Race Volunteers Needed!
TCM Expo – Sept 29/30
Farmers Market – Sept 23
Victory Races – Oct 21
GOAL RACES: CITY OF LAKES Half Marathon & TWIN CITIES MARATHON
This Run Minnesota Training program is designed to prepare you for a fun and successful half marathon or marathon! Led by certified coaches, our training program is developed to encourage beginners while still meeting the needs of the more experienced runners.
https://youtu.be/WYT5R9Jm9T4
Training class participants choose between a limited edition “City of Lakes” technical race top or a Run Minnesota team top ($35 value).
What past participants have to say
“I enjoyed meeting all the wonderful runners of all abilities cheering everyone on to their goals. Happy to have no judgement for not being as fast as anyone else.”
“I loved the coaches, the TLs, the other people I ran with – I made so many new running friends and it made it so much nicer to run for hours on end. I loved that its broken up into pace levels because then I didn’t feel intimidated. Everyone is so great.”
“I say this all the time but I could NOT have completed the marathon without Run Minnesota Training. I loved every class even when the workouts were hard and I was hot because I knew I wasn’t alone.”
” I learned so much from the coaches’ talks! Great information was presented about training specific topics and I appreciated learning more about others in the running community from speakers like Native Women Running and Mile in My Shoes.”
Check out our Instagram stories to see our group runs in action!
Fall Session
Registration is open to all. Run Minnesota Members save 20%.
We offer sliding scale registrations if your economic status doesn’t allow you to pay the full fee for Run Minnesota Training Programs. Please fill out the form here and we’ll reach out to you.
Discounts for groups and members
Run Minnesota Members receive 20% off training. The discount is automatic when logged in to the membership dashboard.
Is your group looking for a plan to follow? Discounts are available for the Sprint Tier for groups! Contact Sarah hello@run-minnesota.org
GOAL RACE: CITY OF LAKES HALF MARATHON
PROGRAM DATES: JUNE 22 – SEPTEMBER 11
11 WEEK TRAINING CALENDAR
GOAL RACE: TWIN CITIES MARATHON
PROGRAM DATES: JUNE 22 – OCTOBER 2
14 WEEK TRAINING CALENDAR
$125
$
100
00
Run Minnesota Members save 20%
The Sprint Tier is for someone who just wants a training plan to follow. Maybe you’re an individual who wants to train independently or maybe your schedule just doesn’t fit with our scheduled group runs.
Is your group looking for a plan to follow? Discounts are available for the Sprint Tier for groups! Contact Sarah hello@run-minnesota.org
$250
$
200
00
Run Minnesota Members save 20%
That’s $6.67 per workout for members!
The Tempo Tier includes the “Sprint Tier” plus our Tuesday and Saturday group runs with water stops, route planning, coaches, and team lead access. This plan includes a free pizza party on the last Tuesday group run and a complimentary beverage at the end-of-season party.
Half marathon and marathon programs run in conjunction with each other.
GROUP RUNS!
We have been waiting through uncertain times and working to bring this idea to light for almost two years. In the spring of 2020, we published the last print magazine. Today we are excited to resume RUN MINNESOTA MAGAZINE as a fully digital publication. Our mission is to connect the Minnesota running community by crafting digital stories that highlight the people, the places, and the region’s races. We seek to foster an inclusive running culture by producing work from diverse voices of all abilities.
We hope you enjoy this inaugural feature and we look forward to bringing you stories and news that inform and inspire.
– Sarah Ahlers McInerney, Executive Director – Run Minnesota
You can support this publication with a Run Minnesota membership or with a donation.
Words: Jess Koski
Images: Rick Novitsky
Before I landed on Reservation River Road, in Grand Portage, I lived on an old farm outside of Two Harbors, Minnesota, on another dead end road, and my oversized red mailbox was a quarter mile down the narrow dirt driveway, on the main road.
On my long runs I had two choices of routes; at the mailbox I could turn right, or I could turn left. Either way gave me many miles of dirt surface, forgiving on the old legs.
Sundays morning often brought a small group of champions, or wannabee champions—the likes of Charlie Mahler, Jason Lee, Dan Conway, Katie McGee, and Scott Jurek for a 20 mile “jog and giggle” as Dan called it, even though he never let the pace slow to a jog.
If we turned left there was a straight stretch of about three miles, so on the return trip we could catch a glimpse of red a good two miles from home. We were the proverbial horses headed for the barn, except, instead of hay, we were headed for a sunny porch and a cold beer.
