Naughty Mile or Nice Mile? How to Pick Your MN Mile Event
MN Mile is built as two events on one track: the Naughty Mile, a timed competitive mile, and the Nice Mile, a walk-friendly community mile for families and first-timers. The short answer is that the Naughty Mile is for anyone who wants to race the clock, and the Nice Mile is for anyone who wants to move at their own pace with people they care about. Neither one requires a running background.
What Is the Difference Between the Naughty Mile and the Nice Mile?
Both events happen on the same track, on the same day, and both end at the same finish line festival. The difference is intensity and pace, not access. The Naughty Mile is chip-timed and competitive: runners line up by pace, the clock matters, and age-group results get posted. The Nice Mile has no clock pressure at all. Kids, grandparents, first-time walkers and strollers move through it side by side, and the only goal is crossing the line together.
Who Is the Naughty Mile For?
The Naughty Mile is for people who already run, or want a real event to train toward. It draws high schoolers racing for a personal best, adults chasing a sub-6 or sub-8 mile, and anyone who wants a timed result to measure themselves against. Community showing up to watch and cheer is part of what makes the Naughty Mile feel bigger than a solo training run: the same crowd that lines the Nice Mile course an hour later is often out there cheering the competitive heats too.
Who Is the Nice Mile For?
The Nice Mile is for everyone else, which is most people. Families push strollers. Kids run ahead and circle back. First-timers who have never done an organized event walk it start to finish with friends. There is no pace requirement and no pressure to run the whole way. The point of the Nice Mile is the same reason MN Mile exists at all: getting people outside, moving, and doing it in community instead of alone.
What Happens After the Race?
Both events feed into the same finish-line festival: food, local vendor tables, music and a place for finishers and their families to hang around instead of heading straight to the car. The festival is where the two groups actually mix, Naughty Mile racers cooling down next to Nice Mile families grabbing snacks, which is by design. MN Mile is one community event with two ways in, not two separate races that happen to share a parking lot.
How Do I Decide Which One to Run?
If you are asking whether you are “fast enough” for the Naughty Mile or “fit enough” for the Nice Mile, that question answers itself: the Nice Mile has no fitness bar to clear, and the Naughty Mile welcomes anyone willing to line up regardless of pace group. The honest way to choose is by what you want out of the morning. Want a timed result and a competitive field? Naughty Mile. Want to bring your kids, your parents, or a friend who has never done an event like this before? Nice Mile. Plenty of families do both, one person racing the Naughty Mile while the rest of the group walks the Nice Mile an hour later.
There is also no wrong answer here, and no need to decide alone. A lot of first-time participants ask a friend who has already run MN Mile which one they picked, and that conversation usually settles it faster than any pace chart. If your goal is simply to do something hard, be outside, and be around people instead of isolated on a random Saturday, both events deliver that, one with a stopwatch and one without.
| Naughty Mile | Nice Mile | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Chip-timed, competitive | Untimed, walk-friendly |
| Who it’s for | Runners, racers, anyone chasing a result | Families, first-timers, kids, all ages |
| Pace | Lined up by expected pace | Whatever pace works for your group |
| Strollers and kids | Not the focus | Welcome and common |
| What you get | Official time and age-group results | A finisher experience with no clock |
Movement done together, whether it is a timed mile or a walk with your kids, is a big part of what Let’s Fuel Growth builds MN Mile around: getting people out of isolation and into a community that shows up for each other. The CDC’s own research on physical activity backs up what MN Mile families already notice on race day, that moving with other people is one of the simplest ways to feel better, not just get fitter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run both the Naughty Mile and the Nice Mile?
Yes. Many MN Mile participants race the Naughty Mile and then walk the Nice Mile with family afterward. The events are scheduled back to back on the same day for exactly that reason.
Is there an age minimum for the Naughty Mile?
The Naughty Mile skews toward high school age and up, but the real requirement is willingness to race in a timed, competitive field. Check the current year’s event details on the MN Mile details page for the exact age guidance for that year.
Do I need running experience for the Nice Mile?
No. The Nice Mile is built for people who have never done an organized event. Walking the entire mile is completely normal and most participants do exactly that.
Where and when does MN Mile happen?
MN Mile runs annually at the Minnetonka High School track. Dates and registration for the next event are posted on the events page as soon as they are set.
Want to be part of the next MN Mile before it is announced? Volunteer with Let’s Fuel Growth or see how this year’s event came together to get a feel for race day before you sign up.
Let’s Fuel Growth runs events, summits and expeditions that put people in the same room doing hard things together. Come find your people.