Grand Blue Mile - 2026 race recap

 

I can do tough things.

Although I pride myself on doing such things, I often question my sanity while in the midst of getting them done. Over the years, I’ve gotten especially good at getting out of my comfort zone (because there’s nothing to be gained by staying “comfortable”). 

Case-in-point…the Grand Blue Mile. 

Now in its 17th year, it’s been a spring staple on my racing roster for a few years. 

Ready to line-up

Affiliated with the Drake Relays, the Grand Blue Mile takes place on the Tuesday of Relays Week. It draws a big crowd of both recreational runners and elites (the latter vying for titles in the USATF 1-Mile Championship). 

As mentioned, this 1-mile race takes place in downtown Des Moines, at the Western Gateway Park. The start line is situated at the corner of  Locust and 17th, and ends a few blocks over at Grand and 13th. 

I first ran this in 2018, surprising myself with a 7:53 finish (and a 3rd place AG). I returned in 2019 (recap HERE), and clocked a major PR (7:23) and a 4th place AG. The GBM had to go virtual in 2020 (thank you, Covid). I returned in 2024 to test the waters, and snagged another 3rd place AG (recap HERE). Last year, I broke that 3rd place AG barrier and brought home 2nd place AG honors (that recap is HERE).

From 2025’s 2nd place finish

So how did the 2026 race go? Read on…

I arrived on the scene around 5:45. I was able to park in my usual parking garage (for work), and then jogged the 1/2-mile or so to the race site. After an especially cold and windy half marathon, three days prior, these race day temps were much more to my liking. 

I was planning to line-up for the women’s’ competitive heat, though all GBM racers finish times would be grouped within their respective age groups in terms of placing. My start time wouldn’t be until 6:45PM. 

Those running (or walking) in the recreational heat had a 6:00PM start time. That’s where I bumped in Barb and Chuck (remember them?).

There were several other events happening in between these heats, like a children’s race and a mascot shuffle (featuring mascots from the area and nearby colleges, businesses and athletic teams). 

One such mascot was Herky, repping the University of Iowa (my Alma Mater)

Since I had plenty of time, I did an additional 1/2-mile easy-paced run. I also did some dynamic stretching and a few warm-up drills to keep things loose. 

I gotta say, it is a little intimidating lining-up with the others in the competitive heat. The “recommended criteria” is being able to run an 8-minute pace (but it’s pretty much on the honor system). I don’t consider myself competitive (ha ha ha! #AsIf ), but I have learned that the recreational heat includes all the kids, grandparents, and walkers. I applaud all of them for being there, but clustering all those “non-vested” groups with those who are hoping for a semi-fast finish just invites a lot of frustration in dodging and zig-zagging around everyone. 

Anyways, with much less of a crowd to battle, it’s easy to feel humbled by the speed those who I was up against. There’s no blending into the crowd, LOL. Just saying. 

Alas, we barely had time to get into position, and the air horn signaled for us to GO! 

While I had zero expectations, I was hoping to at least run a sub-8:00 mile. My best strategy was to just let my legs do their thing because I honestly have no idea what any specific pace (fast or slow) feels like. Also, a 1-mile race does not allow for any time to objectively assess how you’re doing, nor is there any time to be glancing at the Garmin to even check on your progress.   

A new feature, in the past couple years, is the addition of timing mats at each 1/4-mile split.1t’s nice having the clock to glance at, though it’s tough to read with much accuracy while running at such a fast pace. 

Immediately, within seconds of crossing the start line, the majority of the runners sprinted out ahead of me (I know, #WhompWhomp). There wasn’t any time to attempt to look behind me (and I’d probably face-plant if I’d tried), so I just told myself to keep moving forward and keep the pace as “comfortably uncomfortable” as possible.

Due to the recent increase in temps (it was 50-degrees warmer than what we’d experienced over the weekend), I knew to hydrate throughout the day as well as before race time. Within the first 1/4-mile, though, I was already feeling extremely thirsty. Amazingly, I wasn’t feeling any muscle fatigue or frustration, and my “fast” pace actually felt - dare I say? - comfortable.

We were headed east on Locust. We had just a short distance to go before turning left (taking us north on 6th) and crossing the 1/2-mile timing mat. I couldn’t tell if I’d slowed down any, but I did notice several runners ha, allowing me to pass them. 

The route had us on 6th for only one block. We hit Grand, turned left, and I could see the finish line…way off in the distance.

I wasn’t trying to pick off any of the runners, but I think many had started too fast and were now paying for it. Meanwhile, although I was able to pass a few random runners, my throat was suffering from extreme dryness. Obviously, there were no water stands for a simple 1-mile race (nor would I have stopped for any). 

As I approached the 3/4-mile timing mat, I could hear myself breathing (even over the sound of music coming from my Airbuds). By now, my legs were starting to feel strained, but I told myself I was almost there, and that I’d (most likely) be finished in a couple minutes.    

That final stretch to the finish one seemed to take an eternity. Thankfully, the street was lined with what seemed like thousands of cheering spectators, so the atmosphere was pretty electrifying.     

Like most finish lines, it almost felt like an out-of-body experience crossing it. My mind was fuzzy, my throat was on fire, and my legs were weary. But I had persevered and finished another Grand Blue Mile.

I was really happy that I had been able to maintain what felt like a consistent pace despite the difficulty in doing so. As I’ve said numerous times, I’m an endurance runner. I can run half marathons without much issue. There have been a few token full marathons and ultras, as well, on my running resume. This “short” 1-mile distance, though, is a different beast.

My splits:

It wasn’t until after I’d gotten home, that I was able to access my stats. My official finish time of 8:17 was my slowest GBM…but it got me my first-ever first place finish. Wowza. I can honestly say I never saw that coming!

My stats:

The female champion, Addy Wiley, ran it in 4:25:42. The male champion, Nared Nuguse, ran it in  3:54:06. Yeah, so don’t be too impressed with my 8:17 finish time, LOL. Not surprisingly, the second and third placers were within hundredths of a second behind each of the first-place winners (both male and female).

Despite the challenge of running a fast mile, I do love testing my strength and grit!. That said, my throat was a dry, scratchy and achy mess for several hours afterwards. This event is very well-organized, though, and the crowd support is over-the-top. 

And, let’s not forget Drake’s live mascot, Griff II. Isn’t he a cutie!

For swag, GBM participants receive a cotton-blend shirt. I had already given mine away, so I don’t have a pic to share (#MyBad). Participants who have also run one of weekend’s Road Races (5K, 10K, or the Half Marathon) receive a Bulldog Double medal.

Finally, the age group winners (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) all receive gift cards to Scheels. Nice, huh!

So, that’s my story of taking it to the streets of downtown Des Moines, stepping out of my comfort zone, and getting it done. 

Have you ever attempted a 1-mile race? Ever participated in an event that involved a bonus medal for doing a second event, a few days later?

I’m linking this with Jenny and Jenn for the TuesdayTopics Linkup. 

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