The mile is a magical distance.  We were reminded of that earlier this week when almost 100 of us gathered at the Mile End track in East London on a glorious summer’s evening faced with the big question... What time would you like to run your Mile in?.  

The evening was hosted by Strava as one of their excellent #MyMile events.  We were delighted to be there both as participants and kit providers to the competitors.

The event was split into a number of heats, ranging from 10 minute milers to scary folks targeting sub 5.  When not running people gathered by the track to cheer on the heat in progress.  Chilling out with beer and tacos afterwards everyone agreed that this was mile running at its best.

6 reasons to run the mile

In our view there are 6 great reasons why everyone should include regular miles in their running schedule. 

1. It’s quick. However time pressed you are you can always fit in a mile session.  5-10 minutes warm up, some dynamic stretching, run your mile, 5 minute warm down.  Job done.
2. It’s accessible yet challenging.  If you’re brand new to running a mile is a great first target before moving up 5k and beyond.  For experienced runners there’s always the challenge of shaving a few precious seconds of your PB.
3. It improves style.  The mile forces you to really concentrate on your style.  Aim for a high cadence and positive drive with the arms.
4. It improves pace judgement.  Focus on an even pace throughout.  Too slow a start and there isn’t the time to get back on schedule.  Too fast and your legs will flood with lactic acid in the closing stages.
5. It’s a great fitness benchmark. Try running a timed mile monthly for an objective assessment of your fitness.
6. It’s great for your speed in the closing stages of longer races.

If you'd like to learn more why not see our recent  how to run your best mile blog.