Jonathan Davis, Yared Nuguse, Sean McGorty Lead Men's Field at Raleigh; Nikki Hiltz, 2021 Runner-Up, Returns Looking For Win

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Another big, energetic crowd and elite fields are on tap for Friday's eighth Sir Walter Miler in Raleigh, N.C. 

Meet organizer Pat Price said Thursday that an additional donor had stepped up and pledged $5,000 for a North Carolina soil record in either the men's or women's miles. 

The fields include Olympians from four countries. Sean McGorty was a recent participant in the 10,000 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore. 

The Sir Walter Miler, a weekend running celebration in North Carolina, will seek to ride some of the post-World Championships wave of track and field enthusiasm.

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"People that are casual observers care about track right now and a lot of that is because of World Championships," Price said. "Having someone like Sean McGorty in the field, it's easy to explain to the average fan."

McGorty is one of several men in the field who have an eye on the bonus for running faster than the 3:53.86 that Lopez Lomong ran in 2018. U.S. 1,500-meter runner-up Jonathan Davis, who joined the Atlanta Track Club's elite team this week, ran 3:33.81 on July 15 in Los Angeles. 

Yared Nuguse ran 3:34.95 last weekend to win the mile at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

Jye Edwards from Australia is on his way back from injury but has run 3:49.27.

Isaiah Harris will be the rabbit and has been tasked with running a 3:50 pace.  

The record on the women's side is swift. Shannon Rowbury ran 4:22.66 in 2015 in an indoor mile at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem. 

Athletes will also have an eye on the 1,500-meter split with the re-opening of the qualification window for the 2023 World Championships. 

Recent college grads Christina Aragon (Stanford) and Katie Camarena (UCSB/Portland State) join veterans Nikki Hiltz, Eleanor Fulton, Gabbi Jennings and Charlene Lipsey. 

Hiltz finished second last year behind Josette Norris. 

Jennings ran a personal-best 4:08.63 for sixth place last weekend at the Ed Murphey Classic's elite 1,500 meters.