With the Maui Marathon just around the corner on September 21st, the festivities of the Marathon experience will be starting soon. One of those experiences is the 2nd Annual Front Street Mile that will be held on the 20th of September. After its inaugural race last year, the Front Street Mile was the buzz around the local running community. The one-mile street race featured youth, open, and master's athletes, from all around the Valley Isle and even the mainland. Those who were there last year can't forget the elite race that had Michael Stember, a Stanford graduate and 2000 Olympian, take the inaugural elite race and $1000 in prize money in pure theatrical form. Stember will be back this year to defend his title. This year's 2003 race will hold nothing back short of excitement again.

Inspired by local Lahaina resident and avid runner and coach, Dennis Nakamura, Hawaii Elite Track and Field Team coach and Front Street Mile Organizer, Rudy Huber, has made Nakamura's dream come true. "When Dennis and I talked about the event a few years ago, we both thought it would be a great idea to have a race on Front Street. The crowd and atmosphere on Front Street is a great place to host an event like this. This coupled with the interest of Bob Craver, Race Director of the Maui Marathon, in adding new ideas for the Maui Marathon experience, got things going." Said Huber. Last years race brought in close to 75 youth athletes from Maui, but Huber said this year's race should feature close to 200 youth athletes from the Valley Isle. "This event is for the kids. The kids don't get to showcase their abilities in front of a huge crowd like the adults do, so this is a perfect venue for them. It was very exciting last year, and I know this year's event will be very competitive and fun for the kids," said Huber. The Front Street Mile race is also being used as a scoring meet for the 2003 Valley Isle youth cross country season. All youth athletes will receive awards and certificates of participation.