By Chris Cassidy
SALEM — Tonight marks the annual Derby Mile Road Race, or as David O'Meara calls it, Mile 23.
The 46-year-old New Hampshire native is trying to run the equivalent of a marathon in a series of 26 one-mile road races this summer.
He started on July 1 with a milelong jaunt through Hopkinton. Since then, he's traveled throughout New England, competing in races in Mansfield, Conn., Stowe, Vt., and Loudon, N.H.
Of course, there's a twist: O'Meara hopes to cover all 26.2 miles in a cumulative time of two hours, 11 minutes — or an average of less than five minutes per mile.
The 0.2 part consists of an Aug. 30 sprint down Boylston Street, mirroring the Boston Marathon's famous finish line.
Tonight, O'Meara hopes to break 4:56 in the Derby Mile (he finished third last year), which starts near the power plant and ends near Pickering Wharf.
So far, just over 300 runners have registered for the race, according to Doug Bollen, the city's park, Recreation & Community Services director.
"We set a record on pre-entries," Bollen said.
All the race proceeds go back to the recreation department.
The race starts at 7 p.m., and runners can register right up until race time. There will be a post-race function at the Salem Waterfront Hotel, and Salem Trolley will shuttle runners back to their cars at the starting line.
Meanwhile, O'Meara, who says he didn't start running until he was 36, is also a motivational speaker who tries to teach older runners how to avoid injury, recover more quickly and run at their fastest pace.
His advice to those 30 and older is to spend the time and money on massage therapy and explore the world of running products, like specialized socks that help blood flow or devices that help stretch muscles.
"I wish I could say that breaking five miles at my age is easy, but it's not," O'Meara said. "It takes a lot of focus."
