This Article Is Sponsored By

Featuring Minnesota’s fastest 10k, a 5k run/walk, and the best kid’s race in Minneapolis.

Long sleeve cotton shirts for all 10K, 5K & Victory Lap Kids Fun Run participants!

Registration and more information

Words: Jonathan Heide

Photos: Carly Danek

 

As a rising sun reflected on the still waters of Lake Harriet, people amassed on the lake’s western parkway road. Some who stood off to the side wore sweatshirts in the 55-degree air, but most donned fast shoes, short shorts, and race-team singlets with numbered bibs. They stretched in the park, stood in line for one last bathroom break, and completed their last strides before the 8 a.m. start of the eighth in-person Jeff Winter City of Lakes Half Marathon, a storied local race that was first run as a full marathon in 1975.

An hour and a few minutes later, the men’s and women’s course records fell as a current professional runner, and a former pro took advantage of near-perfect weather to complete two figure-eights around Harriet and Bde Maka Ska.

Course RecordS

Tyler Jermann


Heather Kampf

Tyler Jermann, a professional runner with Minnesota Distance Elite, split from the field of nearly 1,100 runners right away and won in 1:04:30. He ran with a sizable lead and said afterward that he is happy to be listed with the legends in the race’s past. 

“I love racing here; there’s a lot of good energy in the Twin Cities,” he said with a wide grin.  

“City of Lakes Half Marathon is a hard course, so the time doesn’t always translate to other courses. I’m happy with a minute improvement over last year. And yeah, getting the record is fun.”

Being happy and having fun on the course also described the woman’s winner: Heather Kampf. The four-time US National Championship One Mile runner is recognizable to many Twin Citizens and running fans. 

Although the 35-year-old Minneapolis resident has called herself retired (her wins were in 2012, then ‘14–’16), she blazed ahead of Sunday’s competition from the start. She locked in her pace with the men, smiled and waved at the crowds, then kept moving up as she shifted gears in the final lap of Bde Maka Ska to a 5:27-minute-per-mile pace. 

Kampf’s 1:13:19 course-record sprint around the lakes earned her first-place for women and 16th-place overall. 

“Between a new lifetime best in the 5K a couple weeks ago and a new course record for this half…I’m enjoying every opportunity to surprise myself,” Kampf wrote on social media after the win.

“I love racing here; there’s a lot of good energy in the Twin Cities,”

– Tyler Jermann

The Chase pack

Meghan Roth


Maxi Erickson


Maria Langholz


Connor Reck


Danny Docherty

Behind her, Maria Langholz was running her first half marathon in more than a decade and cruised to a second-place finish. She PR’ed in 1:17:58—a time that aligns with her recent speedy marathon. The 30-year-old communication director for Demand Progress in Washington, D.C.,  grew up in Minnesota, went to Macalester, and returned to her home state this weekend for a cousin’s wedding—and the hotfoot hometown race.

“I’m running California International Marathon in December and trying to make the Olympic Marathon Trials,” said Langholz, who just missed the OTQ at Grandma’s Marathon (she ran a 2:38:22) after a two-month-long road trip. “[Today] was ideal running weather, and it’s such a great running culture here. And it’s great to run with so many other women who are fast.”  

Megan Roth is another of those fast women: She finished third for women in 1:19:21, setting her own personal record. The 35-year-old running coach and mother of one is a City of Lakes veteran who is often seen zipping along the footpaths, sometimes with a stroller. She was second in 2019 and third in 2021. 

Roth is also on a comeback from a life-altering experience. While running in the 2021 Boston Marathon, she collapsed and nearly died.

“I got a little emotional when at the starting line today because this was my last race I had finished before the Boston Marathon,” said Roth, who now runs with an implanted device near her heart to detect trouble. “This is the closest I’ve been to being back; this morning has been really fun to be racing again.” 

She said she didn’t put pressure on herself to PR or place this year. “I reminded myself to not push too hard. Today gives me a lot of confidence that I’ll never have to deal with [the heart issue] again.” 

Prior to Kampf’s arrival on the course, the record was 1:14:16, set by Diana Kipyokei in 2017. Though Kampf’s time crushed the official current half marathon time mark, Janis Klecker ran a 1:14:00 half split on her way to a first place 25K finish of 1:28:13 in 1991. (Klecker is a two-time winner of the US Marathon Championship: in 1987, at Grandma’s, and 1992, at the Olympic Trials in Houston).

