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Endless Mileage Class of 2023 Adds 80 Members to Fast ForestPublished by
Class of 2023, featuring record-setting 80 athletes, inducted into the Fast Forest
EUGENE, Ore. – Eighty trees in the Fast Forest have been assigned to the 80 American athletes who broke the 4-minute and 4:30 barriers in the mile in 2023. This class of inductees represents the highest number of American athletes who have broken the barrier for the first time in a calendar year for both men (69) and women (11). The Fast Forest now consists of 838 trees representing each American athlete who has broken their respective barrier in the mile.
The Fast Forest, a pillar of Olympian Ben Blankenship’s non-profit organization the Endless Mileage Project, serves to recognize one of the most storied feats in track & field: the breaking of the 4-minute and 4:30 barriers in the mile. With the support of Willamalane Park and Recreation District, the Fast Forest lives within the historic orchards of Dorris Ranch. Located in Springfield, Ore., Dorris Ranch is a natural historic preservation site, living history farm, a working commercial filbert orchard, and a public park with a rich history in the Oregon running community.
Each tree in the Fast Forest is associated with an athlete via a tree tag featuring the athlete’s name, date of achievement, official time, and location of achievement. This year, the Endless Mileage Project is proud to have partnered with the Agency at Connected Lane County to produce aluminum tree tags, which will be better able to withstand weather while still being made from an infinitely recyclable material.
All the wooden tree tags at Dorris Ranch will eventually be replaced with aluminum tags thanks to the efforts of the Agency. The Agency is a paid work experience that provides youth with the opportunity to grow and further develop skills learned in previous Connected Lane County programs. By completing small-batch projects for local businesses and nonprofits, youth learn essential job skills to succeed in real-world industries.
The Fast Forest can be fully explored on the Endless Mileage Project website. Those wishing to interact with the Fast Forest in person should note that parts of Dorris Ranch, including the orchards and nature trails, are currently closed due to recent icy conditions; tree tags for the Class of 2023 will be hung in the coming months when the trees can be accessed safely.
Fans are encouraged to follow @Endless_Mileage on Twitter and Instagram, and Endless Mileage on Facebook and LinkedIn. To learn more about the Endless Mileage Project, visit endlessmileage.org.
Congratulations to the Fast Forest Class of 2023, which follows in chronological order:
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