The Downtown Mile in July 1994 was the first race managed by the Fredericksburg Area Running Club. The original director was Chris Campbell. For the first two years, the evening race started on Pitt Street and ran the entire length of Sophia Street to the City Dock.
The race has been held 28 times in person from 1994 to 2022, with a virtual race in 2020. It has been held as a Saturday evening race in July or May and a few times as a Sunday morning race. From 2010 to 2012, the race was called the Wild Mile, held in Celebrate Virginia South around Halloween.
Over the years, FARC, the Kiwanis, or the Mental Health Association managed the race. Since 2013, the race has been an evening race in July on the current course on George and Hanover Streets.
In 2019, FARC postponed the race to September due to extreme heat and an 82-degree dew point. Race directors liked the cooler night and decided to permanently schedule the race in September.
This year’s weather was 78 degrees with a 68-degree dew point with a chance of rain after midnight. With a 6 pm start and 7:25 pm sunset, there were cloudy skies with a couple of spits of rain.
It was a strange Saturday, as I usually run early and treat myself to an unhealthy lunch. Instead, I went through a few boxes marked “books” in my shed. I was trying to find a box with a notebook of race pictures, newspaper clippings, and bibs. I need the newspaper clippings as proof of finishing the Wyoming and Steamboat Springs marathons in 1996.
I could not find that box. However, I did find a box containing my running logs from 1993 to 2008. I now have my complete set on the shelf.
I left my house at 5:26 pm for a 45-minute warm-up before the scheduled 6:15 pm race start. By running across the Chatham Bridge, I didn’t have to find a place to park and could indulge in a few post-race beers without having to drive home.
I wore shorts over compression shorts, my new-logo red FARC singlet, and my Saucony Triumph 19 shoes.
My goal for the race was not to pull or aggravate a muscle. Of course, I would need to have a muscle to pull a muscle.
This year, they combined all men older than 14 into one heat. The young speedsters reminded me of a Bill Cosby routine about running a mile relay while at Temple. He was the anchor leg, and he described his opponent as 6 foot 3, with 6 foot long legs and a platform on top to lay the baton.
I lined up in the middle. When the gun went off, I started moving the best my legs could.
I went through the first quarter-mile in 2:06. I misguessed the 1/2 mile location and had a second quarter in 2:33, which was compensated with a 3/4 mile split of 1:33 and a final quarter in 2:09.
With the Kenmore Canal ditch, this course is not easy, going down, up, down, and up to the final stretch. If you have anything left, the last 300 meters are mostly flat. Some youngin, who I passed going up the last hill, passed me in the final 50 meters coming into the finish. Oh well.
My finish time was 8:23, 6 seconds slower than 2021. Postrace, I reviewed the certification map to determine how close I was to the split points. I’m confident I ran even quarter splits. I’ll have to mark them next year. This finish was my 19th Downtown Mile.
I ran a 16-minute cooldown and then went to the beer pen to compare aches.
We’ve entered the fall racing season. Cooler weather will make our times faster. Next up is the Deuce Braswell 5km Run Against Teen Violence. I’m planning on the same goals for that race.
Are you ready for some football?