This Article Is Sponsored By
Mile in My Shoes (MiMS) was founded on the belief that we are all better humans when we run a mile in someone else’s shoes. MiMS teams, based in homeless shelters, reentry centers for people exiting incarceration, and recovery centers, bring together people from all walks of life 2-3 times a week to run together. Beneath the labels of “homeless,” “addict” or “convict” there is so much more to each of us.
The Downtown Run Around: Woo at the U! 5K on June 4, 2022, will be the very first race for MiMS members. Whether it’s your first 5K or your 50th, we invite you to join us for a fun and healthy morning, either in-person or virtually.
One cold morning, recently, my wife Julie dropped me off at the eastern edge of the reservation with a promise to check in with me at Mineral Center—about 10 miles in. I was attempting my most ambitious, in terms of distance, training run ever—41 miles. You see, I had one last running goal languishing in the old bucket, the 100 mile. It might have been all over and done last November had Covid-19 not struck. So here I was four weeks out and getting in my last big effort.
We motored up to the scenic overlook a few miles west of the border as the sun was just peeking up over the lake. Rick Novitsky, photographer extraordinaire, had a tripod up and was doing a time-lapse of the sunrise and we chatted about photography and the good news that the bathrooms were open.
Anyway, I set off west, down Mt. Josephine, and took an uphill on Joe’s Road. It was still frosty but the sun was warming things up some. At the top, where you intersect with the old border at the Pigeon River, I found an encouraging note and a snack of a couple of Fig Newtons lying on the road. Good old Julie Louise.
Now, trudging westward in the warming morning, I encountered my first vehicle since the highway. We both slowed to a halt and the driver, who happened to be Bob Vogel, the Tribal conservation officer, scanned me up and down, said, “Not very smart to be out jogging up here this time of the year without any orange on.”
I laughed in agreement and stripped off my jacket to reveal an orange shirt. As I turned to resume my trot he quietly called after me.
“I saw your wife sitting in her car at the Mineral Center parking lot.”
Bob knows everything that happens on the Rez.
Everything.
One foot in front of the other puts me past the Grand Portage Trail, the road to Partridge Falls, Mt. Maud, and then Mineral Center and an enthusiastic greeting from wife and dog.
But this was only just one quarter of the day’s work, and I commenced to climb up to Rengo Road, probably the most pleasant section of the journey, with its rolling narrow path, maple ridges, and overlooks of the border country and the lake.
Eventually I found myself crossing the reservation’s west boundary and back on the well-maintained gravel surface of Otter Lake Road.
Long story, or I guess long run, short and I’d covered the length of the Arrowhead Trail to Highway 61 with one stop at Deb and Brian Bennet’s driveway for a water top-off; Deb, of course, is a former ultramarathoning standout. Then only the five miles from Hovland to Rez River Road remained.
By this point I was pretty knackered and looking like an escaped lunatic hobbling along the side of the highway.
“Each curve in the road, each green mile marker, indeed each telephone pole brought me closer to home.”
I had a pain in my lower back that caused me to list to the right as if I’d suffered a stroke. I settled into a pattern of a minute of running and a minute of walking.
And then, there it was… a mere half-mile ahead. The turquoise mailbox glimmering in the late afternoon sun. Wincing to a halt, I pulled the mailbox open and snatched out a couple of pieces of junk mail and a postcard from an old friend.
I felt triumphant as I picked up the pace down the gravel of Rez River Rd to finish the 41-mile circumnavigation of the Reservation. A feeling that was tempered quite a bit by the knowledge that I would have to continue for nearly another 60 miles in a month.
So, how did that all work out?
The back issue that I experienced that day came back to haunt me at the 100 mile Tunnel Hill race in Illinois and I was forced to hang up my sneakers at 61 miles.
Not to worry though… today I walked down the road to that turquoise mailbox, placed an envelope inside, lifted the little red flag and committed to another attempt in 2022.
See you on the backroads!
Jess Koski, writes and runs on Anishinaabe tribal lands at Gichi Onigaming, Grand Portage MN.
Rick Novitsky, Photographer and retired Tribal forest ranger and state park ranger for the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
WTIP Community Radio · Notes from Reservation River — I Can See the Mailbox from Here
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Interviews by: Nate Parlin and Sarah McInerney
Run Minnesota Training
Supportive – Authentic – Inclusive – Empowering -Agile
Run Minnesota Training provides options for group or individual training so no matter where you are in Minnesota you have support!
“I’m now working through my goal of running a half in every state. I truly believe running saved my life and I met a whole new community that I otherwise wouldn’t have!”
