California Style: End of the Week Loose Items

What's that joke about California? They tipped the United States and all the loose screws rolled there. Well, a lot of loose items in the DtB in-box have rolled to Friday afternoon. To make sure they're not completely lost in the shuffle, here's a miscellanea of news and information -- California-style.

-- Officials at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon announced yesterday that they will add to the number of elite athletes tested for performance enhancing drugs at this year's Sunday events -- the Twin Cities Marathon and TC-10 Mile. TCM will use its own funds to cover the the costs of additional testing. TCM officials tell DtB that an additional 3-5 athletes will be tested beyond those screened by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency because of TCM's efforts. TCM's media release on the matter is HERE.

-- St. Paul Pioneer Press running columnist Bruce Brothers offered his nominations for this year's class of the Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame. (We did the same thing a while back, HERE.) On Brothers' list: Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker, Team USA Minnesota President Pat Goodwin, marathoner and ultra-marathoner Barney Klecker, finisher of every Grandma's Marathon and TCM John Naslund, and long-time MDRA and USATF - Minnesota officer Rick Recker.

-- Jenny Crain, a Wisconsin-based elite marathoner and road racer who competed in Minneapolis last weekend at the Heart of Summer 10K, was struck by a car and seriously injured while training in Milwaukee earlier this week.

A Milwaukee Journal story filed shortly after the accident is HERE. A more recent update is HERE.

-- The Interstate 35W bridge collapse has moved the September 23 Women Run the Cities road races off of West River Road to Minnehaha Park. Twin Cities Marathon officials are still working on the re-designed TC-10 Mile course, also affected by the bridge collapse.

-- The always-interesting Andrew Carlson -- have you heard his play-by-play work? -- just posted a new entry to his journal on Men's Racing. You can read it HERE. He's looking forward to the New Haven 20K and the TC-10 Mile, both USA Championship events.

-- We also recommend Shani Marks' Osaka blog that the GopherSports web-site is hosting for the U of M alum. Marks is enjoying Japan as she awaits triple jump qualifying on August 29 at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships.

-- The start of action is Osaka is less than three hours away as this post goes to press. In the opening event, the men's marathon, last year's Twin Cities Marathon 1-2 finishers Mbarak Hussein and Simeon Sawe are among those representing the USA.

The startlist for the event is HERE.

-- The startlist for the women's 10,000 meters, featuring Minnesotans Kara Goucher and Katie McGergor is HERE.

Look for results of that event early on Saturday morning, CDT.