Sam Oxley of Lexington cross country and track and field talks with MileSplit SC before the Zander Jeffcoat Memorial Mile Elite Races as part of the Wildcats Festival of Miles on Aug. 15. The elite races will be named the Zander Jeffcoat Memorial Mile Races.The meet starts at 6 p.m. - weather permitting. Gates open at 5 p.m.
MileSplit SC will be onsite Saturday night following cross country meet coverage of the Skyhawk Invitational.
What made you host this event? The Lexington coaches had envisioned hosting a mile race for some time. Logistically, it was way easier hosting it at our track rather than on a street in the area. We truly want to make the event a celebration of the running community we have here in Lexington and the greater Midlands area.
SEASON BEST · SCHSL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS - AAAAA, MAY 20
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What are the goals of it? Number of attendees, future plans, etc.One aim of the event is that it is a fundraiser for our boys' and girls' cross country programs. When you collectively have large goals and a large program, that necessitates a lot of financial support. We hope to have several hundred participants across the series of one mile races in the event. The community is welcome to attend and watch the races, as well as enjoy concessions and carnival-style games for the kids. The idea is to make this about the community: keeping it family-oriented and showcasing some great mile racing. Our future plans include attracting sponsors and racers that want to continue uplifting the running community. Finally, we also plan to donate a portion of entry revenue to a local charity that supports outdoor fitness and community-minded activities.
Tell us about the Zander Jeffcoat Memorial Mile. What do you hope to achieve and what does it mean to you to host it? We certainly want to honor the memory of Zander Jeffcoat and the champion he was. Zander was a wonderful competitor, but he was like minded in supporting the running community. Whether it was serving as a "buddy runner" for a RunHard athlete or discussing training or strategy, Zander was there for it. The Zander Jeffcoat Memorial Miles will be the titles for the elite races of the event, and we strive to offer some competitive racing on that front.
What else would you like to tell the community? Running can often be overlooked as a sport because it's commonly non-revenue or deemed to just be exercise, etc. However, if you ask any athletes, coaches or parents, they will likely tell a different story. There is strong camaraderie in running, and that means we lean on support from our community. In part, this event is a way for us to give back and to also provide a platform for what makes both running and our community equally special.
Sam Oxley of Lexington cross country and track and field talks with MileSplit SC before the Zander Jeffcoat Memorial Mile Elite Races as part of the Wildcats Festival of Miles on Aug. 15. The elite races will be named the Zander Jeffcoat Memorial Mile Races.The meet starts at 6 p.m. - weather permitting. Gates open at 5 p.m.
MileSplit SC will be onsite Saturday night following cross country meet coverage of the Skyhawk Invitational.
What made you host this event? The Lexington coaches had envisioned hosting a mile race for some time. Logistically, it was way easier hosting it at our track rather than on a street in the area. We truly want to make the event a celebration of the running community we have here in Lexington and the greater Midlands area.
SEASON BEST · SCHSL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS - AAAAA, MAY 20
:arrow_backward: Prev
Play the seasons
Next :arrow_forward:
What are the goals of it? Number of attendees, future plans, etc.One aim of the event is that it is a fundraiser for our boys' and girls' cross country programs. When you collectively have large goals and a large program, that necessitates a lot of financial support. We hope to have several hundred participants across the series of one mile races in the event. The community is welcome to attend and watch the races, as well as enjoy concessions and carnival-style games for the kids. The idea is to make this about the community: keeping it family-oriented and showcasing some great mile racing. Our future plans include attracting sponsors and racers that want to continue uplifting the running community. Finally, we also plan to donate a portion of entry revenue to a local charity that supports outdoor fitness and community-minded activities.