The previous men’s record was 1:05:19, set in 2015 by Jermann’s friend and former training partner Ben Sathre. Jermann’s personal record time in a half marathon is a 1:02:52 from the 2020 Houston race. 

“Before, I wanted to keep my pace conservative because I always blow up in the second time around the lakes,” Jermann said. “But I didn’t really do that.” Instead, he started fast and kept going fast—averaging a 4:56-minute-per-mile pace. “I was steady the whole way, so yeah, I’m happy.”

The former Iowa State University runner mentioned the hills as the big challenge on the course, which runs on the rolling parkway road and not the flat pedestrian paths. 

As he crested the last hill, Jermann, smiling and sweaty, looked confident cruising toward the finish en route to defending his 2021 victory. By that time, the 30-year-old had opened a two-minute gap ahead of second- and third-place finishers Danny Docherty, 32, and Connor Reck, 29. 

“I knew Tyler is in good shape,” said St. Paul’s Docherty, a running coach and program director for RunMinnesota. “I wasn’t going to try to go with him.” Docherty ran shoulder to shoulder with Reck, a former Harvard track man, until surging at mile 8. Docherty finished in 1:06:53; Reck in 1:07:18.

“The crowds were great, and the energy was great out there at the water stops,” Docherty said, calling out the nearly 75 volunteers who made the event happen. “This is the perfect day—we’re lucky to have the temp drop,” he said. 

In the newly emerging non-binary category of runners, 23-year-old Maxi Erickson of Minneapolis ran 1:22:54 to win, followed by Sunshine Heymans, 41, of Waverly (2:13:51) and Julian Salyer, 39, of Eagan (2:21:15).

Jermann, Kampf, and Erickson each earn $300 for their wins, though holding the course record probably means more in the esteemed contest. For nearly 50 years, City of Lakes has circled the urban waters for the camaraderie unique to long-distance running. From 1975–1981, the race was the major marathon in the Metro. After the Twin Cities Marathon was founded in 1982, the City of Lakes race changed to a 25K, then shortened again in 2014 to the 13.1-mile distance. 

HISTORY

In all those early years, Jeff Winter was always behind the scenes, directing and planning. Though he passed in 2012, he was remembered at the start. His daughter Allison Winter started the race, airhorn held high, to cheers from the surrounding crowd. 

“My dad was hard-working, generous, and a funny guy,” she said. “He ran a ton of marathons and had to bow out of running later in life, but stayed passionate about the running community.” 

She grew up with the race as a part of her life and remembers her father being dedicated to the race. Most of the time, even as a kid, she was involved too. “Setting up cones, helping on the course, not always out of my own will,” she said with a laugh. And now she runs often as well. 

Nissa Larson took over as race director for 2022’s race. She was thankful for the cool, clear morning and moved quickly between the finish line and the volunteer area, congratulating runners, checking times, and asking whether anyone had trouble with the construction near the North end of Bde Maka Ska. Two paramedics stationed near the finish line said the day was boring—which meant it was going well for Larson and everyone else.

Many older runners say that those early races prompted them to start running. Kathy Peterson caught the habit 41 years ago when she was 38. At the half marathon Sunday, she set a record for half marathon time for a 79-year-old Minnesotan woman.

“I ran it last year, but before that, I hadn’t run it for years,” said Peterson, who lives in Outing. “When I was in high school, we weren’t allowed to do any sports. So I didn’t start running until my husband quit smoking and said he wanted to run a mile before he turned 40.” 

Peterson logs the miles with her friends while competing in the Ragnar and other relays. They joke with each other about their past hijinks and their dedication to their RunMinnesota running logbooks. She was one of 11 runners who set state age records for the distance.

Kampf’s time tied the record for fastest half marathon by a 35-year-old Minnesotan woman. The record is held by Katie McGregor—though McGregor’s time was set at the 2013 USATF Championship Half Marathon from Two Harbors to Duluth (a downhill course), in which she finished 11th. 

 Jermann, too, set a Minnesota age record for 30-year-old men, which his brother-in-law held (1:05:25—set at the 2012 Garry Bjorklund during the USATF Championships). 

A Community of support

Mile in My Shoes


Latina’s on the Move MN


Aaron Zappa

The official charity partner for the event, Mile in My Shoes, was impossible to miss at the race. A boisterous group wearing their blue shirts and holding dozens of signs went wild as the plodders crossed their path. Runners with the group raised $25,000 for their non-profit that encourages running as a positive outlet for people exiting incarceration, those in addiction recovery programs, and those struggling to find permanent housing.  

