This past Saturday, the State of Delaware finally saw its first official sub-4:00 minute mile - a feat that has eluded our state for decades! An electric crowd of Tatnall families, generous donors, and running enthusiasts from all over the Tri-State area surrounded the new Tatnall Track to roar in unison as that feat was accomplished by our very own Sam Parsons '12 during the Delaware Mile Challenge.
"There was no denying me of making history today; heart pulled me through the race," said Sam Parson's '12 after breaking the state record at the Delaware Mile Challenge on his home track at Tatnall this past weekend. Read more from Delaware Online about Sam Parsons and his account of this incredible evening.
To say the Delaware Mile Challenge was a huge success would be an understatement.
With a crowd of about 750 people, this event was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle of athleticism and community.
The event featured a series of mile races with divisions ranging from children to adults. It was impressive to see multiple heats for each age range and reminded most in attendance that running a sub-4-minute mile is insanely difficult. However, despite the threat of bad weather and a blistering wind that seemingly prevented anyone from getting comfortable, the warmth and energy of the Tatnall community was apparent.
This occasion allowed Tatnall to highlight our elite facilities, athletes, and coach Pat Castagno. As many of us know, Pat is a big name in the running community, and we were able to surprise him by dedicating our newly renovated track facilities in his honor! During the dedication, we were also to extend our gratitude to our loyal donors, families, and community who supported Coach Castagno's vision to transform the Tatnall Track into one of the finest outdoor facilities in Delaware.
After a day of successful races from middle school, high school, community, and masters races, the track's lights began to slowly light as the crowd was invited to the track to cheer the elite runners up close. The atmosphere was electric as Molly Sughroue of Colorado Springs Track Club destroyed the women's state record by 10 seconds with a time of 4:34:56. Then Sam finished the night with a new Delaware record, and Casey Comber, at his heels, finished with a time under 4 minutes. See the full results.
Tatnall is so incredibly proud and thankful for all our Track and Field Coaches, Athletic Department, Operations Department, Development Office, Marketing and Communications team, and parent volunteers for all their hard work that truly has put Tatnall at the forefront of everyone's minds! We also want to thank all of the generous donors in this community who made this track renovation possible, and for whom "running at Tatnall" will always be a defining experience.
