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Rare 1-Mile Race Kicks Off Friday at North Side High School Track

CHICAGO — The mile has been called "America's distance," but most road and track races are a minimum of five kilometers, or 3.1 miles.

An exception to that is the Grim Mile, which has its third annual event Friday night at Luther North College Prep high school.

"A 1-mile race is indeed rather rare, which is one reason we decided on that, to make it a unique experience," said Luther North athletic director and race namesake Dave Grim. "A 1-mile race is also accessible to all runners, even those that are not normally runners, and it is also a distance young kids can handle."

Last year's start of the men's elite race, won by Matt Lindgren. [Luther North College Prep]

The event is split into 10-year age groups — from under-10 to 60-plus — who run separate races. Proceeds from the Grim Mile benefit the school's scholarship fund, said event coordinator Teri Casem.

Last year, Matt Lindgren was the overall winner in 4:38, while Angelica Guerrero was the top women's finisher in 6:06. About 70 runners participated in 2014, Casem said.

Grim recently finished his 34th year of teaching at Luther North. He was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013.

The Grim Mile takes place at 6 p.m. Friday at the Luther North high school track, 5700 W. Berteau Ave. in Portage Park. Packet pickup begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday is the last day to register online at Active.com. Race-day registration begins at 5 p.m. Registration is $10 for kids and $30 for adults.

Angelica Guerrero (center) was the top women's finisher in 6:06 last year. [Luther North College Prep]

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