Celebrity 100-meter dash and sub-four-minute-mile attempt will cap off the night
Never are tragic accidents more shocking than when they happen to young athletes in peak physical condition. Two such athletes, Brigette Schutzman and Mike Rathmann, will be honored at Saint Louis University High School on May 23rd at a benefit track meet that will feature two hours of crowd-pleasing races, including the Fox Architects Celebrity 100 meter dash and the St. Louis Track Club Men’s Elite Mile.
Schutzman, a standout cross country and track runner at Saint Louis University, was badly injured in a car accident on December 31, 2007, on icy roads in central Illinois. Rathmann, a 2008 graduate of Saint Louis University High, was paralyzed from the diaphragm down just weeks after finishing sixth in the high jump at the State Track Meet. Teammates and coaches from both schools will be on hand to honor their teammates and to help raise money for the Schutzman and Rathmann families.
This is the second year for the event. In 2008 the Festival of Miles raised $8,000 for the Schutzman family and that was on a cold, windy night in April. This year’s event will likely feature much better temperatures on a warm, May evening. More than 2,000 spectators are expected to attend the festivities, which will feature nine great races, including two very unique events to end the evening. The Fox Architects Celebrity 100 meter dash will feature local sports/radio/television personalities pitted against one another for the unofficial title of “Saint Louis’ fastest media member.” The last race will be the Saint Louis Track Club Men’s Elite Mile where a field of athletes from all around the country will race for a $3,000 prize purse in hopes of becoming the first runner to break four minutes in the mile in Saint Louis since 1963.
The event is being organized by local running store Big River Running Company, whose co-owner, Ben Rosario, will be one of the athletes competing in the elite mile. Big River has put up a special $1,000 bonus to the winner of the elite mile if they run under the magical four- minute barrier.
“It will be the best $1,000 we have ever spent,” said Rosario. “Brigette and Mike are great people and track and field was such a big part of their lives. There is no better way to honor them than to showcase the sport they love at the highest level.”
Tickets for the event are just five dollars with all proceeds going to the Schutzman and Rathmann families to assist with ongoing medical costs. The races begin at 7:00 pm with the last race at 8:56. There is an optional pasta dinner following the festivities at which the elite milers will sign autographs and meet with the crowd.
All information about the meet can be found at www.bigriverrunning.com.
Event Flyer: Click Here