Reminiscing Ed Murphey’s Iconic Race

^{July 12, 2025 | Edition #154}

👋 Hey, Speedsters!

After a thrilling Monaco Diamond League show, we also had the first day of the Ed Murphey Classic 2025 on July 11. Three events concluded, and one of them was the Mile race. But did you know how it came to be a part of this event? Head to story 1! Also, we have a lot in store for day 2 on Sunday. If you didn’t know already, Quincy Wilson is coming, and it’s not going to be easy for him! And how can you witness all the fun? We’ve given you all the details in story 3! Sop hop on…

🌟 Track Stories

How A Coach Revived the Mile Race!

One day, a high school track and field coach thought, if football had Friday night lights and basketball gave young stars, why couldn’t running do this? However, he soon realized running was seen as a punishment, not a passion. And he took up the task! 

Nick Dwyer was the high school coach and the head of Memphis Youth Athletics, where over 1500 student-athletes from three states participated. That's when, inspired by a 2-mile high school race, he decided to elevate the event with a Mile professional race to inspire the youth to participate in the sport…

They named the event after Tennessee track legend Ed Murphey, known for running consistent 4:10 miles while chasing the elusive sub-4 barrier. Soon, this initiative received support, and more than $10,000 was raised, enough to cover athlete travel and build a prize purse. That’s how the Ed Murphey Mile was born. And then...

On August 26, 2017, under the lights at Christian Brothers High School at 9:00 PM, the first-ever Ed Murphey Mile was run. That's when NIKE’s Craig Engels crossed the line in 3:58.35, making history. Two others also dipped under the mark that night, forever changing the city’s running legacy. Until then, no one had ever run a sub-4 mile on Memphis soil. Don’t know how the event looks? Watch a recap of the iconic 2024 Women’s Mile here! That's how it started, and here's how it's going....

July 11, 2025, the 9th edition of Ed Murphey Classic featured the Beale Street Murphey Mile, a 1-mile road race where 81 finishers crossed the finish line, led by Kyle Rock in 04:50.3. The event was followed by the men's and women's professional mile races. In the former, 7 men ran while just 4 finished with Jed Helker on top in 04:25.5s. And the women's race featured 3 participants, but only Maria Seykora finished crossing the finish line in 05:18.6. Thus, just a wish by a track enthusiast was enough to transform the sport...

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📈 Trending News

Quincy Wilson To Face a Mega Battle!

Do you think all eyes are going to be on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on day 2 of the Ed Murphery Classic, starting shortly? Think again as the men's invitational 400m field features teen prodigy, Quincy Wilson, and he has a tough test to pass!

The 17-year-old Wilson will be racing against the Tokyo 400m Olympic gold medalist, Steven Gardiner. The Bahamian athlete is the 2019 world champion and the fastest 400m runner in the Bahamas with 43.48s. Also, Gardiner hadn't lost a single 400m race since 2017. However, this season is a different story! He backed out of the GST Miami due to illness. Then at GST Philadelphia, he finished dead last, breaking his 8-year-long winning streak. Disappointment! Thus, he will definitely be looking for redemption....

But Wilson looks all prepared! After all, he hasn’t lost an outdoor 400m all season. However, his season best of 45.27 is slightly behind Gardiner’s 45.18. So, when he lines up in lane 5, right next to Gardiner in 6, the race could go either way. However, the most exciting part is that some of Quincy’s rivals are showing up...

Bryce Deadmon and Will Sumner would line up to make things tough for Wilson. Well, earlier this year, Sumner handed defeat to Wilson in the 600m short track at the Millrose Games. Wilson got his revenge by beating Sumner in the 400m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, watch it below!

Speaking of Bryce Deadmon, the last time he faced Quincy in 2024, he lost by 0.03s. Now both these phenoms, plus Gardiner, are coming to Ed Murphey. So, will a double revenge be on Wilson's mind or defeating a former Olympic champ? Well, we will have to wait for the race….

Watch: Wilson Leaving Bryce Deadmon In Dust!

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🎖️ Beyond The Medals

What Makes The Ed Murphey Classic Special!

This year, as the 9th Annual Ed Murphey Classic, officially categorized as a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event, is unfolding in Memphis, here are a few details to prove how iconic it is!

The 2025 Ed Murphey Classic features both World Athletics Continental Tour Silver (Category B) events as well as World Athletics Category F Events, for collegiate and post-collegiate athletes. Also, over the years, some wild records have been set, such as Twanisha Terry's 2022 women's 100m record. Alaysha Johnson and Jasmine Camacho Quinn combined hold the 12.43 100m hurdles record. Whereas, Joe Kovacs has the men's shot put record of 21.88m from 2022. And this year, a lot of these meet records are on watch! But there's more....

The Ed Murphey Classic is a sports festival. There’s music, food trucks, merchandise, and even a trackside after-party with a live DJ open to fans and athletes. So, it’s a celebration of sports and culture! And, this year, gets even more exciting as Craig Engels is returning, but in a new event: the Men’s 1500m. Also, watch this tight battle in the men’s 1500m last year! Wondering how you can watch all this?

Well, you can tune in to the live event stream on YouTube via channels like FloTrack, American Track League, and Total Running Productions. It’s also available on USATF TV (but for subscribers only). And while the event officially begins at 12 PM CST, here are some must-watch events:

6:30 PM Pro Women’s 200m - Favor Ofili's race!
8:15 PM Jim Mathis INVITE Men’s 400m - Quincy Wilson's race!
8:45 PM Ed Murphey PRO Men’s 1500m - Craig Engels’ race!
9:15 PM Invitational Women’s 400m - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s race!
6:30 PM USATF PRO Men’s Discus - Roje Stona’s event!
8:15 PM USATF PRO Men’s Shot Put - Rajindra Campbell’s event!

Watch: Andre DeGrasse’s Crazy Ed Murphey Classic Win!

📊 POLL OF THE DAY

Last Poll Result: We asked you, “Who Will Win the Monaco 200m Showdown?” Well folks, this time it was a big miss— as nearly 60% of you said, “Letsile Tebogo,” would win! But as the verdict is out, Noah Lyles stands at the top! However, can we blame you? Not at all! Tebogo’s form this season is undeniable strong, whereas it was Noah’s first 200m this season. One thing’s certain, though: Monaco was a thriller. If you missed even a second of it, don’t worry — our Monaco DL Recap has you covered.

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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