– Ashley Hughes
Ashley Hughes
Target Race: 2021 Chicago Marathon!
I started running in November 2017 with the goal of losing weight. As much as I didn’t expect it, I quickly fell in love with the sport. In 2018, my New Year’s Resolution was to run at least one race per month. In June 2018 I completed my first half marathon (Garry Bjorklund). I felt great after the race and quickly signed up for my first marathon, which I ran with my cousin in February 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel. I’m now working through my goal of running a half in every state. I truly believe running saved my life and I met a whole new community that I otherwise wouldn’t have!
I joined the Run Minnesota Training Program because I wanted to meet more like-minded people. After getting more serious about running, I realized I didn’t have a lot of friends with that same interest. I love running in groups, helping other runners, and learning from others; this group checks all the boxes plus some. As a result of being part of the program, I found a new social circle. I couldn’t have asked for better running buddies!
Sandesh Ghodke
Target Race: Mankato Marathon
I started running in 2013 and have run many 5k’s, 10K’s, and a couple of half marathons. I wanted to run a full marathon but was a little scared about the distance and also, time to put in for training. This year I made up my mind to run the full marathon and found a good training program through Run Minnesota. I did a few races organized by Run Minnesota (MDRA) in the past but did not know that they also have training programs for half and full marathons. That was perfect as I wanted to run a marathon, but wanted to ensure I was going through proper training.
Our Team lead was awesome, very knowledgeable, and shared a lot of experience as he has run 25+ full marathons. He always motivated the team to push and helped me find new limits. He helped keep us on track to follow the training plan but was flexible enough to change the miles based on the group’s preference.
The training class helped me strengthen my core by doing hill and speed training on Tuesdays and long runs on Saturdays. I enjoyed having support throughout the training events. Additionally, every Wednesday, there are Q/A sessions with coaches to answer all your training-related questions. I found those very helpful as I prepared for my first Marathon.
Liz Watters
Target Race: City of Lakes
When lockdown hit in March of 2020, I started running and slowly fell in love with it. I used running as a stress reliever and loved to see progress being made with consistency. I joined Run Minnesota in the Spring of 2021 but signed for my first group training for the Fall Training 2021 and the City of Lakes Half Marathon. Every chance I get, I tell people about my experience with Run Minnesota. The people and the passion of the group is something that cannot be found anywhere else. I will never forget my pace group cheering me on as I completed my longest run, the encouragement and support of our coaches each week and the ease of running routes with water stops and group guidance.
Kurt Owens
Target Races: City of Lakes, Fargo Marathon
The absolute best part of being in this group is the group itself. Sitting at the starting line at City of Lakes with about 20 people I didn’t know before joining the Run Minnesota Training Programs was the absolute best part of this race and all made possible by how all of us get along and are sharing a common goal. Most of the people that were missing from my training group were at a water stop cheering and helping us get through. Other members not at the water stop were scattered throughout the race. It is truly humbling to get to share these memories with some really great people.
Another thing that I noticed at City of Lakes was, just by wearing the Run Minnesota shirt other members that I have never met would chat with me. It was an unexpected and welcomed treat from this event. And for some reason it made me run waaay too fast! Looking forward to seeing most of these people again at future events!!!
By: Jonathon Heide
Images: Paul Phillips // Competitive Image for Get in Gear
The racing season’s annual rite of spring in Minnesota brought clouds and rain, but it didn’t matter to the nearly 1,700 runners who had waited two years for the Get in Gear races to return after the pandemic wiped out a 42-year streak of racing.
Danny Docherty, 32, a running coach in St. Paul and the 2019 Minnesota Runner of the Year, took first place in the state’s most popular 10K after averaging 4:56 a minute-per-mile pace and finishing in 30:39.
Docherty’s win further established his prominence in the state’s running community. He is a 2012 graduate of Loyola University Chicago (where he studied English and Psychology), a former runner with Minnesota Distance Elite, a third-place finisher at the 2019 Twin Cities Marathon, and the guy who swept the 2021 TC 5K, 10K and 10 Mile, for which he won a 25-pound Salted Nut Roll.
Most know him in his roles as a coach of his El Jefe Running Team and the Program Director for Run Minnesota.
Mohammed Bati, 22, finished second in 30:52 and Connor Reck, 28, splashed through the finish line 12 seconds later. Both runners are from Minneapolis.
Danny Docherty, Mohammed Bati and Connor Reck on the Ford Parkway Bridge
In the women’s race Heather Kampf, 35, tore away from the field to win in 35:28. The former four-time USATF National Champion in the 1 mile clicked through the miles in a 5:43 pace.
