Noah Breker to Run the Mile at 2023 Drake Relays

Apr 27, 2023

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In a one-off event at the 2023 Drake Relays, there will be an elite high school boys and girls mile event that will pit some of the best of the best of the midwest in a premier race on the blue oval at Drake. The only Minnesotan in that elite field is Robbinsdale Armstrong senior Noah Breker.

The boys race is loaded with elite talent from sub-four-minute miler Simeon Birnbaum, Dowling Catholic great Jackson Heidesch, and Kansas indoor mile record holder Clay Shively. It is sure to be a quick race with not only some of the best distance runners in the Midwest, but some of the best in the whole country.

"I'm excited to dip myself into a race alongside some of the best milers in the nation and see where I'm at in hopes of a fast time" said Breker.

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Elite High School Boys Mile Entries

Athlete	School	State	Mile PR
Simeon Birnbaum	Rapid City Stevens	SD	3:59.51
Jackson Heidesch	Dowling Catholic	IA	4:02.25
Clay Shively	Wichita Trinity Academy	KS	4:04.95
Wyatt Haughton	Shawnee Mission East	KS	4:10.42
Andrew Hauser	Rock Bridge	MO	4:10.61
Noah Breker	Robbinsdale Armstrong	MN	4:10.71
Hobbs Campbell	Joplin	MO	4:10.83
Ford Washburn	Iowa City High	IA	4:13.43
Dan Watcke	Hinsdale Central	IL	4:15.52
Caden Peters	Shawnee Mission East	KS	4:21.27
Carson Lane	Johnston	IA	4:22.84

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Looking at the field and how it's filled with elite talent, might this be the meet where Breker could challenge the Minnesota state mile record?

Top 5 All-Time Minnesota Boys Mile Times

Rank	Athlete	Time	Year
1	Rob Finnerty	4:01.09	2008
2	Joe Klecker	4:04.13	2015
3	Garry Bjorklund	4:05.10	1969
4	Jaret Carpenter	4:05.73	2016
5	Jordan Carlson	4:07.18	2008

Breker's current best mile time is 4:10.71, but he has shown the ability to show up at big races when faced against elite competition. An example of that would be at this year's New Balance Nationals Indoor where he set new PRs in the mile and 2-mile where he ran against most of the competition he will face at the Drake Relays.

He would have to improve his mile time drastically to challenge the record, but at the very least he is set up in a good position to challenge for a top-five all-time mark. If there is any meet where a Minnesota boy might challenge, this would be a good opportunity against Birnbaum, Heidesch, and Shively.