Washington, D.C. (October 1, 2017) — Today at the third annual Navy Mile on Pennsylvania Avenue, presented by USAA, the elite heats yielded impressive finishing times of just over four minutes. Kirubel Erassa, 24, of Grayson, GA won the elite men’s heat with a time of 4:05.20, and Eglay Nalyanya, 21, of Chapel Hill, NC. claimed the elite women’s first place with a time of 4:44:30. Both first place winners received a $3,000 cash prize.
The Navy Mile was held today Sunday, October 1, with a family fun run and open heats for running enthusiasts, wounded warriors, paralympians, and Sea Cadet youth, as well as elite racers. This highly anticipated one-mile race festively kicked off the U.S. Navy 242st Birthday month and Naval Heritage Week.
The top five female finishers and top five male finishers in each of the age groups received Potomac River Running Store gift cards, while elite male and female runners and the top three Sea Cadet teams were awarded receive cash prizes, including an overall $15,000 prize purse.
Modeled after the famous Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City, the Navy Mile is designed for all ages and abilities and is the grand finale race in the Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2017 of one-mile races nationwide. The scenic race course stretches from the U.S. Navy Memorial at 9th Street NW, down Pennsylvania Avenue to 3rd Street and back again. Proceeds will benefit the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps and Navy Safe Harbor Foundation.
Also placing in the elite male heats were Willy Fink, Luis Vargas, Ben Blankenship and Daniel Herrera. Top finishers in the elite female heat included Rachel Weber, Margaret Connelly, Calli Thackery and Alyson McGonigle. Second place elite finishers received prizes of $2,000, third place $1250, fourth place $750 and fifth place $500. Although there was a $1000 bonus for the first male elite to finish sub-4:00 and first female elite to finish sub-4:35, the first place times narrowly missed those bonuses.
The Navy Mile is also the final stop in the Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2017, and thanks to their performances in The Navy Mile and throughout the entire Tour, the 2017 Grand Prix winners are Ben Blankenship and Emily Lipari. The BBTM GP Tour is in its fourth year with five top U.S. Mile events and prize money totaling more than $110,000. The total prize purse for the five Tour events exceeds $100,000 plus an additional $10,000 for the Grand Prix athletes. Per Tour event per gender, top 6 will score points (10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1) with the top 4 scorers earning Grand Prix money ($2500, $1000, $750 and $500) plus a $250 bonus for the Tour Performance-of-the-Year will be awarded per gender.
MEN
Kirubel Erassa, GA, 24 4:05.20
Willy Fink, VA, 23 4:05.37
Luis Vargas, NC 24 4:05.46
Ben Blankenship, AZ 28 4:06.63
Daniel Herrera, LA 24 4:09.04
Travis Burkstrand, WA 28 4:11.24
Sam Penzenstadle, VA 25 4:11.25
Andy Phillips, CO 26 4:11.66
Dey Dey, NY 28 4:12.14
Cyrus Korir, NC 24 4:12.14
WOMEN
Eglay Nalyanya, NC 21 4:44.30
Rachel Weber, OH 22 4:47.82
Margaret Connelly, CO 25 4:48.86
Calli Thackery, MD 24 4:51.72
Alyson McGonigle, VA 25 5:03.60
Myah Hicks, VA 24 5:03.74
Francine Nzilampa, AZ 35 5:09.87
Emily Koehle, MD 25 5:09.98
Erin Sicher, DC 36 5:12.90
Jacqueline Kasal DC 24 5:15.30
For complete results and more, go to NavyMile.com
Navy Mile Sponsors
Established and organized by the National Capital Council of the Navy League to celebrate the Sea Services, the Navy Mile is presented by USAA. Other sponsors include Austal, BAE Systems, CNA Analysis and Solutions, Cobham, Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Lockheed Martin, Mission Essentials, Potomac River Running Stores, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, Subsystem Technologies Inc and Under Armour.
Navy Mile Charities
The U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps consists of two programs for young men and women ages 11-13 and 13-17. This training program, sponsored by the Navy League, provides classes and training sessions to instruct students on the Navy’s values, daily procedures and seamanship. Sea Cadets will be participating in the day’s activities, both as participants and as volunteers.
The Navy Safe Harbor Foundation, based in Alexandria, Virginia, supports seriously-injured service members in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard by providing non-medical care and coordinating resources to these individuals and their families.
The Navy League
Founded in 1902 with encouragement from President Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy League is the foremost civilian organization designed to serve, support and stand with all of the sea services – the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine. The National Capital Council of the Navy League is one of more than 240 councils around the world working to support sea service members and their families, the Navy League has three missions: to enhance the morale of active-duty personnel and their families; inform Congress and the American public on the importance of strong sea services; and to support youth through programs such as the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Junior ROTC and Young Marines that expose young people to the values of our sea services.
