Joe's Mile Presented by Friedrichs Family Eye CenterSaturday, July 19, 2025The MARTINSVILLE MILEThe 2025 JOE’S MILE
“Just a MILE?”... One
might ask, in an age of 5Ks, 10Ks, ½ marathons, marathons, and ultra-distances! This event is a salute to the historical
allure of the one mile run. Your chance to run fast! Or, at least faster. This year’s race is the seventh consecutive
road mile for the Miles in Martinsville Race Series
What is a mile after
all? Typically, young runners experience
the one mile run only as part of a track meet. Most often at a high
school or college track team event. To all the older road warriors among
us, it’s how we measure progress. The first mile of a 5K. The final mile of a marathon. Milepost 3 or 7 or 9 in the half
marathon. Pace per mile. Weekly, monthly, yearly miles ran. And, on July 19, it’s a RACE for all ages,
speeds and experience.
This year’s event is
named for Joe Philpott, recognizing his long time involvement with the running
community and promotion of Miles in Martinsville events. Joe was a competitive runner at Giles High
School, Ferrum Jr College and the College of William & Mary. His running history dates to 1958 and he
still enjoys involvement in the sport.
He ran the mile in innumerable track meets in those early years, and even
managed to win a few, even though his specialty was in the longer distances. Following college, he continued to compete in
local, regional and national road races until injuries sidelined him at age
75. He raced a virtually every distance
from the mile through the marathon including age group wins in the Draper Mile,
Martinsville Half Marathon, The Virginia 10 Miler, the Richmond ½ Marathon, the
Richmond 8K, the Virginia Running Festival ½ marathon and the Shamrock
Marathon.
Joe’s Mile will be run
on a downhill section of the area’s iconic Dick & Willie Passage
Trail. The race will start near the intersection of the Uptown Connection
Trail and the Dick & Willie Trail. We are planning two heats.
One for the speed demons and one for us normal folks. Check out the
course by clicking on the ROUTE MAP icon.
Course records: 3:53 for men, held by Ben
Nagel of Blacksburg 4:58 for
women, held by Sienna Baily of Bassett.
Awards presentation and
post-race gathering will take place at the Dick & Willie Trail, Liberty
Street Trailhead parking lot. Runners will enjoy, snacks, beverages and
awards ceremony following race.
NON-COMPETITIVE ONE
MILE WALK. - Want to be a part of this fun summer event but not race. Register for the non-competitive walk. Walkers are not eligible for awards and will
not receive race shirt. However, you
still get the exercise and are a part of this fun summer event.
JOE’S MILE CASH CHALLENGE
1ST Place
Female & Male - $75 2nd Place
Female & Male - $50 3rd Place
Female & Male - $25
CHALLENGE BONUS
1st, 2nd,
& 3rd place finishers receive $50 bonus payment if time requirements below are met. 4:45:00 or faster - FEMALE 4:20:00 or faster - MALE
Note:
Miles in Martinsville and the JOES’S MILE RUN event are not responsible for
effect of cash awards on school, scholarship, amateur or other eligibility for
cash prizes. Runners should determine their personal eligibility for such
awards and if in their best interest, refuse such award.
ONLINE
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MIDNIGHT, July 16, 2025. Register online by
clicking the registration link on this page.
Paper registration
forms are available at link on this page and completed forms may be submitted
at packet pickup – AT THE YMCA on Friday July 18, Noon
– 6:00 PM; and on race day AT THE YMCA, 3:00 PM – 5:00
PM. THERE WILL BE NO
REGISTRATION OR PACKET PICK-UP AT RACE START OR FINISH SITES.
NOTE: Friday &
Saturday paper registrations are accepted with no tee-shirt guarantee.
ONLINE
REGISTRATION is strongly encouraged.
Need
a bit of motivation? Find a copy of the cult running novel, “ONCE A RUNNER” by
John L. Parker. The book follows a fictional elite college runner, Quenton
Cassidy. Cassidy is a sub-4 minute
miler, and Olympic Gold Medal contender who professes a "secret." The
secret is that there is no secret. There is simply a “trial of miles and miles
of trials”. Every day we make choices and one of the choices that we all have
in common is that, more often than not, we chose to lace up our shoes and head
out the door for our own trial of miles.
Get your speed
on - Come join us on July 19!
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