Twenty-two runners in the masses were part of “Latinas on the Move,” a coalition motivating sisterhood in the Latina community. Adriana Barraza shouted spunky encouragement to her group members as they trucked up the parkway hill to Lake Harriet.  

“I was supposed to be running,” said Barraza, who was wearing a leg brace after getting a small stress fracture. She said it means a lot to her to see her friends racing. “We want to make sure we are out, having fun, and empowering each other. Some of us had never run a 5K, and now they are out running 20-mile training runs.”  

Barraza, between cheers, said she was healing up for the Twin Cities Marathon. And if her leg wasn’t ready yet? “I’m going to be there no matter what—whether I’m walking, crawling or biking.”

September 11

The anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack prompted Aaron Zappa, 27, to carry a large American flag throughout the entire race. His brother served in Afghanistan, and Zappa wanted people to remember those who fought in the war. 

“I was in fifth grade when it happened,” he said. “I realized the race landed on the anniversary, and I don’t want people to forget about the terrorist attack and the war that it led to.”

The Coon Rapids resident crossed the line in 1:56:15, the flag waving high over his head.

TEAM COMPETITION

With such a long legacy, the race is often a lock for the USATF Minnesota Team Circuit Half Marathon as well as a competition race for the Run Minnesota Grand Prix, as it was this year. Through six of the nine races on the Team Circuit (prior to City of Lakes), Mill City Running Club was leading the men’s and women’s open categories.  

For the Team Circuit’s 40+ men’s category, Collegeville Track Club leads. In the 40+ women’s and all the 50+ and 60+ categories, Run N Fun Team is sweeping the field. The Molar Milers are leading for men’s 70+, while there haven’t been enough USATF-registered runners to score a team in the women’s 70+ category.

  Magazine




Facebook


Twitter


Instagram

Facebook


Twitter


Instagram

records Abound on Lakeshore as Lindwurm repeats in Grandma’s Marathon; sets 12th fastest time ever for american women runners

Minnesotan Dakotah Lindwurm made Grandma’s Marathon a priority on her calendar after her win last year, when she had become the first Minnesotan woman to top the podium since Janice Ettle in 1991.

This year, she again had her eyes set on breaking the tape at Duluth’s Canal Park. And she ran with purpose.

Purpose because she loves the course, the fans, and the history of the race. Purpose because she remembered her late mother’s cheers near the finish in 2018. Purpose because her grandfather was there this year, waiting to see her finish strong.

“Everything went better than planned; I had the time of my life. I definitely think I can dig deeper and run harder here in Minnesota,” said the Eagan resident after the race. “I feel like I got that extra gear and I can stay strong longer knowing that I’m representing my home state.”

The race, the fans, even the weather gods that hover over the waters of Lake Superior loved her in return during the 45th running of the legendary race. Step over striding step through the 50-degree air, she pushed her pace to the limit, throwing smiles and tossing waves to cheering crowds on her way down the North Shore.

Her win was the first-ever back-to-back win from a Minnesotan woman. Her time of 2:25:01 was just 34 seconds shy of the course record and stood as a personal record for her (by four minutes).

“It’s a huge PR, but this was expected,” she said. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work. [This was] 365 days in the making—I knew I was going to come back and crush it.”

Lindwurm approached the finish with her hands waving high in the air. Her victory yell carried over the music and the crowd’s screaming. She stood for a moment, then pumped her fists twice in the air before accepting flowers and doubling over. Then she ran with arms outstretched to her grandfather, who was waiting near the crowd barrier. He had never seen her race in person because he had a difficult time walking. The two embraced in a long hug while tears fell.

“I looked over and I saw him crying after I crossed the finish line,” said Lindwurm. “Winning was great, but that moment was more important to me.”

Behind her, Sarah Sellers, 30, of Ogden, Utah, finished 42 seconds later. She had moved up from behind, passing third-place Susanna Sullivan, 32, of Reston, Virginia, who ran 2:26:56. They were followed by Kenyan Esther Wanjiru, 34, in 2:27:15. 

All four women took advantage of the great running conditions: they all ran personal best times, and they all broke the 2:28 time bonus, which earned them all an extra $10,000. Not bad for a day along the scenic North Shore.

 

Lindwurm knew early in the race that her pace was hot. 

“I thought, ‘I’m running way faster than I had planned,’ but my fitness has indicated something in the 2:25s before, so let’s just roll with it.” 