Dubbed the “Queen of the Road Mile” by Runner’s World, Kampf has raced around the globe on the track and on city streets. Video of her has also traveled around the world: She won a 600-meter race for the University of Minnesota at the 2008 Big Ten Indoor Championships after getting tripped up and falling to the track on the final lap, prompting an in-depth story by Nicole Bush at the Løpe, and multiple posts with positive titles such as “Wake up to Heather Kampf’s midrace fall turned remarkable comeback.”
Margaret Ludick, 37, finished second in 36:18. Megan Smith, 31, finished in 36:36 to take third out of the 387 women who completed the competition.
Heather Kampf “Queen of the road mile”
When the Get in Gear race was first set up by director Bill Kennedy in 1978, nearly 5,000 runners wearing cotton shirts, tube socks and flat running shoes showed up at Theo Wirth Park. It was 3,000 more runners than expected for the race sponsored by Dayton’s and the Minneapolis Tribune.
The race changed courses a few times, but has centered on the Mississippi River roads ever since the second year. Several Olympians and world contenders have run fast times at the race.
In 1992, Janice Klecker ran a 32:52, creating a women’s course record 5:18-per-mile pace that would stand for decades. The win was her third—she had been the women’s champ in 1985 and 1987 as well. It took a world-class runner to surpass her ‘92 feat.
Kenyan Vicoty Chepngeno ran a new women’s record 32:40 in 2018. She wasn’t finished though.
Chepngeno returned in 2019 to cut it down to 32:15. How fast is Chepngeno? In January of this year, she set a new North American all-comer’s record in the half marathon by running the Houston Half in 1:05:03. She is now the 11th-fastest female half marathoner of all time.
The Get in Gear overall course record was set on a 39-degree morning in 1994 during an era when a purse was offered for winners. Without any wind blowing, Jonah Koech of Ames, Iowa, outran Pat Porter, Dan Janinki and Stanley Kimutai to finish in 28:45. Koech was from Kenya and was well-known in the college track and cross-country world—he had won five NCAA national titles for the Iowa State Cyclones in the early 1990s.
As the pandemic swept the country, the competition disappeared from the calendar. The 2020 in-person event was canceled. Though runners could still give money to the non-profit group that operates the race in 2020 and 2021, they would run virtually, on their own course to see their times posted online. When local gathering restrictions started lifting in April 2021, dedicated organizers held a small, uncertified, special edition Get in Gear 10K in addition to the virtual races.
With increased vaccine numbers and decreased hospitalizations, the organizers felt confident in bringing back crowds to the start this year. The race has three roles this year on top of the day’s competition: It’s the first race in the USA Track and Field Minnesota 10K Championship and first race of the state running club circuit; it’s the championship 10K for the Minnesota Road Runners Club of America; and it the second 10K race in the chase for the USA Track and Field Minnesota Runner of the Year.
The half marathon is the newest Get in Gear race; it was added in 2009. Rain jackets and soaked shoes were on each of the 256 runners that completed this year’s 13.1-mile competition.
Birte Fretwell finished first in the women’s race, coming in at 1:32:53. Fretwell, who teaches physical education at a German immersion school and served in the German military from 2002-2008, previously won the 2016 Charleston Rock and Roll Half Marathon.
Local city runners took second and third: Allison Cottrell, 23, finished in 1:33:51; Rebekah Ormsby, 47, finished in 1:34:34.
Leading them all was 22-year-old Sam Hodgson, a Mankato State graduate who works as a personal trainer for the Mankato YMCA. He ran a blistering 1:12:52 and finished with a four-minute gap over second place Desmond Cariveau, 29, of St. Paul, who stacked 5:53-minute miles to finish 1:16:57. Third place was Minneapolis’ Jake Mogan, 31, in a time of 1:17:09.
More than 400 runners took to the West River Road for the 5K, a part of Get in Gear’s race weekend since 2005. Cole Monson of Amery, Wisconsin, came away with the win in 17:11, followed by Sam Keepman, 34, of St. Paul (17:37) and a 16-year-old, Christopher Falk of Monticello (18:20). Falk is a member of the Monticello Magic’s cross country team, which took second place in the 2021 state AA championships.
The other young winner was Adrienne Korey, who at 19 years of age led the women to finish in 20:36. She was followed by two 29-year-olds: Colleen Beatty of St. Paul (21:13) in second and Olivia Werner of Richfield (21:24) in third.
Full Results for the 2022 Get in Gear weekend races.
