Epi. 134-The Night Of Magical Metric Miles (1,500m Night) With Isaiah Frielink And Lucia Stafford

The Terminal Mile

Whether you’re just trying out your first pair of track spikes, or you’re running at the world championships, for most runners inclined that way, it all traces back to the twilight meet. These “all-comer” affairs provide the venue for testing tactics, setting personal bests and pretty much everything in between. While twilights can often be a local affair, maybe featuring clubs from a few towns over, there is one such meet in London, Ontario that has grown into something a lot more. 1,500m Night put on by London Runner, as part of the Runner’s Choice London Runner Distance Series, is, as the name suggests, an evening of strictly 1,500s, with seed times ranging from 8 minutes flat to 3:40. This year’s iteration featured over 400 runners from 4 countries and 7 provinces competing in 30 different heats, but while the stats are impressive, it's the stories that come from it that are truly memorable. Whether it be the countless tales of PBs from runners that run the range of times, or when Nicole Sifuentes looked to qualify for the 2015 World Championships with pacer Melissa Bishop, and ended up bringing a young Gabriella Stafford to her first sub-4:10 1,500 (a 4:07.44), or last years meet when the entire collective of engaged spectators got on their feet, making all sorts of noise as Corey Bellemore raced his last lap, finishing with a new PB of 3:40.1. The lore is building for this meet, which is why I felt it appropriate to bring in a couple of runners who found great success at this year’s edition. Lucia Stafford, a 4:09 1,500m runner, who has spent much of the last year bouncing back from a medical procedure, and is having one of her best seasons (as well, she is the younger sister of Olympian and national record holder Gabriella), and Isaiah Frielink, UWO standout, last year’s national junior 1,500m champ, and owner of a new 3:44 PB. Both had the fastest times at 1,500m night, and both are on the show.