Woohoo! Minnesota Woman Qualifies for Olympics as Dakotah Lindwurm takes 3rd! Reed Fischer 9th in Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials

February 3, 2024 Originally scheduled to start at noon, the US Olympic Marathon Trials were thankfully moved ahead two hours due to heat and humidity concerns expressed by the runners.  With a gun-start after 10:00 in Orlando, Florida, at 54° F and temperatures expected to rise significantly, many Minnesota athletes with Minnesota connections raced the

2024 Qualifiers for the US Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials with Minnesota Connections

January 3, 2024 To run in the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials men’s division in Orlando, Florida on February 3rd, a time of 2:18:00 (or 1:03 in the half-marathon) or faster must have been recorded in the past two years (one year for the half-marathon) in a certified race.  A total of 227 men have

CHICAGO MARATHON HAS MINNESOTA HIGHLIGHTS

October 8, 2023 This morning proved that breaking two hours in the marathon is not far in the future as Kevin Kliptum of Kenya completed the Chicago Marathon is an astonishing 2:00:35, with a negative split! The highlights for the Minnesota running community included three Minnesota women finishing 11th, 12th, and 13th (4th, 5th, and

Some Upbeat Stories Amid Cancellation of All Twins Cities Marathon Events

October 1, 2023 With the cancellation of all of the running events connected with the Twin Cities Marathon today, perhaps some updates on recent runs will be of interest to the running community. Pictured below are some inspiring runners, too. At the Jeff Winter City of Lakes Half Marathon on September 23rd, many Minnesota age

USATF MARATHON ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA HAVE STRONG MINNESOTA RESULTS

December 10, 2022 Sunday’s USA Track & Field Marathon Road Championship, the California International Marathon, had many Minnesota athletes in or near the top 100 finishers including a gutsy effort that landed Joel Reichow (White Bear Lake)on the podium. Joel hung tough despite stomach issues and severe quad pain, finishing 3rd overall in 2:12:11, a

MINNESOTA MARATHONERS IN ACTION

On Sunday, December 20th, several Minnesota runners competed at The Marathon Project race in Chandler, Arizona, with positive results. The women’s field especially had many recognizable names in the top 20 with Minnesota connections. Emma Bates (Elk River) led the elite group with a 4th-place finish with a time of 2:25:40–she had finished 7th in

MINNESOTA ATHLETES AT THE US OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS

Minnesota has a rich heritage in long-distance running with many state athletes competing on the world stage. People sometimes forget that qualifying for an Olympics Trials is a tremendous achievement that involves running thousands–probably tens of thousands in many cases–of miles, overcoming injuries, perseverance, and time management and balancing life for years. University of Minnesota

JANUARY RUNNING, WRESTLING, AND CURLING; A PERFECT 10 IN GYMNASTICS

Qualifying for the Olympic Trials marathon on Sunday was Liz Berkholtz, a U of M graduate and the 2nd American to cross the finish line (2:40:34) at the Houston Marathon. Also competing in Houston and placing 32nd-34th respectively were Joel Reichow, Kevin Lewis, and Tyler Jermann in the half-marathon. Congratulations to Matthew Edward Gabrielson of

HISTORY AND RESULTS OF GRANDMA’S MARATHON

The running scene of Minnesota shines at Grandma’s Marathon events in Duluth. Debuting in 1978 with 150 participants, the marathon was first sponsored by Duluth-based Grandma’s Restaurant. The setting, hospitality, and Minnesota running community helped it explode in popularity. Distance running icons Garry Bjorklund (Proctor), Barney Klecker, and Dick Beardsley (Excelsior) won 5 of the

Duluth Races, More Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Several races were hosted in Duluth in conjunction with Grandma’s Marathon and many runners with Minnesota connections had notable achievements. Carrie Tollefson a recent Villanova University Hall of Fame inductee, won the women’s William Irvin 5K with a time of 18:21 while Team USA Minnesota runner Tyler Jermann placed an impressive 12th in the marathon.