Mohammed Bati, Danny Docherty and Connor Reck
Megan Smith, Heather Kampf and Margaret Ludick with Race Director Paulette Odenthal
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Emily grew-up watching her parents run and fell in love with her own running journey during high school. Running is not just a form of exercise, but a source of social connection, empowerment, enjoyment, and challenge! She’s completed numerous marathons and recently ventured into ultra-distances and trail running. Emily’s goal is to empower everyone through running!
Emily has a background as a registered nurse working in the mental health realm since 2011. She’s currently completing a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner graduate degree and working in clinical research. She’s also been working as a certified personal trainer for Apex Personal Training since 2018 and enjoys coaching clients on strength training and powerlifting.
She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two dogs, Frankie and Clyde! Emily loves exploring new trails, coffee shops, and breweries!
Her current personal goals include setting a new 100k PR, completing an ironman, and finishing grad school!
Actively participating in life since 2003 when a childhood friend asked her “So what do you do when you’re not working or being a mother or a wife?” She had no answers.
She immediately jumped right into biking, then added running, triathlons, hiking the Superior Hiking Trail and anything that led her to the outdoors.
Current thoughts, plans, goals: Be okay with where I’m at. Run a 50k. Complete a Half Ironman.
Danny Docherty is an elite runner and coach. A native of St. Paul, MN, he attended Loyola University Chicago where he ran cross-country and track and field at the Division I level and graduated with degrees in English and Psychology.
He first competed as a runner at Cretin-Derham Hall High School where he found he had a knack for the sport after qualifying for the State Meet on six different occasions between cross-country and track and field. He went on to become a 2x All-State award winner as a senior in the 1600m and 3200m.
In college, he experienced both success and failure during his time at Loyola Chicago. His major accomplishments include qualifying for the NCAA West Prelims in the 10000m as a senior and achieving All-Conference honors in cross-country and track. He was also a member of a team that finished second at the Horizon League Indoor championships during his senior season. He currently ranks as the #2 All-Time performer in the 10000m at Loyola.
After college, Docherty acquired his USATF Level 1 certificate almost immediately upon graduating. He entered the coaching profession in 2014 as an assistant at his alma mater, CDH. He learned the ins and outs of being a coach and one major highlight was coaching a Girls 4x400m Relay Team to a 3rd Place finish at 2017 State Meet.
Outside of coaching, Docherty has had a range of jobs since college, from working the sales floor at Run N Fun, to delivery driving and substitute teaching.Docherty has continued to compete after college and pursue his goals as a runner. He started out on Team USA Minnesota in 2014 before moving on to Run N Fun from 2015-16 and then back to Team USA Minnesota as a training partner in 2017 and eventually became a full-time member in 2019. He was the USATF Minnesota Runner of the Year in 2019 and qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials on 3 separate occasions in 2019. He finished 7th at the USATF 25k Championships in 2019, finished 3rd at the 2019 Twin Cities Marathon and recently won the 5k, 10k, and 10 Mile races during the 2021 TCM Weekend.
Docherty has recently stepped away from the professional side of the sport to pursue his career goals which include growing his personal coaching business, Docherty Coaching, and working toward his Master’s in Education at the University of Minnesota in Sports & Exercise Science. He is also aiming at qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Trials and continuing to race and train at a high-level.
Docherty is currently in his sixth year as the Director of Operations for Track and Baseball at the non-profit organization Highland Groveland Recreation Association (HGRA) in St. Paul. He is also entering his third year as an assistant coach at Visitation HS for track and DeLaSalle HS for cross-country. Docherty currently holds Level 2 coaching certifications from USATF (Youth Specialization), USTFCCCA (Endurance Specialist) and the Lydiard Foundation.
As a whole, he is passionate about helping others reach their goals and building community in the process. He has learned the coaching trade over time through his own running, working with coaches and athletes from all levels, and continuing to pursue education and stay updated on the latest in the sports and exercise science profession.
Join us for the Run Minnesota Annual Meeting on April 23, 2022 at River Siren Brewing in Stillwater, MN!
Run the Lift Bridge Loop (4.7 miles) or run an out and back! Post run refreshments will be provided.
2021 recipient of the Pat Lanin Distinguished Service Award
2021 Run Minnesota Volunteer of the Year
2020 recipient of the Pat Lanin Distinguished Service Award
2020 Run Minnesota Volunteer of the Year
Pizza and Soda are free for members. $10 suggested donation for non members.
River Siren will donate $1 from every beer purchase back to Run Minnesota!
Membership Vote to Transition to a 501c3
Member actions prior to the meeting:
If you have questions please email hello@run-minnesota.org
