NEWBURYPORT — When running a competitive mile, there is as much strategy and preparation as a marathon.

With the 2009 High Street mile tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., the runner with the best strategy remains to be seen.

The High Street mile is divided into four races: the girls youth race begins at 10 a.m. and is followed by the boys youth race. The women's race, which includes the open division and masters, will be third, and lastly, the men's open division and masters.

"There is a ton of strategy," said Chris Kealey, currently in his fifth year as race director and 16th as a contestant.

If you're out to win tomorrow's High Street mile, Kealey offers the following advice.

"Get out fast — but not too fast," he said.

Kealey has raced in 15 of the 18 runnings of the High Street mile and has seen the most seasoned milers falter.

"I've heard horror stories about people who get out too fast and just die in the end," Kealey said. "It can be a miserable experience.

"It's really all about running an even race. I would advise all newcomers not to get caught up in the beginning but to excel in the back half of the race."

Kealey explained that if a runner can get away from the pack and cover the first 200 meters in 29 seconds, that's about as perfect a start as one could get.

However, jumping off to a good start is easier said than done — the starting line is like Hodgie's Ice Cream on a 90-degree evening.

"I've seen runners get tripped up in the beginning, and it can really spoil your entire race," Kealey said.

Make no mistake, the mile is competitive: World class athletes are on hand, and there is a purse to be won.

Hit the turn at the 3/4-mile mark

At about the ¾-mile mark, High Street bends slightly to the right and keeping tight on the turn is a must. Unlike a track, there are no markers and no bounce to your step. Runners must also rely on instinct.

This is also the stage where the elite runners discover how much energy they have remaining and when they should kick into a higher gear.

The course, certified by USA Track and Field, is as flat as they come; the high and low points of the course are no more than 18 inches.

Capitalize on the adrenaline over the last 200 meters

One of the greatest things about the High Street mile is the hundreds of spectators lining the course. The roar over the last 200 meters is, to a lesser degree, mindful of the final turn at the Saratoga Race Track.

Kealey believes the crowd provides a significant adrenaline rush, especially over the last leg.

"You get a burst of energy when you head toward the finish," Kealey said. "It's a lot easier to run on High Street with all those people watching than to run on a track by yourself."

But use your energy wisely, and don't be afraid to use it all.

As often as Kealey has seen runners kick too soon, he often sees them kick too late.

"You've got one chance to leave it out on the course," he said. "You need something in the tank, and you want to make sure it's gone. Watch anyone compete in track and field, even the most elite athletes. A lot of them drop to the ground. You should feel like you have an empty tank, basically."

A who's who of elite runners expected

There will not be a repeat of the 2008 open women's and men's races, as Amy Mortimer, who breezed to a record time of 4:32, has opted not to return. The men's winner, Kurt Benninger, who at 4:04 came within one second of matching Eric Nadeau's course record set in 1995, is nursing a back injury.

Still, the divisions are as competitive as ever.

"On the men's side, we probably have 10 guys who have run sub-four minute miles on the track," Kealey said.

A host of former champions look to regain the crown in the open divisions: Abyiot Endale, the 2007 champion and 2008 runner-up, is expected to be among the favorites. The Ethiopia native represents the renowned Westchester (NY) Track Club and recently won the San Francisco Half Marathon last weekend in 1:07.36; 2004 and 2005 champion, Kevin Alliette of Methuen, who captured the Yankee Homecoming 5K Tuesday night in 15:45, finished fourth last year in 4:14.

Kealey is also hoping to have Englishman Tim Bayley, a former standout at Iona College who recently won the Puma Mile at the Mount San Antonio College Relays in 4:01, to land a contract with Puma.

Locally, former Pentucket standout, Eric McDonald, a sophomore at UMass Lowell and runner up in Tuesday's 5K, is also confirmed.

Highlighting the women's division thus far is Argentinian Claudia Camargo, who won the title in 2006 (4:45) and finished runner-up to Mortimer last year (4:48).

Also confirmed is Marissa Ryan, a medical student at Boston University, who recently ran a 4:46 mile, and won the Rhody 5K in 17:22.

Additionally, Pentucket senior Alana Poretta, 17, is also among the favorites, as she took fifth last year with a time of 5:10; one year after winning the youth race in 5:16.

More Incentives to Be Had

In addition to the $400, $300 and $200 to the top three open finishers ($100 to the top male and female masters), Kealey, with the help of the Institution for Savings and running enthusiast, Lou Ristaino of East Boston, is offering $50 to the first open male and female who cross the half-mile mark in 2:00 and 2:15, respectively, and $75 for crossing the ¾-mile mark in 3:00 (men) and 3:23 (women).

Additionally, $400 will be presented to the runners who set a course record, and $200 will go to the male in the event of a sub-4:00 mile and the female for a sub-4:30 mile.

"One could conceivably walk away with about $1,200," Kealey said.