ABOUT

The Downtown Yakima Mile presented by Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton - Yakima Airport is a one-mile race down a beautiful 14-block gradual downhill stretch of Yakima Avenue, finishing in the shadows of Yakima’s historic Larson Building. This year’s race will be held on Saturday, July 2, and will feature heats for kids, families, veterans, elite runners, and more who “want to run their fastest mile…. EVER”. Walkers and dogs are welcome too!

The Downtown Yakima Mile is much more than a race. It’s about bringing our community together for fun, fitness, and in support of an important cause that serves Yakima YWCA, and its mission to end Domestic Violence in the Yakima Valley. Through the generosity of race sponsors Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton-Yakima Airport, the Downtown Yakima Mile is free for runners 18 and under. Senior citizens are $12.50, and all other runners can register for $25. Make the 2022 Downtown Yakima Mile part of your Fourth of July weekend festivities!

The inaugural Downtown Yakima Mile drew runners of all ages and abilities as they raced against the clock in hopes of setting a new personal best. That day, Amos Bartelsmeyer, running for Germany, set a new Washington state record for the mile at 3 minutes, 51.79 seconds!

The prize purse for the elite runners grew to over $45,000 in 2021, sparking fierce competition in the final two elite races. Nikki Hiltz charged away in the final two blocks to set a new Washington state mile record for women with a time of 4 minutes, 21.50 seconds. The men’s race featured Olympian Matthew Centrowitz, who won a gold medal in 2016 in the 1,500-meters, the first U.S. runner to win the event since 1908. However, former Oregon All-American Sam Prakel outsprinted the competitive field and held off 2019 runner-up Tripp Hurt by less than a second. Prakel won the $5,000 first prize in a time of 3 minutes, 54.9 seconds. 

This year, the Downtown Yakima Mile Committee is delighted to offer more than $50,000 in prize money across competitive and elite races. Our goal is to provide a healthy community event open to everyone, highlighting and celebrating the Yakima Valley on a local, regional, and national scale.

Hogback Development Company, the producer of The Downtown Yakima Mile, seeks to shed light on the invaluable services provided by this year’s beneficiary, the YWCA Yakima. The YWCA touches the lives of thousands of people here in the valley through its 24-hour domestic violence emergency shelter, crisis hotline, affordable housing aid, legal advocacy, and more. By participating in the Downtown Yakima Mile, the community can help provide the YWCA with the resources to help every family in need. Learn more about the YWCA’s life-saving services at ywcayakima.org.

Run for fun. Run for health. Run for the record. Run to show your community spirit. Run to support survivors of domestic abuse. 

YWCA YAKIMA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LOCAL HOTLINE - 509.248.7796

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DOWNTOWN YAKIMA MILE
MERCHANDISE

On behalf of our Strategic Planning Committee, we would like to invite EVERYONE to run, jog, or walk the Downtown Yakima Mile. With 11 heats it is our sincere hope that you find a race that suits you or better yet challenges you. We welcome people of all ages, cultures, genders, and abilities. We truly want members of the whole community to join us!

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Ultimately, whether you are a participant or spectator at the Downtown Yakima Mile, you are expressing your commitment to fostering a healthy community where everyone feels inspired and welcomed, with a little healthy competition mixed in!

THE FASTEST MILE IN WASHINGTON

Downtown Yakima Mile Women's Record
August 28th, 2021- Nikki Hiltz 4:21

Downtown Yakima Mile Men's Record 
June 8, 2019 - Amos Bartelsmeyer 3:51.76 

The Downtown Yakima Mile is proud to partner with Bring Back The Mile on its mission to elevate and celebrate The Mile.  For more information on Bring Back the Mile and upcoming runs across the United States, visit their website.