See the Miles

Track-meet day was one of the best days in elementary school. For starters, it was always toward the end of the school year — come to think of it, right about now, when summer vacation is fervently beckoning. It was a day of rooting for your classmates, running and showing off your jumping skills, enjoying a special lunch packed by Mom and taking home a medal. Yes, track-meet days were wonderful times, but they feel like they were so long ago, like they're so far out of reach. The Festival of Miles (bigriverrunning.com/FestivalofMiles) brings those magical days of youth a bit more in focus, but not so close that you have to worry about pulling a muscle. At this charity track meet, held at 6:30 p.m. at Saint Louis University High School (4970 Oakland Avenue), you can remember your younger days and watch as high school all-stars race, along with runners from local businesses and junior high schools. Plus, any first-through-eighth graders can run a milelong race for $15 to $25, which includes an Under Armour shirt and entry into the fest. Your (nonparticipant) $5 admission not only gets you in for the racing and the cheering and the other fun (food, music, etc.), but it also benefits an athlete in need. This year, the recipient of the community's generosity is Mike Rathmann, a SLUH grad with mounting medical bills — a high jumper in high school, Rathmann was paralyzed just after graduation in 2008.
Wed., June 1, 2011