Five Wolfpack Alumni to Compete at Sir Walter Miler
8/3/2017 11:13:00 AM | Track
The 2017 Sir Walter Miler has deep NC State roots as five former Pack athletes are set to compete. Wolfpack alum/meet director Sandy Roberts sat down with GoPack.com to preview the event.
RALEIGH, N.C. – Five NC State track & field alumni are set to compete at the 2017 Sir Walter Miler, an elite track event scheduled for Friday, August 4th at the Meredith College Track Complex in Raleigh. Former Pack athletes Megan Moye and Kenyetta Iyevbele will run the women's elite mile at 9 p.m., followed by Andrew Colley, Graham Crawford and Luis Vargas who will compete in the men's elite mile at 9:20.
Since its inception in 2013, the Sir Walter Miler has become one of America's most popular track meets, attracting thousands of fans over the past four years. The event is directed and promoted by Sir Walter Running, a local group led by Wolfpack alumnus Sandy Roberts who competed for NC State as a grad student from 2011-12.
"I am one of three meet directors," Roberts said in an interview with GoPack.com. "I've taken on the spokesman role, but we have three people that are really instrumental in putting this on. Myself, my brother Logan Roberts, and our friend who's like a brother of sorts, Patrick Price."
Greg Dame, the current Assistant Director of Operations for NC State Track & Field, also has a hand in the event. He works directly with race day logistics to ensure the event runs smoothly.
"We've probably got about five to eight people that are a part of what we do," Roberts said. "[Greg] came on about two or three years ago, and he helps a lot with 'day-of' logistics. He really gets the vision of what we're trying to do."
The goal of the meet is simple. For the men, run a sub-4:00 mile. For the women, sub-4:30. It's a concept that runners and non-runners alike can easily understand and relate to. According to Roberts, that 'quick and easy' approach is what makes this event so special.
"Part of the race's success is due to the fact that it's the mile," Roberts said. "We're not on the track running a 5K, it's not a half-marathon. Everybody has run the mile at some point. Whether it was in high school, for a fitness test or for an athletic team, everyone knows the mile.
"When you put these very audacious and historical barriers, the four-minute mile, 4:30 for the women, I think people can relate to that. People can really understand what is trying to be obtained and just how fast these athletes are going as they try to break through on these historical barriers."
The 2017 meet will feature one of the deepest fields the Sir Walter Miler has ever seen, including five former NC State track & field standouts that totaled 11 All-American and 14 All-ACC honors during their respective tenures with the Pack.
Crawford, Iyevbele and Moye will compete for HOKA NJNYTC, while Colley will represent Reebok/ZAP Fitness. Vargas, a three-time NCAA All-American in 2016, will race unattached in the event.
Roberts takes pride in showcasing the talents of local runners, especially his fellow Wolfpack alums. The meet gives them an opportunity to come back to their college town and represent the NC State program post-graduation.
"End of the day, we love having local runners who are from this area of North Carolina, that went to NC State, Duke, UNC, Wake Forest … Of course, graduating from NC State for grad school, I have a particular affinity for the Wolfpack.
"I want to attribute [the meet's] success to what Rollie Geiger has done. Not only his continuity in coaching, but the success that he's had with athletes, especially in the middle-distance areas. You're seeing that legacy when these runners come back to their hometown where they've trained for so many years. They get to come and run in front of their former coach and celebrate what the NC State program's really about: building great athletes and people. For me, it's a particular joy, because Coach Geiger is a godfather for me. The amount of athletes that he has coached and mentored, he's really left a legacy in this sport. I think the Sir Walter is a cool way to celebrate that in his and our backyard."
More information on the 2017 Sir Walter Miler, including parking, event schedule and runner bios can be found here. For the most up-to-date information on NC State track & field, follow @Wolfpack_TF on Twitter.
Since its inception in 2013, the Sir Walter Miler has become one of America's most popular track meets, attracting thousands of fans over the past four years. The event is directed and promoted by Sir Walter Running, a local group led by Wolfpack alumnus Sandy Roberts who competed for NC State as a grad student from 2011-12.
"I am one of three meet directors," Roberts said in an interview with GoPack.com. "I've taken on the spokesman role, but we have three people that are really instrumental in putting this on. Myself, my brother Logan Roberts, and our friend who's like a brother of sorts, Patrick Price."
Greg Dame, the current Assistant Director of Operations for NC State Track & Field, also has a hand in the event. He works directly with race day logistics to ensure the event runs smoothly.
"We've probably got about five to eight people that are a part of what we do," Roberts said. "[Greg] came on about two or three years ago, and he helps a lot with 'day-of' logistics. He really gets the vision of what we're trying to do."
The goal of the meet is simple. For the men, run a sub-4:00 mile. For the women, sub-4:30. It's a concept that runners and non-runners alike can easily understand and relate to. According to Roberts, that 'quick and easy' approach is what makes this event so special.
"Part of the race's success is due to the fact that it's the mile," Roberts said. "We're not on the track running a 5K, it's not a half-marathon. Everybody has run the mile at some point. Whether it was in high school, for a fitness test or for an athletic team, everyone knows the mile.
"When you put these very audacious and historical barriers, the four-minute mile, 4:30 for the women, I think people can relate to that. People can really understand what is trying to be obtained and just how fast these athletes are going as they try to break through on these historical barriers."
The 2017 meet will feature one of the deepest fields the Sir Walter Miler has ever seen, including five former NC State track & field standouts that totaled 11 All-American and 14 All-ACC honors during their respective tenures with the Pack.
Crawford, Iyevbele and Moye will compete for HOKA NJNYTC, while Colley will represent Reebok/ZAP Fitness. Vargas, a three-time NCAA All-American in 2016, will race unattached in the event.
Roberts takes pride in showcasing the talents of local runners, especially his fellow Wolfpack alums. The meet gives them an opportunity to come back to their college town and represent the NC State program post-graduation.
"End of the day, we love having local runners who are from this area of North Carolina, that went to NC State, Duke, UNC, Wake Forest … Of course, graduating from NC State for grad school, I have a particular affinity for the Wolfpack.
"I want to attribute [the meet's] success to what Rollie Geiger has done. Not only his continuity in coaching, but the success that he's had with athletes, especially in the middle-distance areas. You're seeing that legacy when these runners come back to their hometown where they've trained for so many years. They get to come and run in front of their former coach and celebrate what the NC State program's really about: building great athletes and people. For me, it's a particular joy, because Coach Geiger is a godfather for me. The amount of athletes that he has coached and mentored, he's really left a legacy in this sport. I think the Sir Walter is a cool way to celebrate that in his and our backyard."
More information on the 2017 Sir Walter Miler, including parking, event schedule and runner bios can be found here. For the most up-to-date information on NC State track & field, follow @Wolfpack_TF on Twitter.
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