Inaugural America's Mile welcomes runners of every ability to North Shore

A new one-mile race is coming to Pittsburgh, which promises to feature some elite runners sprinting across the North Shore.

The inaugural America’s Mile seeks amateur and accomplished runners to test themselves on the roads of the Steel City and vie for several substantial cash prizes.

The event takes place Friday, and P3R CEO Troy Schooley believes it will improve on its predecessor, the Liberty Mile.

“We wanted to make (the Liberty Mile) bigger and bring in people from all around the country,” Schooley said.

One of the ways that P3R wanted to increase the event’s prestige is by creating one of the largest prize purses in the country for a one-mile race. A total of $34,200 will be up for grabs in the Elite, Unstoppable and Masters divisions, with the winner in the male elite division and female elite division each receiving the grand prize of $5,000.

“We’re bringing in some of the best runners in the country because of the prize purse. It’s a big deal. They continue to come back to Pittsburgh and get a nice check,” Schooley said. “It’s a really exciting event as a spectator. Usually you can’t get to watch some of the best runners in the country come in and run a 4-minute mile.”

While the high-end runners will have a fierce competition, casual runners also will have the chance to shine.

Including the invite-only elite division, there are 10 divisions encompassing runners of all abilities from the MOVE mile, where entrants will have 30 minutes to complete the mile, to the Unstoppable mile, which is open to runners who can complete a mile in less than six minutes.

Regardless of aptitude, P3R is encouraging all people who can be active to participate in one of the classifications.

“We want everyone to be in the event. (For example) the Kids of Steel mile has kids maybe running their first mile,” Schooley said. “This year we added the Heroes’ Mile to honor the military (as well as first responders and healthcare workers). They’re getting their own heat.”

The route will start adjacent to the Veterans Bridge. Participants will run west along River Avenue and East General Robinson Street before continuing on West General Robinson Street for the final stretch. Along the way, runners will be met with motivational quotes and cheer zones as they head toward the finish line in front of Acrisure Stadium. After finishing, runners will be ushered to Art Rooney Avenue.

Activities also will be available for those not interested in joining the nearly 1,500 combined runners in all divisions.

“We have … an after party at Mike’s Beer Bar with Michelob Ultra. We’ll have different activities around the course as well at the finish line,” Schooley said. “There will be photo opportunities. There will be a screen that has your mile time. Even if you’re not participating, it’ll be fun to come down and cheer on people running their best mile.”

The starting line area opens at 5:30 p.m., and the MOVE mile kicks things off at 6:30. The elite women start at 8:10 and elite men at 8:15. An awards ceremony is set for 8:25 p.m.

Complimentary shuttle service will be provided from 5-8 pm. P3R encourages athletes and spectators to park close to the finish line, if possible, to avoid having to walk about a mile back to the starting line after the event concludes.

For more information and to register, visit the America’s Mile website.