Many area runners are preparing for the 2024 Martinsville Mile, a race that while shorter than a marathon, is challenging due to the summer heat expected on race day.
The Martinsville Mile returns to the Dick & Willie Trail on July 20 at 7 p.m., sponsored by Lester Building Supply. This year marks the seventh consecutive year that Miles in Martinsville has conducted a one-mile race at various venues around the community.
Joe Philpott, who is helping to promote the event, and seasoned runner Sienna Bailey detailed some of the training that helps athletes prepare for a race.
“You run long and slow to develop that endurance,” Philpott said, and added that training is made up of multiple facets. “Some days, you’ll go out, and you’ll run shorter distances but faster. Some days when you go out, you’ll run intervals.”
He said that intervals are sections broken up like running 400 meters eight times. This type of training helps to build up your speed and your body.
“For a mile, you have to have some endurance. If you’ve done long-distance running, you’ve developed that endurance, but you also need to focus on the shorter, faster runs,” he said, adding that if someone wants to run fast, then they will need to train fast.
Runners who only focus on running long distances at a slow pace will have a cap on how fast they can run during the mile, Philpott said, but that “doesn’t mean that everyone needs to run fast like a high school kid or college runner, but you’ve got to run faster than you normally do.”
The course for the Martinsville Mile is downhill, and he also advised, “You’ve got to acclimate yourself to the fact it’s a downhill course.”
Runners will need to practice running downhill, and Philpott recommends doing downward strides and practicing the proper posture for a downhill trek.
“It takes some time to prepare, I’m going to say a month or two to get ready for a short race,” Philpott said. He recommends trying to slowly upping run time each day to “reach your full potential. It’s all about acclimating yourself to the race you’re trying to do.”
Bailey recommends that newer runners work on upping the number of miles that they run, which “helps gain endurance.”
One of the biggest trials with running is just getting started, she said.
“The first week, it’s going to be rough, but you have to trust that it’s going to get better,” Bailey said, and noted that it’s not easy all the time, but it is always better than when she first started.
Some of the most important work is done before and after running, and Bailey recommends “stretching a lot before and after races” to help keep your muscles in good condition. She said she enjoys running laid-back distances before races to get her legs warmed up and ready for the race.
“A lot of people are like, ‘why would you go running before you run the race?’ It really does help your body get ready to be active and start running,” she said.
Both Bailey and Philpott recommend doing a short run after a race ends to help runners’ bodies to wind down. Heating pads were also recommended after a run to help with muscle soreness for the next day.
The Martinsville Mile will be held at the Dick and Willie Trail. Runners wanting to train for the race can practice on the race course itself to prepare their bodies to run the mile as fast as possible.
For participants who can’t currently run but still wish to participate, a non-competitive one-mile walk will be held. Online registration ends July 17. To register, or for more information, visit www.milesinmartinsville.com.
Paper registration forms are available on the website link and at the front desk of the Martinsville-Henry County YMCA. Completed forms may be submitted to the YMCA. Late paper registration forms may be submitted at the YMCA on Friday July 19, noon – 6 p.m.; and on race day from 3-5 p.m. at the YMCA. There will be no registration or packet pick-up at race start or finish sites. Questions can be directed to race officials by email at braverunner67@gmail.com.
