As much as I enjoy track and field, I hadn’t been to a meet since I last ran in one as a senior in high school. I watched the Olympics every four years, but that was my only contact with the sport. A lot has changed in track since the 90’s, though. One of the cooler trends is the growth of small meets centered on the mile that bring the crowd closer to the athletes and give elite athletes a chance to run stateside instead of overseas.
Since 2014 (not counting the pilot in 2013) Raleigh has been fortunate to host one of these events, the Sir Walter Miler, which brings a men’s and women’s field of elite runners to town in early August to race on the track at Meredith University. The Sir Walter includes a few races with local flavor (this year it was a Raleigh vs. Durham open mile and a run club 4 x 400m relay), but the highlight is being able to line both sides of the track as spectators for the elite races.
I remembered seeing coverage of this in the News and Observer in the past, but hadn’t been able to attend. I circled it on the calendar this year and signed up to volunteer to give myself extra incentive to get out there.
Volunteering
The night of the event I showed up and was given the job of greeter/bouncer along with a mom and her ninth grade daughter who also attended for the first time. Meredith’s track is cut into a hillside on campus, and we stood at the top of the ramp leading down to the field house, directing athletes to check-in and sending spectators along to where they could filter down the hill to watch.
We received a “Security” tag to wear and make us look somewhat official. I found this amusing since I am one of the least intimidating people you will ever meet. Sandy Roberts, one of the organizers, was kind enough to explain the logo and that they try to find something different every year that’s specific to Raleigh (this year it was a pinecone, last year it was a deer reminiscent of one that appears on the city’s flag).
It started raining as we took our posts, and everyone hoped it would only be a passing summer shower. Luckily it was and the rainbow that appeared over the field seemed a sign that everything would be fine for 
the run. I tried to stay calm and not nerd out when I recognized athletes from the Olympic trials pass by, and everyone we encountered was incredibly nice.
I’m pretty sure my major failure as a volunteer was to let Drew Hunter, holder of the high school record for the mile and Adidas athlete making his professional debut, go by the ramp and have to scoot down the grass embankment to the check in. As he passed I thought to myself, “Hmm. He looks like an athlete. And he’s tricked out in Adidas stuff. And he looks like Drew Hunter. Oh no. I think he is Drew Hunter.” As whoever it was scooted down the hill, I hoped he wouldn’t slip and fall and luckily he didn’t.
Watching with the Family
Once the local races started, I was free to join my wife and daughter (our oldest son decided to stay back with our youngest and babysitter because he didn’t want to deal with the puddles). After the run club 4 x 400m relay wrapped up, we moved out onto the track and staked a spot on the infield where the final curve met the homestretch and awaited the start of the elite races. I didn’t know what to expect. Watching a race from that angle was a tradeoff. We would be close to the athletes, but would miss being able to see the final moments of the race. Would it be frustrating or fun?
Fun. Totally fun. I was surprised how much I loved it, as did my wife and daughter. Being that close gave you a sense of the speed and power of the athletes the doesn’t come across on television. We could watch them round the backstretch, losing sight around the 350m mark before they reappeared suddenly in a tight pack, zooming past and kicking up a gust of wind like you’d feel when a train passes. People cheering on both sides of the track added to the energy of the moment, as did the anticipation for the announcement of the winner and times.
The races were fast and we saw numerous PRs, an over thirty year old record for the outdoor mile in North Carolina go down, and a 2016 Paralympian set a world record. That won’t happen every year, but I don’t doubt that the energy will be there.Even if no woman had broken 4:30 or no man 4:00, it still would have been a special evening. The best evidence was that my wife and daughter both loved the experience and wanted to go back next year.
Reflecting on the Night
My best memory for the evening was getting to share the 
experience with my daughter. Before the women’s race I walked her close to the female athletes warming up, pointing out runners like Amanda Eccleston or Heather Kampf that she had seen on television at the US trials a few weeks earlier. During the race, I watched her scurry to the middle of the infield, waiting until the runners were in the curve and then racing them back to where her mother and I stood watching the race. After the race, she didn’t want to meet the athletes but asked to get out on the track and ran a 200m while I trailed behind and smiled. It was a special thing to share with her, whether or not she picks up running in the future.
The Sir Walter Miler showcases some of the best things about track and reminds us why racing is so much fun. Most people will never be able to watch a meet like the Olympics or the World Championships in person, but they can make it to events like these and get a more intimate experience. I am glad we have something like this in Raleigh and that track is evolving to draw in more fans and find different ways to support athletes. We are lucky to have it in Raleigh and I look forward to supporting it in the future.
For more info on the event, Pat Price gave a good, short interview about the origins and goals for the Sir Walter Miler on FloTrack’s podcast in early August. Check it out; it’s a good story and listen!