $110,000; Grand Blue Mile opens 2017 season on Tuesday, April 25 in Des Moines; Running Warehouse’s fan engagement contest also tied to each Tour event

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Bring Back the Mile, the national campaign to elevate...

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USA Road Championships Return to Grand Blue Mile

February 06, 2017

Annual April event, part of historic Drake Relays, offers $25,000 national championship prize purse with $5000 for USA champion

From Drake Relays

DES MOINES, Iowa – Grand Blue Mile (GBM) officials from Wellmark and the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee announced the USA Track & Field 1 Mile...

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Kampf Threepeats as Grand Blue Mile Champion

April 27, 2016

Noelle wins men's race; pair lead more than 3,500 runners through downtown course

From Drake Relays

DES MOINES, Iowa – Heather Kampf successfully defended her Grand Blue Mile title for the second straight year on Tuesday evening, winning the women's Mile invitational race in 4 minutes, 37.52...

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Grand Blue Mile Defending Champions Set to Return

April 26, 2016

Top American middle-distance runners on display in Des Moines for $30,000 prize purse with $5000 for each race champion

From Drake Relays

Grand Blue Mile race officials announced a prestigious field of invitational championship participants in addition to the expected 3,500 recreational and...

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Centrowitz Wins Over Manzano, Kampf Repeats at Grand Blue Mile

April 22, 2015

Matthew Centrowitz and Heather Kampf picked up $5000 for their road Mile wins, event record 5,000 participants at 6th edition event.

By LetsRun.com

DES MOINES, Iowa - (April 21, 2015) - The Drake Relays kicked off in grand style with the Grand Blue Mile Tuesday night in Des Moines. Matthew...

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Grand Blue Mile Features ‘Dream’ Field of Running Royalty

April 06, 2015

Defending champions Manzano, Kampf to face formidable field including Lagat, Centrowitz, Leer, McNamara, Grunewald, Sifuentes and more; $30,000 overall prize purse for 6th edition

By Drake Athletics

Grand Blue Mile race officials today unveiled a prestigious field of invitational championship...

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Grand Blue Mile Tapped to Host 2013-14 USA Men’s & Women’s 1 Mile Road Championships

March 25, 2013

By Katie Branham, USATF

INDIANAPOLIS – Grand Blue Mile (GBM) and USA Track & Field (USATF) officials today announced a two-year agreement that will bring the USA Men’s & Women’s 1 Mile Road Championships to Des Moines, Iowa, in 2013 and 2014 as part of the USA Running Circuit. The championships...

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Sara Hall Claims Second Consecutive Grand Blue Mile

April 24, 2012

Peter van der Westhuizen takes first GBM crown

Courtesy: Drake Athletics

DES MOINES, Iowa - 2011 Pan Am Games gold medalist Sara Hall (far right) became the first two-time winner in the three-year history of the Grand Blue Mile on Tuesday evening, outkicking Heather Kampf to repeat as...

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