Press Release: Initial Elite Fields set for the 2023 Sir Walter Miler

Initial Elite Fields set for 2023 Sir Walter Miler

July 21, 2023 – Raleigh, North Carolina – Sir Walter Running is excited to announce the initial Men’s and Women’s Elite Fields for the 2023 Sir Walter Miler, which will be held in its traditional First Friday spot on Friday, August 4, 2023. The event returns to Meredith College in 2023; the place where the event took shape as the Sir Walter Miler in 2014.

“We have come a long way in 10 years and are very grateful for all the runners and fans who have experienced the Sir Walter Miler during this past decade. We have a lot more to give and look forward to showing off the amazing running community for years to come,” said Sandy Roberts, co-founder of the event, which started in 2013 as the Sandman Mile.

The 2023 Elite fields includes many new faces, past National Champions and notable alumni from local colleges.

The Men’s Elite Field is filled with some of the fastest newcomers on the circuit, including returner Eric Holt of Empire Elite and Amon Kemboi of Puma and the locally-based Puma Elite training group. The Men’s Elite Coordinator, Stephen Furst, joined the Summer of Miles podcast recently to discuss the entire 2023 field.

The Women’s Elite Field hosts a trio of athletes from HOKA Northern Arizona Elite, including the 2023 USATF Outdoor Champion, Krissy Gear. Also highlighting the field is 2022 NCAA Indoor Mile Champion, Micaela DeGenero, who now represents Puma. The Women’s Elite Coordinator, Jeff Caron, joined the Summer of Miles podcast recently to discuss the 2023 field at length.

The event will again be broadcast on RunnerSpace.com. Former USA Mile Champion Will Leer will be in Raleigh to broadcast the event on site, and will attend the below events surrounding the 2023 Sir Walter Miler.

The new logo was created by Anna Luking with new merchandise available at sirwalterrunning.square.site

The 2023 Sir Walter Miler weekend will consist of events from Wednesday through Saturday, starting  Wednesday morning with a coffee run at Pine State Coffee and at night with the Elite Athlete Panel at Runologie. The event is free and open to everyone. The Athlete Dinner will follow on Thursday. On Friday night, the Sir Walter Miler be at Meredith College, with the standard Pre and Post Race Party at Raleigh Brewing Company. Before the Elite Races, the Run Club 4×400 Meter Relay, as well as the return of the Coaches Clash, an event where local Coaches will represent their programs in a mile race, will be held. Saturday morning will bring the “Run with the Pros” at the WakeMed Cross Country Course. On Saturday night, the Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile will be held on Centennial Parkway, followed by awards and a post-race party at Trophy Brewing on Maywood.

Sir Walter Miler Weekend Schedule

• Wednesday – AM: Run & Coffee at Pine State Coffee with Special Guests. PM: Athlete Panel at Runologie
• Thursday – Elite Athlete Dinner
• Friday – Sir Walter Miler
• Saturday – AM: Run with the Pros. PM: Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile

The Sir Walter Miler is FREE for the public to attend. More information is available at sirwaltermiler.com

Very Important Spectator packages are available, along with 2023 Sir Walter Miler merchandise.

Sir Walter Miler Schedule

• 8:30pm – Coaches Clash
• 8:40pm – Run Club 4×400 Relay
• 8:45pm – Fans allowed on infield to line the track
• 9:00pm – National Anthem
• 9:15pm – Women’s Elite Mile
• 9:30pm – Men’s Elite Mile

Some history on the Sir Walter Miler:

• When the event was created, the last sub 4:00 mile seen in Raleigh was run in 1974. Since 2014, the Sir Walter Miler has hosted 69 sub 4:00 performances on the Men’s side.
• Before the Sir Walter Miler, no Woman had ever run under 4:30 in the Mile in Raleigh, or the state of North Carolina. Since then, we have seen 28 Women break the hallowed barrier at the event.
• In 2015, Sports Illustrated called the event the “Future Model of American Track & Field” 
• In 2016, Paralympic Gold Medalist Mikey Brannigan became the first T20 athlete to break the 4:00 barrier, running 3:57.58.
• In 2018, all 13 finishers in the Men’s Elite Mile broke 4:00, which tied for the most in a single race.
• In 2021, 9 Women broke the 4:30 barrier, including 8 Americans, the highest number in a single race.
• The Women’s Record is 4:21.89 (Nikki Hiltz ’22) and the Men’s Record is 3:53.34 (Yared Nuguse ’22). Both times are North Carolina State Records.

2023 Initial Sir Walter Miler Elite Women’s Field

• Alexina Teubel – Tracksmith
• Alli Cash – Asics
• Abby Nichols – HOKA NAZ Elite
• Krissy Gear – HOKA NAZ Elite
• Katie Wasserman – HOKA NAZ Elite
• Laurie Barton – Brooks Beasts TC
• Katie Camarena
• Micaela DeGenero – Puma
• Jenn Randall – Tracksmith
• Gina McNamara – GRC / New Balance
• Taylor Werner – Puma Elite
• Logan Jolly – Asics
• Lauren Berman – Tracksmith
• Madie Boreman – Oiselle
• Ellie Leather (Pacer) – Under Armour

2023 Initial Sir Walter Miler Elite Men’s Field

• Amon Kemboi – Puma Elite
• Eric Holt – Empire Elite
• Jack Salisbury
• Jesse Hunt
• Ryan Adams – Furman Elite
• Andy Bayer – On
• Craig Nowak
• Thomas Ratcliffe – Nike Bowerman TC
• Ben Allen – Empire Elite
• Antonio Lopez Segura – Tinman Elite
• Billy Hill – Garden State TC
• Miles Smith – Peninsula Distance Club
• Dan Schaffer – ZAP Endurance
• Mick Stanovsek (Pacer) – Puma Elite

Sponsors of the 2023 Sir Walter Miler are Waverly Hematology Oncology, Think Promotional Group, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, ChicknLegs, ElliptiGO, RunQuarters, Sanctuary Vineyards, Arrow, and LMNT.

The Sir Walter Miler is directed and promoted by Sir Walter Running, a Raleigh-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to “bring the Greater Raleigh running community together through innovation, activation, and inclusivity.” Sir Walter Running is a USATF club that produces the Pop Up Miles series, the Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile, the Raleigh (Holiday) Half Marathon, the Tour de Walter, and the aforementioned Summer of Miles podcast.

Press Contact / Sponsorship Inquiries: Pat Price sirwalterrunning@gmail.com 919-783-7660

Photo: Jason Honeycutt