The Swedish American Hospital State Street Mile is an amazing race. I ran this as a kid, and had not contemplated running it as an adult until a friend recommended it. Initially, I thought I would run for fun with my kiddo, but my competitive spirit got the best of me. I did some time trials in the weeks just before the race to see if I could sustain any type of a sprint for the distance. I truly did not appreciate the work that went into sprinting full charge for one whole mile! But it was an amazing experience, and thanks to the level and slight downhill (though USATF approved) course, I finished faster than I had hoped for. There are several "heats" to the race. It is fun to watch the Wildcats (kids running club) and the High School competitive kids run for qualifiying times (close to 4:00), and the Masters run just before competing in the "Open" heat. They finish off with a little kids sprint across the State Street bridge and they get a ribbon. There were plenty of prizes, especially if you were a USATF member. The food options for purchase were not the greatest, but the downtown Rockford area offers many options. Also, since the race is held on a Saturday evening, it's nice to stick around and eat, drink, or go out, and you shouldn't be too worn out! T-shirts were simple cotton, but the race fee was incredibly cheap. I would highly recommend this if you're looking for a mile challenge that is USATF certified and you'll be in the Rockford area. Times are charted by finish cross, no chip.