Ed Murphey Memphis Mile Joins Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2018

5th Tour edition features 6 stops offering a guaranteed Tour prize purse of $135,000; Running Warehouse’s fan engagement online contest at each Tour event

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Bring Back the Mile, the national campaign to elevate & celebrate the iconic distance, has announced that the Ed Murphey Memphis Mile has joined the 5th edition of its grand prix tour, now featuring 6 leading U.S. events from across the country. The second Memphis Mile, with a prize purse of $18,000, will be held on Saturday evening, August 25. The Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2018 offers $135,000 overall in guaranteed prize money.

“We warmly welcome the Ed Murphey Memphis Mile to the Tour 2018. Nick Dwyer and his team have created an outstanding, embraced community event in Memphis, and we look forward to some exciting Mile racing on August 25,” said BBTM Founder Ryan Lamppa.

Last year’s inaugural event was won by rising star Craig Engels, who recorded the first sub-4 minute Mile on city soil with his 3:58.35. The 2018 event has added a women’s Mile and also increased its guaranteed prize purse to $18,000 (6-deep per gender: $2500, $2000, $1500, $1250, $1000 and $750). In addition, there will be bonus money for Memphis and Tennessee state Mile records set.

Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2018 Events
► 9th Grand Blue Mile: USA Road Championships
     Des Moines, IA, Tuesday, April 24, $25,000 plus $2500 course record bonus
► 13th Medtronic TC 1 Mile
     Minneapolis, MN, Thursday, May 10, $25,000 plus $10,000 event record bonus
► 7th GNC Live Well Liberty Mile
     Pittsburgh, PA, Friday, July 20, $25,000
► 2nd Ed Murphey Memphis Mile
     Memphis, TN, Saturday, August 25, $18,000 plus city and state record bonus
► 12th Minnesota Mile
     Duluth, MN, Friday, September 7, $17,000
► 4th The Navy Mile
     Washington, DC, Sunday, September 30, $15,000

The Tour athletes will vie for a guaranteed events’ prize purse of $125,000 plus a $10,000 Grand Prix payout. Per Tour event per gender, the top 6 will score points (10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1) with the top 4 scorers earning Grand Prix money ($2500, $1000, $750 and $500) plus a $250 bonus per gender for the Tour Performance-of-the-Year.

In addition, at each Tour stop, the online contest presented by Running Warehouse engages Mile fans with the winners receiving Running Warehouse product as well as BBTM swag.

BBTM Grand Prix Tour Champions (2014-17)
2014 Jack Bolas & Heather Kampf
2015 Jack Bolas & Heather Kampf
2016 Riley Masters & Heather Kampf
2017 Ben Blankenship & Emily Lipari

Visit bringbackthemile.com/tour or contact media@bringbackthemile.com for more BBTM Grand Prix Tour news and information. #Tour2018

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