TrackSmith Releases Mini-Documentary On New Year's Eve Attempt

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

It was about a month ago when Nick Willis was a guest on DyeStat Discussions to talk about his New Year's Eve attempt to break four minutes in the mile for the 20th year in a row. 

At 38, Willis knew it would be no easy task. 

The Midnight Mile Gala that was originally planned to accompany the attempt was subsequently canceled due to the rising tide of Omicron COVID-19 cases in New York City. 

But Willis pressed on with the racing portion of the event, albeit in a semi-secretive way, at The Armory with his family, coaches and a few friends. 

His sponsor, TrackSmith, released an eight-minute video on the event Friday. 

"I'm still pretty proud of myself," Willis said. "This is a hard endeavor, but the four-minute mile is still means something, especially with 38-year-old legs."

Fortunately for Willis, a time of 4:00.22 indicates he could certainly keep the streak alive if he can stay healthy and find another competitive race. There is a lot of 2022 left to make that happen.