She clicked off 5:30-minute-per-mile splits as the race unfurled. Several miles after the halfway point, Lindwurm was running side-by-side with Wanjiru, who trains some of the time in Michigan. Wanjiru surged, then pulled back, but the two didn’t lose contact. When Lindwurm made a turn at mile 24, she was looking ahead, and later found that Wanjiru had faded back. 

“That was the first time I realized I was alone,” said Lindwurm, who does well when running out front on her own. Her next thought was “‘Woe … I’ve got eight miles to go, and I’m alone—which is great.”

“Winning was great, but that moment was more important to me.” 

– Dakotah Lindwurm

 

Lindwurm will take home $20,000 for the win. And while a victory against a field of nearly 4,000 women (80 of whom are elite) is impressive enough, she did more than just become the fourth woman to win consecutive Grandma’s Marathons.

The thousands of spectators that caught a blurred glimpse of her grin are witnesses to the 12th-fastest marathon ever run by an American woman, according to the World Athletics list (that excludes non-eligible courses).

Her 2:25:01 moves her between Sally Kipyego’s 2019 Berlin Marathon run (2:25:10) and just behind Molly Sidel’s 2:24:42 run to fourth at the 2021 New York Marathon. It also places her ahead of fellow Minnesotan and Olympian Kara Goucher, who finished third at the 2012 Houston Marathon in a 2:26:06 (though she also ran 2:24:52 at the 2011 Boston, which is deemed a non-record-eligible course).

 

Lindwurm is coached by Chris Lundstrom at Minnesota Distance Elite along with Annie Frisbee, her fellow Puma-sponsored teammate. The winner mentioned Frisbee as a motivator in her training.

“I love my teammates. We have really great relationships … and we really help each other get faster.”

With Puma gear in the closet, she won’t be burning her winnings on new shoes. She plans to make a more responsible decision.

“I was not a stellar Division-II athlete,” she said, referencing her time at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. “I still have student loans, so the money will be going to that.”

Lindwurm has another marathon on the schedule, but said she has to be mum about it for now. On the calendar next June, though, is a weekend she already has planned.

“I hope to make this a three-peat next year,” she said.

Minnesota Marathon King Returns to take crown

The overall winner of the race was also a familiar face: Dominic Ondoro, 34, last won Grandma’s in 2014, the year he set a new course record. This year, he tore away from the group near mile 21 to break the tape in 2:09:34. 

Ondoro ran with the pack, and stood literally a head above the other runners. His tall torso sported the only T-shirt (bright orange) in a crowd of racing singlets. As the early miles clicked along, he ran in a pack with several others: his training partner Elisha Barno, last year’s first- and second-place winners Milton Rotich and C.J. Albertson, former Oregon runner Parker Stinson, and several other Kenyans (including Sammy Rotich and Benard Rotich).

 

By the 20-mile point, Milton Rotich dropped out, and the group narrowed to seven. At Lemon Drop Hill, Ondoro made his push, and no one else could match it. 

He ran through the finish line with arms high and his index fingers pointing to the sky. The clock showed the second-fastest time ever run on the course—three seconds faster than Dick Beardsley’s winning time in 1981. 

“It felt good,” he said, noting that the weather was also good for the race. He said he comes back for the course because he likes the support and the scenery. Though the $10,000 first-prize package can’t hurt.

 

Ondoro is best known in the Gopher state as the king of the Twin Cities Marathon. He is a four-time winner and owns the course record, which is also the fastest marathon ever run in the Land of Lakes. Though he keeps returning to Minnesota, he lives in Eldoret, Kenya, with his wife and two children, ages 6 and 3—and one more on the way. 

“We’re expecting in November,” he said, beaming a smile. 

He trains at high altitude in the Rift Valley with his own schedule. “I used to use a coach, but now I don’t have one. I train with Elisha [Barno] four days a week. … Today when we were [finished], I slapped him on the back and we joked about the race.”

Barno, 36, finished fourth in 2:10:22. He was a favorite to win because he is a four-time winner: from 2015–2018.  

The other top finishers were second-place winner Sammy Rotich, 35, and third-place James Ngandu, 36—both of whom set personal best times. 

Rotich clocked 2:10:08, a minute better than his 2022 Houston Marathon win in January. Ngandu punched through at 2:10:17. It was a massive comeback in his career, considering his previous PR was smashed by almost two minutes—a PR set 15 years ago with his second-place finish in the 2008 Enschede Marathon.

C.J. Albertson, 28, of Fresno, California, was the first U.S. finisher, taking fifth in 2:10:52.

Ondoro said he hopes to bring a similar return to PR-smashing soon. 

