The McCabe Mile is a grueling one mile course consisting of 18 laps around the basement of McCabe library, located on Swarthmore College Campus. This race tests not only running endurance, but also the athlete's ability to make 72-90 degree turns on tacky orange carpet. In addition, it is a match of aggression as throngs of athletes compete for the limited running space in the narrow corridors of McCabe's basement.

The race was first held by two "Sewer Rat" Swatties (students who studied in the basement). In the spring of 1970 Dave Johnson and Peter Gould decided that six hours of studying was enough...they needed a release...they needed to run. And where better than in their natural environment, the library. So the two young men began to measure out a mile and determined that 18 laps=1 mile of orange carpet. So at 10:00 p.m., after the library staff had retired for the day, they pulled out their running shoes, and started the clock. The following year, eighteen people showed up to participate when a friend hung a sign in the dining hall advertising the event.

What began as a student prank has developed into one of the most sacred traditions on Swarthmore campus. Thirty years later the McCabe mile has become notorious, gaining fame with articles in both Time and Runners World, and even a brief TV clip on the evening news.

The winner of this second phase in the Triple Crown wins a coveted roll of Scott Brand Tissue Toilet Paper, which is the envy of all other participants. This tradition started in 1974 because McCabe, who the library was named after, was also the Chairman of the Board of Scott Brand Tissues.

Another tradition, which quickly developed once the number of people who participated began to swell, was the order in which the runners were lined up at the start. Freshman who did not X-Country or Track, then Freshman who did run X-Country or Track, followed in the same order by Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. However, there is a way for one lucky individual, regardless of age or running experience, to make it to the front of the line. A single quote is read prior to the start. Any individual who can name the author immediately heads to the front. The book from which the quote is read is slammed, and the race begins.