Mile News


Minnetonka native outrunning Father Time and everyone else

May 08, 2014

At 29, Will Leer is running better than ever and making a stop in his home state.

By Rachel Blount, Star Tribune

The Fu Manchu mustache has been around for several years now, long enough to become Will Leer’s signature look. The prodigious beard is a new addition to the Minnetonka native’s face, distinguishing him even further from his elite running brethren — and giving him a slight resemblance to Father Time, the guy he is currently outpacing.

At age 29, after seven years of steady progress, Leer has found his best stride. He enters Thursday’s Medtronic TC 1 Mile with the fastest time in the world this year at the distance: 3 minutes, 52.47 seconds, run indoors in February at New York City’s Millrose Games. A second-place finish in the 1,500 meters at the U.S. indoor national championships in February earned him a place at the world indoor championships, where he finished sixth.

Though he now lives in the Los Angeles area, where parents Chuck and Mary Leer spend winters, Leer appreciates any chance to run in his home state. He is among 22 elite men and 13 elite women — and 3,000 citizen runners — who will race down Nicollet Mall in the 10th edition of the TC 1 Mile. The field also includes three-time champion David Torrence, 2008 Olympic silver medalist Nick Willis and 2014 U.S. road mile champion Heather Kampf.

Continue reading at: http://www.startribune.com/sports/258403241.html

Tags: will leer (37) , medtronic tc 1 mile (50)

Facebook Comments

Return the Mile to prominence on the American & worldwide sports and cultural landscape by elevating and celebrating the Mile to create a movement.

ELEVATE
Bring Back the Mile as the premier event in the sport, and increase interest in and media coverage of the Mile for both those who love the distance as well as the general public.

CELEBRATE
Bring Back the Mile to celebrate the storied distance and to recognize the people who made and make the Mile great and to promote Mile events and the next generation of U.S. Milers.

NATIONAL MOVEMENT
Bring Back the Mile to create a national movement for the Mile as America’s Distance,
to inspire Americans to run the Mile as part of their fitness program and to replace the 1600 meters at High School State Track & Field Meets across the country.

Become a Mile Maniac member or a BBTM sponsor today! Join us, and go Mile!

Join Us

Thanks for joining the movement and being a Mile Maniac. We'll keep you up to-date with our Mile wires as well as exclusive contests and opportunities. Help us spread the word by sharing our site and joining us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!