Press Release: Initial Elite Fields set for the 2024 Sir Walter Miler

Initial Elite Fields set for 2024 Sir Walter Miler

July 12, 2024 – Raleigh, North Carolina – Sir Walter Running is excited to announce the initial Men’s and Women’s Elite Fields for the 2024 Sir Walter Miler, which will be held in its traditional First Friday spot on Friday, August 2, 2024. The event returns to Meredith College, where the event took shape in 2014, and is free to attend.

“The Sir Walter Miler continues to showcase the Triangle’s love for running. It is the intersection of the collective enthusiasm for this unique event with a celebration of our deeply rooted running community,” said Sandy Roberts, co-founder of the event, which started in 2013 as the Sandman Mile.

The 2024 Elite fields include both returning champions from 2023, along with fan favorites like 2019 USATF 1500 meters Champion, Pfafftown, NC-raised Craig Engels, who represents Nike and now lives and trains in San Luis Obispo, CA.

“I love this Sir Walter race. I love North Carolina and I’m going to love seeing all the moms out there cheering me on, especially mine,” said the always jovial Engels.

In the Men’s Elite Field, 2023 Champion Amon Kemboi returns, representing Puma and the locally-based Puma Elite training group, along with a host of athletes from around the world, representing Nike, Under Armour, Brooks and On.

The Women’s Elite Field features 2023 Champion Abby Nichols, who represents HOKA Northern Arizona Elite, along with many top finishers from the 2024 Olympic Trials, including Nike’s Sinclaire Johnson, New Balance’s Heather MacLean, and On Athletics Club’s Sage Hurta-Klecker. Listen to Women’s Elite Coordinator, Jeff Caron, discuss the field here.

The event will again be broadcast internationally on RunnerSpace.com.

The 2024 Sir Walter Miler weekend will consist of events from Monday through Saturday. On Friday night, the Sir Walter carnival will start at Meredith at 6pm. Before the Elite Races, there will be annually-contested 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. The Elite races will follow and the Post Race Party will be across Hillsborough Street at Raleigh Brewing Company. Saturday morning brings the On Run with the Pros” back to the WakeMed Cross Country Course. On Saturday night, the Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile presented by Nike, will be held on Centennial Parkway. The race will be followed by awards and a post-race party at Trophy Brewing on Maywood to finish the weekend.

Sir Walter Miler Week Schedule

• Monday – Sir Walter Miler Week Kickoff at Pelagic (6pm)
• Tuesday – Fount Coffee Run from North Carolina Museum of Art (7am)
• Wednesday – Athlete Panel at Runologie (PM)
• Thursday – Elite Athlete Dinner
• Friday – Puma Elite Run from Runologie (AM)
  • Sir Walter Miler (6pm)
• Saturday – On Run with the Pros (9am)
  • PM: Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile (presented by Nike) (6:30pm)

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

Very Important Spectator packages are available.

Sir Walter Miler Friday Schedule

• 6:00pm – Carnival at the Meredith College track
• 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 75 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 the state of North Carolina. Since then, we have seen the hallowed barrier broken 34 times at the event.
• In 2015, Sports Illustrated called the event the “Best Model for Future Growth 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 American 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. Both Hiltz and Nuguse will represent the USA at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, along with many other Sir Walter alumni.

2024 Initial Sir Walter Miler Elite Women’s Field

• Christina Aragon – Nike Bowerman TC
• Dani Aragon – Puma / Puma Elite
• Flomena Asekol
• Allie Buchalski – Brooks Beasts TC
• Dorcus Ewoi – Puma / Puma Elite
• Eleanor Fulton
• Sage Hurta-Klecker – OAC
• Sinclaire Johnson – Nike Union Athletics Club
• Heather MacLean – New Balance / New Balance Boston
• Jess McGorty – Puma / Puma Elite (Pop Up Miles Champ)
• Abby Nichols – HOKA NAZ Elite
• Angel Piccirillo – Puma / Puma Elite
• Jenn Randall – Oregon Track Club
• Alexina Teubel
• Kate Mitchell (Pacer) – New Balance Boston

2024 Initial Sir Walter Miler Elite Men’s Field

• Jack Anstey – Under Armour
• Casey Comber – Under Armour
• Craig Engels – Nike
• Sam Gilman – New Balance Boston
• Tim Haughton (Pop Up Miles Champ)
• Dylan Jacobs – On
• Amon Kemboi – Puma / Puma Elite
• Kasey Knevelbaard – Under Armour
• Festus Lagat – Under Armour
• Sean McGorty – Nike / Bowerman Track Club
• Tanner Maier – Minnesota Distance Elite
• Thomas Ratcliffe – Nike / Bowerman Track Club
• Waleed Suliman – Brooks Beasts TC

Sponsors of the 2024 Sir Walter Miler are Waverly Hematology Oncology, Think Promotional Group, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, Nike, Puma, Runologie, On, ChicknLegs, Arrow, Athletic Brewing, Trophy Brewing, Maurten, 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 Summer of Miles podcast.

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