The Primetime Event At RunningLane: The Boys And Girls Miles

* Christ School's Rocky Hansen won the RunningLane Track Championships mile in 2022 with a dominant move toward the finish

Photo Credit: Gary Kin/MileSplit

- - - 

The mile. It's been the concluding event at the RunningLane Track Championships over its tenure. 

Over the years, it's also produced some of the meet's finest results under the lights at Milton Frank Stadium in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Two years ago, it featured Rocky Hansen, Lex Young and James Donahue all chasing after sub-4 over the last lap. 

In an enduring moment from that race, Hansen pulled away toward the final 100 meters, capturing the meet record in a time of 4:00.76. He would go on to break four minutes in the mile over his senior season of high school track. A year later, the race saw two more athletes -- Devan Kipyego and Adam Burlison -- challenging each other through the final tape. 

This year's mile fields are deeper than they've ever been. 

For more, check the graphics and information below.

RUNNINGLANE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP BOYS MILES OVER THE YEARS

4:00.76 -- Rocky Hansen, Christ School, 2022

4:01.52 -- Lex Young, Newbury Park, 2022

4:02.98 -- James Donahue, Belmont, 2022

4:03.65 -- Devan Kipyego, St. Raphael Academy, 2023

4:03.85 -- Adam Burlison, Grapevine, 2023

4:07.34 -- Riley Hough, Hartland, 2021

4:07.40 -- Ben Shearer, The Woodlands Christian, 2021

Read: The Top Storylines Heading Into The 3,200m Races At RTC

Registration: You can still register through May 21

Boys Top Mile Seeds

Just how deep is the boys race in 2024? 

Right now, well off from the final day of registration -- which is May 21 by the way -- there are 17 athletes with seeds under 4:10 and a total of 43 athletes under 4:15. 

We are in clear in sub-4 territory. 

There are a few major storylines we need to watch out for. 

The first one, chiefly, is returning runner-up Adam Burlison. The Amarillo-area star claimed a UIL Class 6A title in the 1,600m on May 3, clocking a time of 4:07.81 as he had to fight off challenge from Lucas Lovejoy's Caden Gary. 

Is he the favorite? 

That's debatable, considering Alabama state record-holder in the 1,600m and 3,200m, Ethan Edgeworth, is right there in the mix, too. 

The future Tennessee man soloed an 4:03 in the 1,600m at state and looks to be in historic form and only needs to drive a mere 75 miles northeast to Huntsville to get the job done. 

Then there's New Mexico state 1,600m record-man Corbin Coombs. One of the first big entrants in the mile, he's run 4:07.15 for the full distance, though he's coming from slight altitude at Las Cruces Organ Mountain. 

The next potential storyline? 

No sophomore in history has broken four minutes in the mile. But we have two athletes -- Holliday's Noah Strohman and Southlake Carroll's Caden Leonard -- who could be capable on May 25 of making that happen. A Texas moment could surely be in store. 

At the very least, the sophomore national class record of 4:01.34, owned by Rheinhardt Harrison, could be in jeopardy of going down. 

There are also sleepers like Juan Gonzalez, the breakout cross country star from Nebraska; Georgia state-record athlete Tommy Latham, who ran 4:01 solo at the Georgia state championships; Arkansas' Joseph Bariola, who ran 4:10 for 1,600m on May 8; and Utah's Kaden Evans, a dual-threat at 1,600m and 3,200m, who all could make their names known by race's end on Saturday night. 

Girls Top Mile Seeds

Next week will mark Nicki Southerland's third-straight bid at the RunningLane Track Championships. 

It might be her most ambitious attempt yet. 

Based on where the Indiana high school season sits on the calendar, Southerland, a senior at Delta High School, would need to compete at her regional championships on May 23, then run in the RTC girls mile final on May 25, then head back to Indiana for her state championships on June 1 -- all within 10 days. 

There's probably no better athlete to do it than Southerland. 

This spring, the Notre Dame recruit is a perfect 20-for-20 across the 400m, 800m and 1,600m distances, with personal best times of 57.59 and 4:42.65 over the outdoor campaign. 

She heads into the girls mile as the top seed and with the seventh-best performance in meet history.  She ran 4:45.02 a year ago, which was a near carbon-copy of her performance of 4:45.03 in 2022. 

A total of 23 girls in all will enter the girls mile field with seeds under five minutes, while eight have times under 4:52. 

An overarching theme in the girls races is potential. 

While Southerland might enter as the reigning champion, two sophomores with seeds at 4:50 or faster -- Gabbie Bishop and Alyson Johnson -- will also be among those competing, while a few others should put their hats in the ring. 

RUNNINGLANE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP GIRLS MILES OVER THE YEARS

4:38.14 -- Addy Wiley, Huntington North, 2021

4:40.16 -- Sadie Engelhardt, Ventura 2021

4:41.29 -- Allison Johnson, Mount Gilead, 2021

4:42.44 -- Audrey Dadamio, Birmingham Seaholm, 2021

4:44.46 -- Bethany Michalak, Air Academy, 2022

4:44.87 -- Anastacia Gonzales, Boerne Champion, 2021

4:45.02 -- Nicki Southerland, Delta, 2023

4:45.17 -- Allie Zealand, Lynchburg, 2022

4:45.63 -- Ella Borsheim, Bellarmine Prep, 2021

4:46.11 -- Kayla Werner, Lynchburg, 2022