The eighth annual Magnificent Mile Race this past September saw gorgeous weather, a festive atmosphere and an exhilarating day of racing and celebrating. Nearly 1,100 individuals participated and close to $45,000 was raised for motor neuron disease, with donations continuing to pour in.
This year’s Men’s Competitive Mile was an absolute thriller. Three N.C. State grads took it to the tape – literally! Stephen Furst crossed the line first with a time of 4:09.67, Sandy Roberts was second with his 4:10.03, and Bobby Mack took third in 4:10.77. Congrats are also in order to the Capital RunWalk Racing Team, which took first place in the men’s team competition.
As for the women’s race, there was speed, speed and more speed across all age groups. Caitlin Chrisman Bullock of Charlotte was blazing fast on Sunday. She took first-place overall with a time of 4:53.79. Second- and third-place went to Wolfpack alums Christina Vegh, who ran an impressive 4:59.51, and Andie Cozzarelli, who was hot on Vegh’s heels with her finish of 5:00.52. Bull City Track Club claimed the team award on the women’s side with outstanding performances from Marisa Ryan, Kristina Krasich and Kari Johnson, among others.
The masters runners brought it on Sunday as well. Allie Bigelow of Durham and Deb Ryan of Southern Pines broke existing state records by substantial margins, as did Dixon Cook of Greensboro.
Bigelow set a new masters state record with her time of 5:20.25, which broke the existing record by 5 seconds. Ryan crushed the record for 45-to 49-year-old females by nearly 25 seconds with her 5:40.61. And Cook’s 5:46.20 erased the old mark for 65-to 69-year-old males by some 19 seconds.
A special shout-out goes to the Durham Striders Track Club, which once again won the USATF Youth Team Championship. Congratulations to a dedicated, disciplined group of young people!
