Dude, its STILL only a mile!
The 8th annual running of the Morningside Mile on Sunday, March 25 attracted more than 600 registrants. The day started out cold and rainy, but almost 500 intrepid souls finished the race, which is in fact, only a mile.
This year’s race marked the first year that MLPA and VHCA joined to raise funds and draw attention to the North Highland Commercial Corridor through our two historic neighborhoods. To highlight the focus, this year’s race took place on N. Highland beginning at the YWCA with the finish line in front of Morningside Village. As expected, thes gently sloping course lead to some lightning fast times. The men’s overall winner came in under 5 minutes and the women’s overall was just over that mark! Here’s a summary of the results:
Category Winner Time
Men’s Overall Doug Doblar 4:59
Women’s Overall Hannah Chappell-Dick 5:06
Men’s Masters Simon Angove 5:13
Women’s Masters Karin Dusenbury 7.06
Men’s < 6 Dylan Clarence 8:34
Women’s < 6 Eloise Nichols 8:31
Men’s 7-9 Lincoln Finley 8:05
Women’s 7-9 Chloe Dolas 7:36
Men’s 10-14 Will Hunter 6:43
Women’s 10-14 Ellie Spears 6:51
Men’s 15-19 Mathieu Kaufmann 5:51
Women’s 15-19 Kate Guensler 8:06
Men’s 20-29 Bryan Nonni 5:45
Women’s 20-29 Heather Yates 7:30
Men’s 30-39 Naveen Ramachandrappa 5:25
Women’s 30-39 Alison James 6:37
Men’s 40-49 Tim Langan 5:27
Women’s 40-49 Jen Heller 7:40
Men’s 50-59 Rob Pollock 5:49
Women’s 50-59 Kathleen McDavid Harrison 8:08
Men’s >60 John Bacon 7:23
Women’s >60 Sue Sawyer 11:52
Additional results are posted on the website, morningsidemile.com. Runners were surprised by the t-shirts that sported the new name for the race—while the logo featured the iconic tag line, “Dude, it’s only a mile,” the name has been changed to the N. Highland Mile to draw attention to the race’s purpose.
Racers, spectators, and volunteers all enjoyed the activities at the Block Party. Face painting and balloon animals from Bubbles the clown, corn hole and giant soap bubbles from The Wish List, and making leashes from re-purposed climbing rope and learning about pet rescue from the Atlanta Rescue Dog Cafe. The most spectacular activity was racing adult big wheels, thanks to Atlanta’s Adult Big Wheel Club. Live music, DJ Tron, and Doc Chey’s noodle eating contest also entertained the crowd. The addition of a live band was a big hit with My Friend Ian’s Band taking the crowd on a walk through the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Historically the commercial corridor along N. Highland was the lifeblood of our neighborhoods with vibrant restaurants, retail, and services catering to both residents and visitors from all over the city. In recent years, as new landmarks have been created along the beltline, N. Highland’s popularity has been eclipsed—MLPA and VHCA are working to bring resources and attention back to the heart of our communities. This first race and block party put us well on our way, raising funds that will go back into our neighborhood.
Besides the runners, the volunteers that gave so generously of their time were also recognized for their efforts. Besides receiving some of the coveted t-shirts, they were entered into a drawing for door prizes. Congratulations to Gigi, Anguelyca, and Devon, the winners of the door prizes!
Our thanks also go out to our generous sponsors for the race and block party– presenting sponsors,
Engel & Voelkers and Homegrown Restaurants (Doc Chey’s, Dragon Bowl, & Osteria); hosts Neighbor’s
Pub and Sweetwater Brewing; benefactors El Taco, FIT Learning, JW Ayers Plumbing, Morningside
Pediatric Dentistry, Fontaine’s, Highland Tap, Phidippides, Pierce Chiropractic Center, Replenish, Sprouts
Farmers Market, and The Great Frame Up; and contributors Alon’s, Atkins Park Tavern, Highland Real
Estate, Homestead Realtors, Kale Me Crazy, Midtown Butcher Shoppe, Morningstar Storage, and Warren
City Club. Please thank the businesses that support our neighborhood by visiting them often.