“Next year, I want to run my personal best,” he said. Will he return to Grandma’s Marathon to do it? 

“Yeah, I think so,” he said with a grin.

  Magazine

Facebook


Twitter


Instagram

Photos By Tom Woo

Runner-up from Last Year Takes Top Prize As Rain douses runners

After two years of taking hits from the global pandemic, Rochester’s premier road race had another outside force to deal with: Mother Nature. 

Severe storms with lightning and heavy rains forced many runners off the course for 10 to 15 minutes, confusing times and cutting the official number of finishers. On the 25th running of the Med City Marathon May 28, officials directed runners into buses as the inclement weather dropped torrential rain and lit the darkened sky with lighting.

“Although the weather emergency was frustrating, the call to shut down the course was in the best interest of the runners,” race organizers wrote on the website after the race.

Still, many did outpace the storm—almost 100 people in the marathon race had run ahead of the severe storm and sprinted in soggy shoes through the humid air to secure an official finish time. Others were given exhibition times. All received medals and shirts.

vindication in victory

Though the officials had no cash prizes planned this year, first-place finisher Michael Walentiny took home the ultimate vindication. In 2021, the winner passed Walentiny in the final yards for the closest-ever finish. This year, the 34-year-old from Lewiston pulled ahead of Bryce Shirley at mile 16. He never saw Shirley again.

“The win felt really good because the last four miles I was looking over my shoulder the entire time,” Walentiny said of his fifth entry and first win at Med City. “I was really happy—especially after the year before.”

Walentiny won decisively this year, clocking a 2:39:46. Shirley finished second in 2:50:25. The 22-year-old Shirley traveled up from Omaha for the race. Third-place Ben Jones, 32, came from Yorktown Heights in southeastern New York and ran 2:50:39.

The plodders in the front of the pack did plow through heavy rain, but they didn’t have the worst of the weather.

“I heard other people’s races were delayed because of the thunder and the lightning in the area,” Walentiny recalled. “I was out during about seven minutes of the heavy rain.”

Walentiny developed his natural talent for running only after studying business at St. Cloud State and getting an MBA from Viterbo University in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He laced up the shoes post-graduation, when he got a job in Winona. He now lives near the river city with his wife and three children.

“The kids are good sleepers,” he said. “I usually get up around 4 a.m. and run. I put in a lot of treadmill miles.”

The miles have been paying off—especially the past two months. In late April, he won the Storm the Park 45K (27.96-mile) trail race in Whitewater State Park with a time of 4:33:06. Then he finished second not once, but twice, in Wisconsin marathons: he ran 2:36:12 at the Eau Claire Marathon May 1 followed by a 2:42:03 at the La Crosse Marathon May 7.

Three marathon distances in a month? Some coaches might scratch their heads, but Walentiny doesn’t question the method.

“I don’t follow a training plan, I just wing it,” he said. “I was thinking of Med City as more of a training run for Grandma’s Marathon coming up.” He said he’s looking to break 2:30:00 in the Two Harbors-to-Duluth race set for June 18.

a mother’s comeback marathon

In the women’s competition at Med City, Lori Russell took the tape  in 3:04:13 for her first marathon win. The 37-year-old nutritionist from Rochester had a baby, Rupert, just a year ago. The kiddo was on the course with his dad, Luke (who finished 12th in the half). Both were cheering for mom near the finish.

“I haven’t run a marathon in four years,” said Lori Russell, who mentioned how challenging it was to train with a newborn. “I had no concept of how it would go or what I would do. It felt good to be strong and consistent, and to just see where I got at the end.”

Two Wisconsin residents took second and third. Janesville’s Sarah Lancour, 37, came through in 3:22:59 and Madison’s Erin Mullan-Towns, 38, finished in 3:23:00.

The marathoners started at the Rochester airport with the half marathoners and 20-milers. Russell ran with a woman leading the half marathon through the gradual downhill from miles 5–9.

 

“I was trying to not get caught up in someone else’s race—with the downhill start, it can get out of control easily,” Russell said. After a while, she was on her own. She hit the storm around mile 17.

“The rain was refreshing, but my feet were soaked. We were running on a bike path; there were a lot of switchbacks.”

Russell played tennis and ran track at her Las Vegas high school, but she didn’t run during college. It was only after her undergraduate degree in Reno, Nevada, that she ran her first marathon. She finished in just over four hours. She felt she could improve, and she did—in the 2016 Columbus Marathon, she finished 11th for women in a personal best 2:56:11.

