MANCHESTER — The need for speed is what first fueled John Mortimer to chart a downhill course and run what evolved into the Millennium Mile.

“It was me, my brother and a buddy trying to break a 4-minute mile,” Mortimer said of the idea for what has turned into the popular New Year’s run in Londonderry.

The desire to run real fast is also very much a part of Mortimer’s newest downhill venture, Sunday morning’s inaugural HASLAW Manchester Mile, but it’s no longer just about breaking the 4-minute barrier. He said bringing families together and getting them hooked on running is a draw he hopes makes the Manchester Mile as popular as the Millennium Mile.

Mortimer’s company, Millennium Running is the event organizer, with proceeds going to benefit the YMCA of Greater Manchester’s Reach Out for Youth and Families program. The entry fees, $15 for adults and $10 for kids, were kept low so more families could take part.

“We hope to get a lot of novice runners and kids to say `hey, it’s downhill, it’s a mile. I can do that,’|” Mortimer said. “The whole family is a little healthier for a day.”

The Millennium Mile started with 129 runners in 1999 and now attracts over 1,000 runners. Mortimer said he expects at least 600 people for the Manchester Mile and companion 5K race.

Mortimer anticipates some parents running the 5K before joining their kids for the Manchester Mile. He also wouldn’t be surprised if many of the runners in the 5K stick around to watch the mile race.

“We wanted to create an event for people to spectate and participate,” Mortimer said.

The 5K starts at 9:15, beginning and finishing at Derryfield Park. The Manchester Mile will start an hour later, beginning at Derryfield Park, heading downhill on Bridge Street to the finish line at Pulaski Park.

The mile course has a sloping 200-foot drop in elevation, holding the promise of producing several sub-4-minute times by a field of elite runners vying for upwards of $1,050 for winning the race.

No one has ever broken the 4-minute barrier in a Manchester race and Mortimer hopes that hook makes the Manchester Mile a Fourth of July weekend tradition in the city.

“What makes something newsworthy is someone breaking records or doing something unique,” Mortimer said. “And to get under the magical 4-minute barrier is pretty special.”

The Millennium Mile has produced 23 sub-4-minute miles and Mortimer thinks the Manchester course will be faster. And, unlike the Londonderry race, a lot more planning went into Sunday’s event.

The Millennium Mile, run on Mammoth Road, has one cross street along the route and three police details are needed to block off the course. The Manchester Mile has 27 cross streets and 15 police details are being used. Mortimer said the city was a cooperative partner.

Mortimer, who twice broke four minutes in the Millennium Mile, is an accomplished runner who said the casual fan always asks two question when they find out about his background: Did you ever run the Boston Marathon, and have you ever broken four minutes in the mile?

A few more people may be able to answer yes to the second part of that question after Sunday.