Joe's Mile Presented by Friedrichs Family Eye Center

The MARTINSVILLE MILE

Route Map

The 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

1^ST Place Female & Male - $75

2^nd Place Female & Male - $50

3^rd Place Female & Male - $25

CHALLENGE BONUS

1^st, 2^nd, & 3^rd 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!

Non Competitive 1 Miler

Want to just run and walk a mile?   Register for the non-competitive heat.  Participants will NOT receive a shirt, bib and will NOT be timed. 

All Vets Heavy Mile Ruck 20#,40# and 60# categories.

Ruck awards for female and male in each category and weight divisions.  
For anyone using non-perishable food as pack weight - we will donate it to Henry County Food Bank.