CHARLEVOIX -- The Golden Mile at the Cherry Festival may be gone, but a replacement is on its way.
Saturday will mark the first running of the Ryan Shay Mile as part of the Venetian Festival's morning of foot races.
"We wanted it to be a special event," said race director Matt Peterson, a former cross country coach at East Jordan for 16 years. "And we thought what better person to honor than one of northern Michigan's best."
An elite runner with numerous accomplishments off and on the track, Shay collapsed and died during the Olympic marathon trials in New York on Nov. 3.
Banners advertising the run hang over Charlevoix and Shay's hometown of Central Lake, bearing a photo of the distance runner.
The annual Jeff Drenth Memorial 5K and 10K races will be held at 9 a.m., in honor of the former Charlevoix runner who died during training in 1986.
Peterson, Charlevoix athletic director Doug Drenth and Doug Bergman, whose company is fronting the $4,000 in prize money, came up with the idea.
"Matt used to watch Ryan run in high school," said Ryan's father, Joe. "And Doug (Bergman) said to me, 'It's amazing. I'm up here so much and run so much, but I didn't get to know him.'"
The mile will feature 11 runners in both the men's and women's races, including 2004 Olympian (1,500 meters) Grant Robinson and NAIA 1,500-meter national champion Derek Scott. The women's field is headed by Grand Valley State multiple All-American Mandi Zemba, who made it the 5,000 Olympic trials, and Michigan grad and all-Big Ten runner Andrea Parker.
"It couldn't happen at a better place," Joe Shay said. "Northern Michigan is Ryan's home. He loved it here. His favorite place (to train) was the Jordan Valley. He loved the people up here; they were so supportive. This is where it should be."
The field is closed for the mile, but 5K and 15K are still open for registration.
"Even if you're not a runner, you'll be amazed at how fast these runners are," Peterson said.
This is the latest in a number of Ryan Shay memorials.
Shoe and apparel maker Saucony recently unveiled the Ryan Shay Product Creation Center at the company's headquarters in Lexington, Mass., and the introduction of new Shay XC cross country spikes.
Joe Shay attended the 20,000-meter nationals in New Haven, Conn., where the event and awards were being named after Ryan.
Ryan Shay was also inducted into the Gate River Run Hall of Fame in Jacksonville, Fla. Shay won the race in 2005.
Shay is also featured in a new book by Runner's World executive editor Ambrose Burfoot on the Olympic marathon trials in New York.
Mile style
WHAT: Ryan Shay Memorial Mile and Jeff Drenth Memorial 5K and 10K races.
WHEN: 5K and 10K start at 9 a.m. Saturday (registration 6:30-8:30 a.m.); the mile event is at 10:30 a.m. (men) and 10:40 a.m. (women), followed by the Venetian Parade at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Bridge Street, downtown Charlevoix.
INFO: www.runmichigan.com and click on Venetian Festival ad, or call race director Matt Peterson at (231) 547-3407.
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