Now, Russell coaches others to find the right nutritional intake to increase athletic performance. Her two master’s degrees (one in exercise science from Concordia University, St. Paul and one in human nutrition from Eastern Michigan University) provide her with plenty of knowledge for her 20,000 Instagram followers.

“It wasn’t until I started running that I could really see you need a different technique when it applies to nutrition,” said Russell, who was quoted in the May issue of Runner’s World.

lightning nixes some 20-mile and marathon race times

The weather break in the race affected the number of runners who finished. Only 88 officially completed the marathon, one of the lowest number since the race began in 1996. Some full marathoners and 20-milers were diverted to finish early, boosting half marathon finishes to 525. 

Officials worked to secure the course after lighting appeared and heavy rains mixed with hail. One runner on pace for a 5-hour full marathon described the sky growing darker, then seeing lighting flash before coming upon a large truck blocking the road. Buses were lined up and the runners were told to get on. Wet and chilled, they waited until the storm passed (about 15 minutes) before they could return to running. But when they reached the half-marathon, some were directed to finish instead of continuing on the full marathon loop.

The 20-mile also saw an all-time-low completion. Twenty-five official finishers were led by Chris Strub. The 36-year-old finished in 2:21:57 after he flew in from Greenville, South Carolina, and chronicled his journey on social media. James Smadbeck, 35, of Rochester followed in 2:22:27. Goodhue’s Andy McNamara finished third 10 minutes later. Local runner Katelyn Bauman, 28, won the 20-mile race for the women in 3:23:32. She was followed by Mayo Clinic cytotechnology student Mikayla Chadbourn, 25, from nearby Eyota (3:24:11) and 47-year-old Anna Sanchez (3:25:14), also of Rochester.

Other 20-mile runners were segued into the half marathon after getting off the buses and back on the course. Some participants complained that they were sent mixed messages—that the race was cancelled though people could still attempt a finish. Still, most entrants posted appreciation on social media sites, thanking the organizers for making safety a priority.

Nicholas Odhiambo flashes a grin on route to a 1:40:14 finish in the half marathon race. He was fourth in the men’s 50-59 age category.


Steve Deboer has run all 25 Med City Marathons since the race began in 1996 (two were cancelled: 2020 and 2018). Deboer finished with an exhibition time after being pulled off the course for a severe weather break. Deboer is also known for running every day for the past 50 years.

half marathon comes up half mile short; former UMAC Champ leads downhill course

Issac Boedigheimer repeated as winner of the Gillette Pepsi Rochester Half Marathon while running an average of 5:35 minutes-per-mile. 

His time was 1:10:11, though he wrote that the top 30 runners were misdirected on the course and ended up running 12.6 miles total. Other runners showed similar distances on their GPS watches. 

“It was a really great day, a really fun race, and the conditions couldn’t have been better,” Boedigheimer told KIMT-TV after he missed the worst of the storms.

Boedigheimer is familiar with speed: He won the 2018 UMAC Men’s Cross Country Championship race when he was running with a dominant University of Wisconsin-Superior team.

Local athlete Caleb Troe, 25, finished second in 1:16:07. He was tailed closely by Zionsville, Indiana, resident Matt Schafer, 33, who came in 15 seconds later. Schafer also noted the missing half mile on his Strava profile.

In the women’s race, former collegiate triathlete Darby Middlebrook put together 13.1 miles of 6:19 pace to take the tape in 1:22:45.

“It’s so fun to be able to get out and do these things again, really makes the training worth it,” the doctoral student at Mayo Clinic told KTTC-TV.

Thirty-year-old Rosalie Waller of Rochester finished second in 1:26:38. In third, Jessica Szczepanski, 29, traveled up from Flagstaff, Arizona, and crossed at 1:28:05.

med city’s Friday five

Ali Khalili strides along the Zumbro River path at the May 28 Altra Federal Credit Union 5K race. He went on to finish second in 18:46.


At the 5K, Heather Betts ran to a win for women (and masters women) in 23:30.

In the previous day’s 5K race, local runners ruled. Heather Betts, 40, of nearby Spring Valley, won the women’s race in 23:30 and local 24-year-old Chad Crouser won the overall race in 17:47.

He was followed by Ali Kahili, 32, of Byron (18:46) and a 12-year-old: Ryan Littlefield of St. Charles, whose shorter legs put together 6-minute-miles for a 18:52. Second for women was Kimberly Sundling, 32, of Lakeville (24:38). Rochester’s Ann Ciesla, 23, finished third (25:06).

race reunites and raises resources for ronald

The Med City races and surrounding running community raised money once again for a local foundation. The Ronald McDonald House of Rochester put on Saturday morning’s 5K walk to fundraise, and all the Med City participants had opportunities to donate. The foundation’s apartment building has housing for families to stay when their children are admitted to the Mayo Clinic.

