This popular race started when track star Sandy Roberts tried to break a 4-minute mile. Now it attracts elite runners from all over the world.
by Rachel Simon | photography by Justin Hall

One of the biggest events in Raleigh this summer is also one of the fastest. On Friday, Aug. 8, over two dozen elite runners from all over the world — along with thousands of spectators — will descend upon the City of Oaks for the Sir Walter Miler. It’s a race that only takes its top athletes around 4 1/2 minutes to complete, but it has an impact that lasts for long after.

Founded in 2014 by three passionate runners and Triangle residents, the Miler unofficially began the year prior with a simple goal: to help former North Carolina State University track star Sandy Roberts, one of the event’s co-founders, break a 4-minute mile. It was a feat that hadn’t been achieved in Raleigh for 40 years. Roberts teamed up with his brother and coach, Logan, to put on a one-person race at Cardinal Gibbons High School, and they collaborated with their friend Pat Price, a fellow runner and sports blogger, to gather a crowd of spectators.

To all of their surprise, nearly 500 people came out, with many standing directly on the track as they cheered Roberts on. And while he unfortunately didn’t meet his time goal, the crowd’s enthusiasm inspired the trio to consider future expansion. “A bunch of people came up to us and were like, Wow, you guys should do this on a bigger scale,” recalls Price.

The next year, the men — now operating as the nonprofit Sir Walter Running — put their dream of a grander event into action. They invited top runners from across the country to the race and used funds from a successful Kickstarter to pay for their travel and a $1,000 prize. (In a show of “true Southern hospitality,” says Roberts, the athletes stayed at the houses of local Raleigh families.) They held the event at Meredith College, which Roberts’ mother and wife had both attended, and partnered with the just-opened Raleigh Brewing Company across the street for a beer-fueled afterparty. Only three runners ended up competing in each of the men’s and women’s races, but the event — which allowed spectators to cheer from the track and culminated in a casual meet-and-greet at Umstead Park the next day — gathered enough interest to warrant a third year. “It’s just grown ever since,” says Price.

Going into its 12th year, the Miler has evolved into a full week of running fun that draws upwards of 5,000 fans and has seen over 100 record-breaking performances, including 80 runs under the 4-minute mark. The main race, which takes place on a Friday night, takes under an hour total, with attractions like food trucks and carnival rides for spectators of all ages. But athletes of all skill levels can participate in the all-downhill Raleigh RunDown the next morning, and there are a variety of other low-stakes competitions and pop-up events throughout the week. Brands like Adidas and Nike have joined as sponsors, and Sir Walter Running uses the entry fees from its Raleigh Holiday Half-Marathon and other races through the year to help offset costs.

“We want it to be something that will interest folks who may not know track,” says Roberts. “We’re celebrating the depth of the local running community, but we also get to celebrate Raleigh.” Indeed, the Miler’s increasing popularity has drawn a higher-than-ever caliber of athletes to the city, making it a priority for elite runners, says Roberts. The Miler’s $10,000 in prize money (plus bonus incentives) and all-week fun are certainly contributors, but a larger reason is the race uniquely allowing athletes and fans to literally (and loudly) come together in support of the sport.

Craig Engels, a renowned middle-distance runner and North Carolina native who ran track alongside Roberts, competed in his first Miler in 2017. “I ended up breaking four minutes in a mile for the first time there in front of my family and friends,” he recalls. Engels has run the race three times since and plans to keep doing the Miler as long as he’s able.

“I love this race and I love competing in front of people from North Carolina,” he says. “The crowd at this race is unmatched. It’s almost deafening how loud they are — and it’s amazing how much hype they bring.”

This article originally appeared in the August 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.