FREEDOM MILE DOUBLES PARTICIPATION

Last Saturday’s 4th annual Footloose Freedom Mile drew the largest crowd in the race’s history with more than 300 participating, double the 2008 number. The field, which included one pooch (Kai, a husky owned by Olympian Ryan Hall, who turned in a 4:22), quickly made its way along the 1-mile course that begins across from the Snowcreek driving range, and heads up Old Mammoth Road to the finish line in front of Footloose Sports.
Entrants included those from New York and Hawaii; the youngest entrant was 2 years old, the oldest a spry 75 years young.
Josh Cox, the American record holder in the 50K who trains in Mammoth with the Mammoth Track Club, set a new men’s course record of 4:21.3. On the women’s side, Mammoth’s Nancy Fiddler dominated the field with a 5:35.1.
As the race’s first arm-powered, 3-wheeled entrant, Dr. Mike Karch, recovering from an injury to the quadricep of his left leg, led off the race and clocked in at 5:03.4.
Kastor said the High Sierra Striders are already looking forward to next year’s 5th anniversary running of the Freedom Mile, where he’s hoping to surpass 400 entrants. (Anyone care to bet against him? No? Didn’t think so.)
Complete race results can be found at www.Srtiming.com/files/OVERALL14.HTM. Go to www.srtiming.com/files/AGE9.HTM for age group results.