Press Release: Initial Elite Fields set for the 2026 Sir Walter Miler
Initial Elite Fields set for 2026 Sir Walter Miler
July 27, 2026 – Raleigh, North Carolina – Sir Walter Running is excited to announce the initial Men’s and Women’s Elite Fields for the 2026 Sir Walter Miler, which will be held Friday, August 7, 2026. The event again returns to Meredith College, where the event took shape in 2014, and is free to attend. The event will again be broadcast internationally on RunnerSpace.com. The event is a part of the World Athletics Continental Tour.
“We are thrilled to welcome and invite another epic field to the greater Raleigh running community. The excitement around this race and the week leading up represents the depth of running involvement locally, and is a high mark of excitement around the sport,” said Sandy Roberts, co-founder of the event, which started in 2013.
The 2026 Elite fields include Olympians, National Champions, and Local Favorites highlight star studded fields for the annual event.
In the Men’s Elite Field, 2024 Champion Waleed Suliman returns in pursuit of the State Record he once held, 3:50.80, set last year by On Athletics Club’s Ky Robinson. Under Armour Dark Sky’s Abe Alvarado will be taking aim at his own Mexican National Record and Nike Swoosh Track Club’s Keita Sato will have his sights set on the Japanese 1500m and Mile records. This past weekend’s USATF Outdoor Steeplechase Silver Medalist and Cardinal Gibbons alum, Carson Williams, adds some local flavor. Recent Georgetown grad, HOKA signee, and 2026 NCAA Indoor Mile Champ, Abel Teffra, adds depth to the fastest field Sir Walter has seen.
The Women’s Elite Field features American Record Holder, Sinclaire Johnson, returning to Raleigh for the first time in five years. Johnson ran the fastest ever mile by an American last year in London, finishing in 4:16.32. Two Olympians also highlight the field in Sir Walter alum Heather MacLean (2021) and Juliette Whittaker (2024). 2026 World Indoor Championship Qualifier, Margot Appleton, and high school sensation, Charlize-Trinity McKenzie, will add depth.
“This year brings a special international flavor to the Miler as we’re keeping an eye on two major national record attempts with Abe Alvarado (Mexico) and Keita Sato (Japan) putting out big goals,” said Men’s Elite Coordinator Stephen Furst.
Listen to Caron and Men’s Elite Coordinator, Stephen Furst, discuss the initial fields here on the Summer of Miles podcast.
The 2026 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 Staker Chiropractic & Associates Run Club 4×400 Meter Relay, as well as the return of the Run Club Mile. The Elite races will follow and the Post Race Party will be across Hillsborough Street at Raleigh Brewing Company. Saturday morning brings the Run with the Pros. On Saturday night, the Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile, 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 – Crank Arm Run Club with Brooks Running, Running Mate & Strava (6:30pm)
- Wednesday – Fount Coffee Run from Hartwell (7am)
- PM – Elite Athlete Panel at Hartwell (6PM)
- Thursday – Elite Athlete Dinner
- Friday – Sir Walter Miler (6pm)
- Saturday – Run with the Pros (9am)
- PM: Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile (6:30pm)
Very Important Spectator packages are available.
Sir Walter Miler Friday Schedule
- 6:00pm – Carnival at the Meredith College track
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8:30pm – Run Club Mile
- 8:45pm – Fans allowed on infield to line the track
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9:00pm – National Anthem
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9:15pm – Trail Ridge Financial Women’s Elite Mile
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9:30pm – Brooks Running Men’s Elite Mile
- 9:40pm – Awards Ceremony on the Meredith College Track
- 9:55pm – Post Party starts at Raleigh Brewing Company
2026 Initial Trail Ridge Financial Elite Women’s Field
- Sinclaire Johnson – HOKA
- Heather MacLean – adidas
- Eleanor Fulton – Asics
- Annika Reiss – Under Armour Dark Sky
- Margot Appleton – New Balance Boston
- Christina Aragon – Nike Swoosh TC
- Kayley DeLay – Brooks Beasts TC
- Teagan Schein-Becker – Brooks Beasts TC
- Carlee Hansen – Nike Swoosh TC
- Juliette Whittaker – Brooks Beasts TC
- Angelina Ellis – Under Armour Dark Sky
- Lindsey Butler – Bandit
- Madie Boreman – Bandit
- Charlize-Trinity McKenzie (Sir Walter Qualifier)
- Hannah Ballowe (Pace) – adidas
2026 Initial Brooks Running Elite Men’s Field
- Abe Alvarado – Under Armour Dark Sky
- Davis Bove – UA Mission Dark Sky
- Colin Kelly – Empire Elite
- Sean McGorty – Nike Swoosh TC
- Nick Plant
- Thomas Ratcliffe – Nike Swoosh TC
- Colton Sands – HOKA
- Keita Sato – Nike Swoosh TC
- Waleed Suliman – Brooks Beasts
- Abel Teffra – HOKA
- Carson Williams – Under Armour Dark Sky
- Joe Bistritz (Sir Walter Qualifier)
- Christian Jackson – Nike (Pace)
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 97 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 49 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 to this day.
- In 2024, Dorcus Ewoi led Sage Hurta-Klecker and Heather MacLean to the top three outdoor mile times in the World for the 2024 Outdoor Season. Ewoi’s time was the fastest Outdoor Mile ever run on U.S. soil.
- The Women’s Record is 4:19.71 (Dorcus Ewoi ’24) and the Men’s Record is 3:50.80 (Ky Robinson ’25). Both times are North Carolina Outdoor State Records.
Sponsors of the 2026 Sir Walter Miler are Brooks Running, Trail Ridge Financial, Running Mate, Staker Chiropractic & Associates, LEVER Movement, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, Think Promotional Group, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, ChicknLegs, Athletic Brewing Co. and Trophy Brewing.
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