Inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile Draws Top Field in Pittsburgh

2012 USA 1 Mile road champions Miller, Kampf headline; $25,000 prize purse with $4000 for each Open race champion

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Runners in inaugural races have no race records to break or past champions to beat. At the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile on Friday, August 17, top American milers, known for chasing big dreams one mile at a time, are guaranteed to make history in Pittsburgh in the country's newest Mile race.

The 2012 USA 1 Mile road champions Heather Kampf and Craig Miller headline the deep elite field. Miller, who finished 9^th in the 1500 meters at the recent Olympic Trials, will compete against other sub-4:00 American milers, including, AJ Acosta, Cory Leslie, Jeff See, Jordan McNamara, Christian Hesch and Liam Boylan-Pett.

For the women, Kampf will face tough competition from Gabriele Anderson, who finished 4th in the 1500 meters at the Olympic Trials, and Sarah Bowman, who finished 6^th in the 1500 meters at the Olympic Trials.

"For years, GNC has been the leader in providing the fuel for runners to achieve their goals, and we believe it's time that we bring the quickly emerging world of one-mile road races to Pittsburgh, our home town," said Jeff Hennion, EVP - Chief Marketing Officer & eCommerce at GNC. "To make that happen, we are proud to sponsor the inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile and launch it in a way that we expect will immediately make it one of the nation's largest."

The inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile will take place on Friday, August 17, on Pittsburgh's Liberty Avenue. The point-to-point course has a gradual rise for the first half and then rounds a slight curve toward a downhill finish. The race offers a guaranteed prize purse of $25,000 – one of the largest for the distance, including $4000 for the first place finishers in the men's and women's elite heats.

"We are thrilled to host yet another successful race, which will showcase our 'most livable' city to even more visitors and prove that we are one of the world's best running towns," said Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. "I want to thank the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. for their hard work and dedication. They continue to raise the bar on just how big of a race town our city can become." 

The Liberty Mile is a partner of the Bring Back the Milecampaign, www.bringbackthemile.com, a national movement to return the Mile to prominence in the American sports and cultural landscape by elevating and celebrating the iconic distance.

Visit www.LibertyMile.org for more information.

About Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc.
Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. is a non-profit organization that promotes the love of long-distance running and enhances community involvement in fitness activities through high quality events open to a wide variety of ages and ability levels.

NOTE:  A complete list of the elite field for the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile is below.

GNC LIVE WELL LIBERTY MILE ATHLETE LIST

(as of August 13, 2012)                    

WOMEN

MEN                                     

*denotes converted 1500m time.
**denotes converted 5000m time.

SOURCE Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc.