OT - The Naked Mile

Pretty sure it was still going in some iteration when I was in law school, because my friend got arrested for running it on a skateboard. But it peaked in 1999, my Junior year, as described. Probably a good thing the Internet was in its infancy at the time and it attracted more creeps on campus than even the Ohio game. So there was that. 

Of course, it's just a coincidence that the tradition abruptly ended around the same time the internet and low-cost digital cameras became a thing.

I ran in April '95 (freshman) and April '98. I barely remember '95. The 1997-98 school year was a special time to be a senior at Michigan -- debatably, it was the best school year ever. National Champions in both football and hockey. Basketball was B1G tournament champs. Life was grand. We were on the top of the world, and we were SENIORS!

Like others who ran in '98, I eventually ended up inside the law library partying (naked) on top of one of the study tables. I remember the look of disbelief on the actual students. That is a unique memory that will never be repeated. 

My enduring memory from '98 was a sign of the times. During the first part of the run on South University, near the tunnel entrance to the Diag, I remember jogging at a fairly slow pace. I remember seeing someone with a large, expensive camera with an extended lens. Instinctually, I remember bashing the camera out of the person's hands and then going into full sprint mode for the next 100 yards or so. Do I feel bad that I ruined someone's camera ... absolutely not. The Naked Mile wasn't ruined by the "woke" crowd, or the "puritan" crowd, or the litigious crowd. It was ruined by scumbags with cameras who felt the need to publish anything and everything on the then burgeoning internet. Remember, in 1998, the internet was still a relatively new concept. The Naked Mile should have been a fun tradition without lifelong evidence attached. But we can't have nice things. 

I was at the last one that was somewhat organized in 2001. I remember there being cameramen all over and the administration cracked down hard. I believe there was an "underground" one the following year but it was small packs of people running random routes all over campus. I don't recall hearing anything about it after that.

Was a freshman the last year it happened, and a bunch of us got pretty inebriated and went for it. Guys and girls stripped down in a friend's University Towers apartment and picked up the run on South U. Made it to the cube and ended up being a pretty wild night. 

Some of the ladies we ran with were very unhappy to find photos of themselves online the next day...

My only experience streaking was in HS when my stupid friends and I ran out his house late at night to the end of his road and then back down to his culdesac. We got back inside his house and looked out the front windows to see his 80 year old neighbor had been walking his dog and witnessed the whole thing. 

I ran it 95-97

During my freshman year (74) streaking was still a thing. I remember being at the Campus Corner when 30 or so students, half of them women ran through the store nude. I decided right then and there that college was going to be fun.

Well after my time. Regardless, I would have "declined the opportunity". :-)

HS English prof - from the last century - used to tell us to not do anything "untoward" in public, citing the need to avoid disturbing and/or stampeding the horses. He would end his lesson with "if necessary, just get a room". Wise words.

This "tradition" actually started in the late '80's. I think it was my sophomore year. Back then, the course was simply through the Diag and did not include South U. I ran it my senior year in '90. It was fairly well attended, but nothing like the late '90's. 

I didn't attend it again until '98. I was stunned at how big it had become. South U was completely packed and there were thousands of runners. Yeah, technology, the internet, and gross dudes ruined it for everyone. Probably for the best. 

It ran in 2000 April. I have heard from a friend of a friend. No, I was not a runner or a spectator of the said event. 

Funny story somewhat on topic: I was moving into Couzens on my first day in the fall of '96. My mom and grandma were helping. Almost immediately after we park and get out of the car, a naked hippie dude comes running down the middle of Ann St.. Welcome to Ann Arbor! 

My roommates and I painted our faces like Braveheart and ran in 1999. Every once in a while we'd throw our heads back and yell, "FREEDOM!"

We started at The Rock, ran across the M, and sang the Victors on the steps of the Art Museum, just as God intended. I remember at one point running behind someone who was costumed with Austin Powers glasses and INTENSE chest hair. I think he had a boombox playing the theme. 

From there, I separated with my friends and meandered through Angell Hall, shocked that there were kids doing homework. I was approached a few times by folks who wanted to pose with me for pictures, and by a few clothed girls who offered hugs and thanked me and the rest of the naked people for making Michigan special. 

I spent the rest of the night in boxers and Braveheart facepaint crashing every party I could find (and being a little disappointed that there were not more). Every door was open to me that night.

The run was great -- it was a way for seniors to say, "I don't care about the rules, I can do anything!" A relic from a bygone era, it is something that we will never see again.

Did it senior year. I enjoyed it a little too much, and continued to lead a small faction into Angell Hall’s computing lab (which is where I was the year before, toiling away on a final paper as several naked people ran by). 

But there were already bad elements that year. My friends saw a bunch of frat bros maliciously trip and then beat up one runner when he complained.

The internet has changed the world.  It is not always for the better.      

I was a course assistant while in grad school in the late '80s. I remember one of my students talking about it during office hours. Must have been during exam prep. He said his fraternity had a great viewing area staked out that night, but it was mostly about getting drunk and just about everyone who ran was male. He thought the appeal was just to blow off some steam right before finals. Obviously it grew a lot after that and received national attention (the American Pie franchise even did a movie related to it, long after it stopped). It apparently started where the fraternity row meets South U, straight shot to the Diag arch. The Mud Bowl was ideal for that.

IIRC, the naked mile was ended by the same legislation that tempered the couch burning riots at MSU.  

Living in Seattle, we have a naked bike ride on the summer solstice. It’s a great event that precedes a parade and it’s hilarious. Most participants are covered in paint, many wear masks/costumes, and there are a plenty of cameras. I think there are creative ways to adjust the baked mile  to address weirdos with cameras. 

I attended from 98-03.  IIRC my first two years I was a "spectator" but did not run.  Both times stood right by the engineering arch on the way to the ugli.  I remember specifically the 2nd year (99) there was a creepy middle aged dude that was filming and people were calling him out.  My buddies and I kind of figured it was the beginning of the end after that.  

Public nudity was not a thing in the mid 80's when I was in school. Aside from the groping and middle aged men filming it, sounds hilarious. There's an annual naked bike ride in downtown Chicago, which I have never been to. Seems pretty uncomfortable and to be honest, it's usually the people you don't want to see naked who participate. 

I ran it along with others on the Michigan Track team (men's and women's were both represented) back in 1990.

I remember it was cold and we were all fairly sober.  We were thoroughbreds.

One of my prized possessions was a "Naked Mile" t-shirt that had ancient Greek running figures on it. VERY cool artwork/design on that shirt. 

Alas, I lost that shirt sometime around 15-20 years ago.

I was a freshman in 2007 so it was gone by the time I was there.  Sad to see some good clean college fun disappear.  

Why not just have runners wear ski masks and proceed?

<nvm>

I ran it, it was fun (1997 or 1998)...one lady with giant boobs wrapped them in saran wrap, which I thought was clever...thats it....oh wait, I do recall creepy middle aged guys with video cameras - I did not like that

I was there from 93-97 and as a freshman found myself stunned that such a thing existed and thought it was a cool college tradition that I was proud of.  I went the next couple of years but saw it getting more and more creepy.  Too often the crowd was so large and congested that it forced the participants to get stuck and just slowly walk by everyone awkwardly.  Then the cameras started showing up and it became less about the fun and freedom of college and more about seeing naked drunk people.  

I was on campus as it was dying out.  My freshman year it was still big, but the creepy people with cameras were out in force, and IIRC even one of the local news stations was covering it.    Sophomore year it was in decline - I think there were now warnings from the administration about participating - and after that year, it was basically dead as an organized event.  There would be a few random groups running during the last week of class (not necessarily on the last day), going on their own routes through campus.  It was never again a campus-wide thing.   

Was going to run in 1998, after seeing friends and classmates run the 3 prior years…but then the Internet had just blown up, and unlike the 3 prior years, tons of professional video cameras were set up to record the ‘98 run and we backed out.  

My most memorable moment was the first one I attended (1996), someone ran with "Thank You Manitoba" painted on their chest (or back...it was dark). It was right after the Red Wings beat Winnipeg in the playoffs, and would be the last game in Manitoba until the Jets moved back there. Fortunately, I never saw anyone running that I knew. Again, it was dark, so maybe I did, but thankfully I didn't recognize them.

Ran it in 95, I honestly didn't really plan to, just got really drunk with friends and next thing I know we are running/walking down South U.  Ran through the law quad right past a bunch of Chi O's I knew because I used to work at their house for meal service was not a bit embarrassed.  Then onto the law library standing on top of the tables with students trying to study (sorry guys).  A naked guy with his trombone, I'm guessing from the band, starts playing the Victors and we all sang it.   It was awesome!!

Ran in ‘99. Quite a dose of liquid courage and ran it with a few friends. Awesome experience before all the pervs and camcorders ruined it.
 

Was “running” and high giving everyone down South U when I realized it was the only one in the direct area — was running last of 3 friends and no one was close to me either in front or behind. Then took off and started running fast to catch up to everyone just to run into a traffic jam in the tunnel leading into the Diag and literally ran right into my buddy. I’m about 8 inches taller than him so no harm, no foul. Other friend did something similar at another traffic jam but emerged with a black eye.  spun the cube, got dressed and hung around talking with friends/runners/etc before hitting the bars.  great time