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Tonight in Minneapolis, USATF will host their one mile road championship race. Last years men's and women's champions will both return, though they will have challengers. Here are the fields:
Women:
1 | Heather Kampf |
3 | Rebecca Addison |
5 | Kristen Findley |
6 | Brook Handler |
7 | Christy Cazzola |
8 | Tabor Scholl |
9 | Eleanor Fulton |
10 | Nicole Blood |
11 | Maddie Van Beek |
12 | Ayla Granados |
13 | Meghan Peyton |
14 | Mary Goldkamp |
15 | Katy Moen |
19 | Gabriele Grunewald |
Men:
40 | Garrett Heath |
42 | Ben Blankenship |
43 | Craig Miller |
44 | Riley Masters |
45 | Chad Noelle |
46 | Duncan Phillips |
47 | Lex Williams |
48 | Tony Jordanek |
49 | Brandon Hudgins |
50 | Travis Burkstrand |
51 | Eric Avila |
52 | Jon Peterson |
53 | Joe Stilin |
54 | Matt Hillenbrand |
55 | Biya Simbassa |
Heather Kampf is a three-time champion in this event having won in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Last year, she beat Rebecca Addison by 1.1 seconds and the latter is in the field again this year likely seeking vengeance. The other likely contenders are Kristen Findley (finished 4th last year), Christy Cazzola (former DIII National Champion at UW-Oshkosh), and Nicole Blood (former nine-time All-American at the University of Oregon). With her experience on the roads and in deference to her three championships at this race, Kampf is the clear favorite.
Off-the-cuff prediction: Kampf, Findley, Blood
The men's field is headlined by Garrett Heath who returns as champion. Heath tends to excel at basically any race off the track as he's developed a reputation as a road and cross-country specialist. But, he won't be without challengers. Chad Noelle won the 1500 at NCAAs last spring. Ben Blankenship finished 4th last year at USATFs outdoors. If experience matters in a road mile, Craig Miller certainly has it. He won back in 2012 and races here every year.
Off-the-cuff prediction: Heath, Blankenship, Noelle
How to watch:
Luckily, coverage of the USATF Road One Mile Championships will be available live and for free on USATF.TV. The feed will kick in at 8:55pm EST with the women's race scheduled to start at 9:01pm followed by the men's race at 9:13pm.
There's no good excuse to not watch this event. 1) It's free and streamed online. 2) It will take 20 minutes of your time on a weekday evening. Though high-profile road miles seem to be occurring with increasing frequency each year, there remains a bit of novelty with elite athletes racing a shorter distance off the track. It's always a fun event, even if you only tune in for the views of Downtown Minneapolis. Moreover, it is so short that you can basically watch it while in the bathroom.