“We were honored to be the charity of choice and over the past eight years the marathon weekend has had a tremendous impact on our organization,” said Angela Christensen, the organization’s development officer.

She said many families who have stayed come back for the event and it becomes a reunion. The donations were still being tallied after the weekend, but Christensen noted that last year the event raised $16,000.

“It’s a beautiful opportunity for families to support other families,” the organization’s executive director Peggy Elliott told KIMT-TV.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RMH Rochester (@rmhmn)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @lupyloorosy

  Magazine




Facebook


Twitter


Instagram

Facebook


Twitter


Instagram

Rochester’s biggest race is back on Memorial Day weekend after two years, and the marathon relay racers won’t be the only ones passing on their batons.

On the 25th running of the Med City Marathon, Mark Bongers is handing off the race director title for the third-oldest marathon in Minnesota.  

Evin Haukos is taking over the operations of the race, though Bongers will help in the transition this year. Haukos is a 2013 graduate of St. Cloud State who has operated many races in central Minnesota. His name may be familiar to runners in the state—his step-father Chris Haukos runs Pickle Events, a timing company, and his mother is the founder of a St. Cloud Half Marathon. 

“That’s an exciting thing,” Evin Haukos said. “It’s great to see the traditions carry on. And [we hope to] make this a bigger national marathon in the future.”

Haukos said he is learning the details of managing a full marathon this year. He sees a big future for the race that finishes just blocks from one of the largest medical systems in the country: The Mayo Clinic, which generated $15.7 billion in revenue in 2021 and employs more than 70,000 at hospitals, clinics and research labs in Rochester and around the world.

“Rochester is America’s city of health,” Haukos said as he worked preparations for the race weekend Friday. “In talking with the city’s leadership, [they also want] the event to engage the entire community in health and wellness—and show off the local art, the local music.” 

Haukos knows something of the local music scene too. He plays the fiddle in the folk rock group, My Grandma’s Cardigan, and he used his connections to help line up a strong afterparty band list for Med City’s marathon weekend. 

The first party starts after Saturday’s two races. It all begins 5:30 p.m. May 28 when the kids line up for a free race sponsored by GLK Orthodontics. An hour later, the Altra Federal Credit Union 5K sends runners on the bankside paths of the Zumbro River, around Soldiers Field’s dirt track (though not on it) and back into downtown Rochester where a concert will set the tone at the finish line. The TerraLoco Heath and Fitness Expo goes through the day until 8 p.m.

Sunday’s racers may not want to stay at the concert too late—many will have a  5:20 a.m. bus ride to the starting line at the Rochester International Airport. The three major races start from there at 7 a.m.: the Gillette Pepsi Half Marathon, the 20-mile and the marathon. There is also a marathon relay option for runners who want to run the distance as a team.

Race organizers have included the 20-mile run as a part of the competition to appeal to those training for Grandma’s Marathon on June 18. Still, the largest number of entries is the half marathon. Overall, the race may not see the amount of participants from pre-pandemic years. 

“We’re looking really good, in comparison to a lot of events,” Haukos said. “We’re about 10 percent lower than 2019. We have a lot of late registrations because people are nervous about [race cancellations].”

The Med City tradition started in 1996 with good support from the city. More than 400 people ran in the inaugural race. But in the 27 years of running, racers saw the cancellation of the race twice. 

In 2020, the devastating COVID-19 pandemic first postponed the race to September before the cancellation of the race July 20.

In 2018, a heat advisory was issued for southern Minnesota, forcing all runners to downgrade to the half marathon. It was nearly a repeat of another hot year. In 2006, heat increased as the race went on, and officials called runners off the course after 3 hours. Many still finished, though Brett Evans’ first-place 2:56:43 remains the slowest-winning time of any year.

This year, the temperature is forecasted to be in the low 60s at the start.

“Looks like it’s going to be warm later in the day,” Haukos said. “Thankfully it looks like there will be cloud cover on the course. But regardless, our medical staff will be ready to rock and roll.”   

Rochester’s own Pete Gillman set the course record for the race. In 2002, he lowered the course record to 2:30:06. He did it again in 2005, when he ran 2:25:54, still the fastest time on the course. He won the race two more times—in 2010 and 2012. 

