Ben Silver’s legacy carries on during Ben’s Memorial Mile

Downers Grove’s Ben Silver was a lot of things – a runner, a brother, a son, a teammate, a singer, a songwriter and a poet.

With an infectious spirit, Silver carried himself with lightness, happiness, warmth and inclusivity.

He also struggled with mental health issues and took his own life in the summer of 2015 at the age of 22.

In the years since his death, his friends, family, members of the running community, area residents and a whole lot of other people have gathered once a summer to run like heck and raise money and awareness for mental health and suicide prevention in honor of Ben Silver.

“Ben was fun and this race is fun,” his mom Jamie Lee Silver said. “He walked into every room with a huge smile on his face.”

For the ninth time, race participants on Saturday, Aug. 10, will lace up their shoes and either run full out, jog or even walk to support Ben’s Memorial Mile and Festival.

This year, the race will look a little bit different.

Because of construction on the Downers Grove North track – the place where Silver honed his running and reached all-state status several times – the chipped timed race will be held on the streets of Downers Grove.

“In the past, the format was a little bit like a track meet,” said Dr. Michael Lifson, vice president and race director of Ben’s Memorial Mile.

“We figured we would switch to a road race this year,” he said, noting that one-mile road races are growing in popularity among runners.

“The day is so much fun to have everyone come out and run,” said Dr. David Lifson, who was Ben’s friend, classmate and cross country teammate as well as best friends with Ben’s older brother.

“The race is divided up into different abilities,” Lifson said. “We also try to make it a community festival.”

This year, there will be two groups for the one-mile race.

The first group will consist of runners and walkers who are slower than a 6:30 mile pace. The second group will consist of runners with an average mile pace of 6:30 or faster.

The race is free to run and participants and their supporters are welcome to donate to the cause.

Participants can buy a race T-shirt for $10.

After the race, a street festival will be held at Fishel Park and will include concessions, booths, cornhole, music and raffle items. All participants will receive one complimentary raffle ticket and can buy more.

The organization has donated more than $150,000 to support the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, an organization that awards grants that lead to advances and breakthroughs in mental health scientific research, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization.

“NAMI helped us when we were going through the thick of it with Ben,” Jamie Lee Silver said. “It was good to know we were not alone. We were deeply embroiled in trying to help our son for two and a half years. Mental illness is still a problem in this country. We are still trying to figure out how to help these people.

“But this race is all part of Ben’s story. Everyone who comes is part of his story. It is ongoing.”

Ben was a fierce athlete who was a three-time all-state competitor in cross country and a one-time all-state competitor in track and field.

Many of his outstanding performances were done with limited training because of injuries – something nearly unheard of in the ultra-competitive world of high school track.

Ben received a scholarship to run at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Before Ben’s death, his mom began to explore helping others who have suffered from tremendous loss.

“When Ben became my angel, I really had a choice. Right in front of me was this big gaping hole. I know a lot of people who have fallen down that hole,” Silver said.

Now she works as someone “who catches the hand of those who have fallen.”

The festivities kick off at 5:30 p.m. with an open/walking mile for those slower than a 6:30 pace for one mile). At 5:30 p.m., the fair opens at Fishel Park, 1047 Curtiss St. The elite mile begins at 6 p.m.

Packet pickup and same-day registration will take place by the start/finish line in the 5200 block of Lyman Avenue.