The women’s course record was set 20 years ago, when Kathy Neises came from South Dakota to run a 2:56:31. She is one of five women to break 3 hours at Med City. Another is Wisconsin’s Kathy Waldron, who has won the race more than any other woman: in 1999, 2000, 2001 (in a course record 2:57:15), and 2006 (at age 47 while running in red-flag heat). She also finished second in 2002. 

There may not be any course-smashing times put up this year. Prize money won’t be offered. Still, Haukos said he could see a prize purse coming in the future.

“We’re keeping things pretty consistent for the first-year transition. We want to get one marathon under our belt and then next year we’ll work with local groups to make a big invitation for people to come out. We’re going to go all-out for it.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Med City Marathon (@medcitymarathon)

  Magazine

Facebook


Twitter


Instagram

Central Minnesota Marathon accepts South Dakota runners who faced race cancelation

The 14th running of the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon takes place May 14, and a few late entries will be at the starting line after 80- to 90-mile-per-hour winds destroyed portions of South Dakota, forcing a cancellation of the Brookings Marathon set for the same day. 

Normally the last day to register for the Lake Wobegon race is 10 days before the start. But when race director Jeff Jansson heard about the tragic turn of events May 13, he reached out to let runners know they could join with the nearly 300 already registered for Saturday’s event.

“The runners’ schedules are set, and it would be a shame to give it up,” he said while noting his respect for the well-run event in Brookings.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matt Anderson (@pfieffer44)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex Powers (@altrex11)

Both Minnesota and South Dakota have had cooler, wetter spring seasons this year. Although there were storms in the forecast for the week, the weekend weather looked good for both Brookings and Holdingford, Minnesota, where the Wobegon race begins.
The weather got serious on Wednesday night, setting off tornado sirens and uprooting trees across the Midwest. It was followed by a devastating front that carried straight line winds to Brookings the next night, May 12.

Runners change plans after winds devastate SD city

“It was about 5:30 the sky literally turned black and within 15 minutes you could see the wall of clouds and dust coming,” Brookings race director Matt Bien said Friday. “They were estimating 80- to 90-mile-per-hour winds. Hundreds of trees across the community are down. We haven’t had power for 20 hours or so now.”

Bien said that after the storm went through Thursday night, he knew things were going to be challenging for the race to run on Saturday. So at 4:30 a.m. Friday morning, he was out with the other marathon organizers and volunteers, each on a separate section of the course, cutting and clearing trees to prepare for the race. 

“We were going for it,” Bien said. “Though we were all seeing pieces of [the storm’s damage] and couldn’t see the bigger picture.”  

As the morning went on and the full scale of the damage came into view, the city assessed the scale of the damage and canceled the race, which has been run since 1970. Bien said he was shell shocked, but that it was out of his hands.

“The city made the decision … it was the right call. With no power, no street lights, there’s literally an accident waiting to happen on every corner.”

“They were estimating 80- to 90-mile-per-hour winds. Hundreds of trees across the community are down. We haven’t had power for 20 hours or so now.”

—Brookings Race Director Matt Bien

Runners who had already traveled into town didn’t have options for restaurants, gas stations, or hotels, unless the place had backup generators running. One gas station under generator power had a line of cars that snaked down the road.

“Runners are hearty; there’s no question some could have made it happen. But that’s not where the city needs to focus today,” Bien said. “I just feel bad for people when you can’t make the decision until that close to the start. People have put a lot of effort into training; a lot of effort into preparation, it’s still not easy.”

For runners who couldn’t make it to Minnesota for the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon, Bien said that Brookings may try putting on a fall event to keep the longstanding race tradition from missing another year.

mn race is rrca championship

The Lake Wobegon Marathon race has been named the Road Runner’s Club of America State Championship Marathon. The RRCA is a national group, but state clubs often designate state championships as well.

The marathon was started in 2008 and has been run each year except 2020. The route is unchanging as the horizon over the farm fields it runs through. Only one year did the route shift: the first year, because of construction on a bridge. Another year, an arsonist set fire to the wood planks on a bridge that crosses Schwinghammer Lake, but the bridge was repaired in time for the race. And as of 2021, three runners have made the trek each year.  

  Magazine




Facebook


Twitter


Instagram

Facebook


Twitter


Instagram

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!

TRAINING INFORMATION

“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

2021 Fall

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!

2021 Fall

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.

 

2021 Fall // 2022 Spring

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. 

2021 Fall

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!!!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Run Minnesota (@run.minnesota1961)

  Magazine